Bradford's hospitals have been named as two of England's top centres for their treatment of people aged 50 and over, according to new research published today.

Data from each hospital in England, Wales and Scotland was analysed according to four key factors deemed most important to people aged 50 and over.

These were: quality of care in each hospital, including the number of doctors and mortality ratios; patient experience, including cleanliness and confidence in the doctors; infection control, incidence of MRSA and access to services, including in and out patient waiting times.

The study looked at 223 hospitals in England, 25 in Scotland and 17 in Wales and scored their performance on each of the key areas.

Twenty-six English hospitals - including Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital - achieved five credits or more out of ten for their treatment of people aged over 50.

Airedale General Hospital in Steeton scored four credits out of ten.

The study also found that time spent on waiting lists had decreased in England which could in part, the researchers said, be explained by the growing emphasis placed on reform and the introduction of Foundation Trusts.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals, which manages BRI and St Luke's, was awarded Foundation status in 2004.

Bradford Royal Infirmary scored well in a number of areas. It had good staffing levels, a low over-50s mortality rate and a hip replacement wait of 162 days - one of the lowest in the UK.

The study found areas for improvement included waiting times for MRI scans, which was180 days at the time of the study. The average wait for an MRI scan in the Yorkshire and Humber region is 117 days compared with 114 days nationally. A Trust spokesman said that had now been reduced to six weeks.

The average wait for a hip replacement was 221 days in Yorkshire and Humber and 245 nationally.

St Luke's Hospital had a low mortality ratio and met waiting time targets for outpatients. It also scored good for the number of nurses and doctors per 100 beds.

Areas for improvement which were highlighted included its MRSA controls, patient confidence in doctors and reducing the overall outpatient and MRI scan waits.

The wait for a hip operation at Airedale Hospital was 201 days and 91 days for an MRI scan.

The research was carried out by Saga Health Care using information supplied by Dr Foster, an independent authority on healthcare quality in the UK.

Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of Saga, said: "This survey provides a snapshot of how the NHS is meeting the needs of today's over 50s. It is encouraging to see the majority of hospitals performing well and this is a tribute to the dedication of NHS staff.

"I hope that by commissioning this independent review and highlighting the top performers such as Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital, we will help people, along with their GPs, make informed choices about their healthcare needs."

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals said: "We are constantly seeking to provide the best care we can and it is always pleasing when this is recognised.

"We have done considerable work to reduce mortality rates which have been highlighted in the report from Saga.

"We remain committed to improving care for patients."