Bradford's hospitals are among the best performing in the country after being given top Government ratings three years running.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary, where some of the staff are pictured, and St Luke's Hospital - has been awarded three stars in the NHS performance ratings.

And chiefs at Airedale General Hospital near Keighley are also celebrating after Airedale NHS Trust was given three stars too, an improvement on the two it achieved last year.

Bradford is one of about 12 NHS trusts nationwide to retain its top rating for the three years since the system was introduced.

The success also paves the way for the trust to continue to apply for Foundation Hospital status, which would see it have more control over its affairs.

The trust's board will decide next month whether to press ahead with the application after the preliminary bid was approved by the Department of Health earlier this year.

Both trusts hit all nine of the key targets needed to get three-star status: Shorter waiting times for inpatients and outpatients; quicker assessment and treatment for suspected cancer patients; fewer patients waiting on trolleys; fewer than one per cent of operations postponed on the day; improvements in working lives of staff; cleaner hospitals; shorter waits in accident and emergency departments; and strong financial management

Out of another 34 areas assessed, the Bradford trust was above average in 11, including privacy and dignity and rapid access to the chest pain clinic.

Chief executive David Jackson said the rating "crowned a good year for Bradford's hospitals".

"We have had to overcome a number of challenging targets to retain our three-star status. It is an achievement of which all staff and everyone in the wider community should feel proud."

He said retaining three stars was important for the community.

"It enables us to progress our application to become one of the NHS's first foundation trusts, as long as we are satisfied that such a move towards greater local freedoms and ownership is good for Bradford and its people."

Bob Allen, chief executive of Airedale NHS Trust, said the trust would also now consider whether to apply for foundation trust status.

"We are delighted that the trust has been recognised as performing at the highest level," he said.

"This rating demonstrates how hard the staff have been working to deliver the best level of health service for our local population."

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust achieved two stars in the ratings while Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust was given three stars.