Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has been judged as one of the top 40 performing hospitals in the country.

It has been named as one of the CHKS 40 Top Hospitals for 2013 by the independent provider of healthcare intelligence and quality improvement. The CHKS Top Hospitals programme is now in its 13th year and aims to celebrate excellence in the NHS.

Julie Livesey, general manager for surgery and Michael Smith, emergency department unit manager, collected the award on behalf of Airedale. They attended a ceremony at Middle Temple Hall in London alongside more than 200 guests from the healthcare sector, Department of Health, Royal Colleges and acute trusts.

The award is based on the evaluation of 22 key performance indicators covering safety, clinical effectiveness, health outcomes, efficiency, patient experience and quality of care.

Bridget Fletcher, chief executive of Airedale Hospital, said: “It is really good news that we have been recognised as one of the top hospitals in the country by an independent body based on our results, which are out in the public domain, rather than a nomination.

“Our staff will be delighted that we have done so well in the prestigious award scheme and we could not have achieved this success without their commitment to providing the best care possible for our patients.”