A Sussex hospital has the lowest death rate in the South-East.

St Richard's Hospital in Chichester is well below the UK average, according to figures being published tomorrow.

The Sunday Times Good Hospital Guide has given the Royal West Sussex NHS Trust a mortality rate of 84. The average is between 90 and 110.

All other hospitals in Sussex have a rate that falls within the average.

The guide has been compiled by independent healthcare researchers Dr Foster and includes detailed profiles of main NHS and private hospitals.

A mortality figure of 100 means the number of deaths was exactly as expected, taking into account factors beyond the hospital's control such as the age and sex of patients, the diagnosis and whether admission was planned or emergency.

Trusts with figures lower than 100 are doing better than expected given their patient mix and those higher are doing worse.

The figures are based on average death rates between 1999 and 2002.

Some of the trusts listed no longer exist, following mergers last year.

Hastings and Rother, which includes the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, has a rate of 91, while Eastbourne Hospitals has 94.

Mid Sussex NHS Trust, based in Haywards Heath, is given a rating of 95 and Brighton Health Care 96.

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals has a rating of 99.

The worst performing trust in the county is Surrey and Sussex Healthcare, which runs hospitals in Crawley and Horsham and has a rating of 109.

Robert Lapraik, chief executive of Royal West Sussex, was delighted with the results.

He said: "It is great news. It confirms the high quality of clinical care provided by all the team at St Richard's."

Death rates are a critical piece of data in measuring the performance of trusts.

Other key indicators are in-patient and outpatient waiting times.

These are also assessed in the guide, along with the numbers of doctors and nurses per 100 beds and cancer waiting times.