Standards at hospitals in Sussex are improving, according to a report investigating the state of NHS services.

The Healthcare Commission today publishes performance ratings for all NHS organisations.

Each trust is given a rating for the quality of its services and how it manages its finances. Scores are from excellent to good, fair or weak.

The quality of services score is an assessment of how well the trust is performing against national standards including MRSA rates, privacy and dignity on the wards, standards of cleanliness, cancelled operations and waiting times.

The use of resources score looks at financial management and value for money.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, was rated excellent for quality of services, a dramatic improvement on last year’s fair rating.

In previous years the county’s major hospital trusts have struggled with finances.

But they have all improved from weak to fair or good.

The Sussex Partnership NHS Trust was also given an excellent score for its services and a good score for finances, while South East Coast Ambulance Service went from fair to good.

The Queen Victoria Hospital trust in East Grinstead was once again the best performer in the county with excellent ratings in both categories.

The trust and the Sussex Partnership have been congratulated by Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

However, there was bad news for South Downs Health NHS Trust, which provides community services in Brighton and Hove, which was branded weak for its quality of services even though its finances were good. East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust was also branded weak for its services.

Brighton and Sussex chief executive Duncan Selbie said the trust’s score was marvellous news.

He said: “We have been rigorously focusing on the safety and quality of everything we do and on performing strongly on the national standards, particularly for admitting or discharging A&E patients within four hours and reducing infection rates.

“Our rating reflects this work and shows we are improving the overall experience of our patients as well as their clinical care.

“This year we are pushing ahead with our plans to strengthen and grow the services we provide at the Princess Royal and redevelop the Royal Sussex as the critical care centre for Sussex.”

South Downs Health said it needed to improve the way it presented evidence to the commission, which it says is why its score was so low.

Sam Banga, head of the commission’s South East region, said: “The NHS in the South East has demonstrated some good successes and this is to be celebrated. In particular, it has made some impressive improvements in managing its financial resources.

“However, the results show that, compared to other regions, the South East is one of the weakest areas for its quality of services.”