HEALTH chiefs across Worcestershire have been stunned by a damning new set of performance ratings.

Both Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, and Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust have had their ratings reduced from two stars to one.

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, the main commissioning body for health services in the county, also received just one star in its first assessment of this type from the Commission for Health Improvement.

Worcestershire Mental Health Trust retained the two stars it earned last year.

The acute trust will not now be able to bid for Foundation status and opt out of central government control, a right granted only to hospitals with three stars.

Thirty-five of the 166 trusts in Britain lost stars, 81 remained the same and 50 improved and won new stars.

The acute trust's acting chief executive, Graham Smith, said real progress was being made after a difficult year.

"I would not want any member of staff to think that this rating suggests in any way that the hard work they do is only worth one star," he said.

The primary care trust was one of 98 to receive one star. Twenty-two received no stars, while 45 were awarded the maximum three stars.

The trust was criticised for providing poor access to GPs and for its service provision. But it was not taken to task for its financial management, despite being more than £5.5m in debt.

Chairman David Barlow said the trust's first year had been a challenging one.

"Difficult decisions have been made and many discussions have taken place involving local users of our services," he said.

"I believe that we have now put in place arrangements which will improve our performance in the current year."

Managers at the ambulance trust were "extremely disappointed" with its one-star rating.