BOSSES at the region's largest hospital trust have issued an up-beat statement despite recent gloom in the NHS.

Len Fenwick, chief executive of the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, said the trust, one of the largest in the UK, is forecasting "the most successful trading year in its history".

Mr Fenwick highlighted the fact that the Tyneside trust, which includes the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle General Hospital and the Freeman Hospital, is treating record numbers of patients, with an increased turnover of more than £550m.

As well as hosting a wide range of research projects, the trust is training more undergraduate medical and dental students than ever, in partnership with Newcastle University, while it also has below average infection rates, which recently fell by a third, and reduced waiting times.

A £300m building programme is under way, moving the trust from three to two sites.

At a time when a number of trusts in the region are expecting to finish the financial year substantially in the red, Mr Fenwich said the Newcastle trust is expected to break even at the end of the financial year on Friday.

"In essence, success breeds success," said Mr Fenwick.

The trust provides a range of specialist services which benefit children and adults from as far north as Berwick and as far south as the Yorkshire Dales.