FIVE North-East hospital trusts were yesterday named among the UK's top 40.

National Health Service Performance analysts CHKS compiled the list from a client base of 125 acute hospital trusts - about 60 per cent of the UK's total.

Among those singled out were City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, The Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and York Health Services NHS Trust.

To qualify for the list, they had to demonstrate efficiency according to 15 performance indicators, including mortality rates, emergency re-admission rates, time taken to discharge patients, the length of patients' stay in hospital, waiting times and costs.

Joan Rogers, chief executive of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust, which made the list for the second year running, said: "We were delighted to receive this award. It was a great boost for staff and patients to know we were among the best performing hospitals in the country."

David Hamilton, head of performance and governance for City Hospitals Sunderland, also listed for the second time, said: "It is a notable achievement to make the top 40 again. As well as recognition of the major developments at the trust over the past ten years, it is another thank-you to the staff for their professionalism and dedication."

But Mike Stone, chief executive of the Patients' Association, called on CHKS to publish the list of hospitals that were below standard.