Health trusts in Airedale and Craven have put in star performances in a survey by a national watchdog.

Airedale NHS Trust -- which runs Airedale Hospital -- has been awarded the maximum three stars by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) in its national review of health services launched this week.

The same three star accolade was awarded to Craven, Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust, which oversees GP, dental and pharmacy services, and purchases health care for people in Craven.

Airedale Primary Care Trust, which provides and commissions health care for people in Keighley, was awarded two stars in the report.

Airedale NHS Trust was one of the 53 acute trusts nationwide to achieve three stars for achieving the "highest levels of performance" this year -- an improvement on last year's two stars.

The Steeton trust met all nine of the key targets, including financial management, accident and emergency waiting times, information for out-patients, as well as quality and co-ordinated patient care.

Chief executive Bob Allen said staff were delighted that the trust had been recognised as performing at the highest level.

"This rating demonstrates how hard the staff have been working to deliver the highest level of health service for our local population. It also shows that not only are we a top level trust, but that we are capable of improving year on year."

Mr Allen added that the rating opened the door for the trust to apply for foundation hospital status.

"This is something the trust board will be discussing shortly -- to decide if this would be of benefit to our patients, our local area and our staff," added Mr Allen.

The Government says foundation status will give front-line health workers and patients a greater say in running services, although critics have accused the Government of privatisation by stealth.

For the first time the CHI reviewed primary care trusts.

Keighley-based Airedale Primary Care Trust -- awarded two stars -- was judged to be "performing well" having achieved eight out of nine key targets, which covered access to GPs, hospital waiting and treatment times, financial management and smoking cessation.

It also achieved top scores in 11 out of 15 categories for providing access to quality services. These included achieving targets for waiting times for heart surgery and making sure that patients were not delayed from being discharged from hospital.

Kevin Ellis, chief executive of Airedale Primary Care Trust, said: "We are delighted with this result and that the achievements and hard work of all our staff have been publicly recognised by independent assessors.

"However, we are not complacent and will now concentrate our efforts on areas which have been highlighted as needing some improvement."

In a recent survey of patients, the PCT was praised for providing good access and reasonable waiting times to GPs and other services, providing safe, high quality, co-ordinated care, providing more choice and clean, comfortable and friendly premises.

Craven, Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust was among the top performers with three stars.

It managed to hit nine out of nine key targets, including access to a GP, waiting time for in-patients and out-patients, financial management and encouraging smokers to quit within four weeks.

The PCT, was also in the top bands for providing access to quality services, improving health and service provision.

Chief executive Penny Jones said: "The star ratings are an important benchmark of how well we are doing across a wide range of indicators."

She added: "Establishing the PCT has been a major challenge for us, but we have been focused since day one on a commitment to providing easier access to the right range of services."

Bradford South and West Primary Care Trust, which provides care for villagers in Cullingworth and Denholme, received a two star rating.

The PCT was shown to have performed "significantly above average" in 12 categories including accident and emergency admission rates, number of patients waiting more than 12 months for heart operations, access to NHS dentists and teenage pregnancy levels.

In all, the PCT was rated in the top three indicators in 38 of the 46 categories, such as death rates from circulatory diseases in ages under 75, breast and cervical cancer screening and staff sickness absence rates.

Chief executive Dr Barbara Hakin said: "This information about our performance comes hard on the heels of an in-depth clinical governance report by the Commission for Health Improvement which says that patients in Bradford South and West are receiving excellent care from a well-organised and efficient organisation.

"It also says that we have systems in place to continue improving the quality of service offered to patients."

Bradford District Care Trust, which is responsible for mental health and learning disability services in Keighley and Craven, was awarded two stars.

The trust -- formed in April 2002 -- met all of its seven key targets, including out-patients waiting times and hospital cleanliness.

Chief executive Con Egan said: "This sets us on course to move towards even higher performance in future years and recognises the tremendous work that has been done in the first year."

Bosses at West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (Wymas) expressed their disappointment at receiving only one star. Last year it received a two-star rating.

Interim chief executive Jayne Brown said: "Obviously, we are disappointed with the news of our star rating, although the challenges which we have experienced over the last few months have been well publicised.

"Management and staff, supported by our trade union representatives and by our partners in the NHS, have been highly active in making improvements which will have a bearing on our future performance.

"We have already recruited 60 additional front-line ambulance personnel and are in the process of recruiting 60 additional paramedics."