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North Manchester General Hospital

The national survey found the hospital was one of 17 in England with a mortality rate of more than 10.5% worse than it should be despite having more doctors and nurses than most English hospital trusts.

Sunday Times researchers found that mortality had dropped by 18 per cent since 1995 but North Manchester General had some of the best inpatient waiting times in England.

But the trust was found to have failed to meet the two-week guarantee for urgent breast cancer referrals to see a specialist and confidence in doctors was comparatively low.

In a 1999 survey only 78 per cent of patient questioned trusted doctors and the North Manchester Healthcare Trust which runs the hospital was also in the top 20 for the number of complaints with 10 per 1,000 patients. The survey found 47 per cent of complaints are resolved within four weeks.

The Sunday Times figures show there are 39 Doctors and 120 nurse for every 100 of the 702 beds at the hospital which provides a casualty unit, intensive care, rapid access chest pain clinic, maternity and access to private treatment

North Manchester General serves a population of about 250,000 in north Manchester and surrounding areas and, the survey acknowledged, has an impressive array of charter marks in A and E, audiology; and day services.

Last year, the physiotherapy department was refurbished and the first phase of a women's health unit was completed. There are plans to extend A and E and the hospital is carrying out heart research.

Wards are being upgraded to provide better privacy for patients. All targets to reduce waiting list numbers were met in 1999-2000.