A HEALTHCARE watchdog has rated the area's health trusts as either 'fair' or 'good'.

The Care Quality Commission published its annual performance report scoring England's 392 NHS trusts in terms of overall quality and financial management.

Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust improved on last year's results with an overall rating of 'good' while its finances were rated as 'fair '.

Meanwhile Queen Elizabeth NHS Trust was rated as 'fair' for its healthcare services and 'weak' for its finances.

Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) was rated 'good' in both categories while Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust was rated 'good' for its care and 'excellent' for financial management.

Finally, Lewisham PCT received 'fair' scores in both sections of the report.

A spokesman for South London Healthcare NHS Trust, which is a merger of the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary's and Princess Royal - Bromley Hospitals trusts, said: "Since the merger, we have good reason to be confident that things are beginning to move in the right direction.

"Our survival rates are better, while infection rates for MRSA and C-Difficile and the length of time that patients spend as inpatients are falling."

Visit newsshopper.co.uk/news/health for more health stories.