THREE out of four pensioners believe the NHS in York has improved over the past five years, according to a new survey carried out by city MP Hugh Bayley.

An interviewer questioned 126 pensioners by telephone on behalf of the MP, to canvas their views on changes made to NHS health provision, both locally and nationally.

Those questioned were asked whether they thought the service had improved over the past five years, and how they would rate it now.

More than two-thirds - 69 per cent - said they thought the NHS service provided in York was either good or excellent, while 12 per cent said it was poor.

Three-quarters of the people surveyed thought the quality of service in York was either the same or had improved over the past five years, while the remainder said it had worsened. Mr Bayley said he had decided to conduct the survey because of the number of older people who wrote to him about the NHS or discussed its health provision when they visited him at constituency surgeries.

Mr Bayley said those surveyed believed generally that nurses were doing a great job, but some concern was voiced over the cleanliness of hospitals.

Thanking those who took part in the survey, he said: "The NHS staff do a fantastic job, and it is good to see how much their work is appreciated by elderly people and patients in general."

He said NHS spending under the Labour Government had risen from £617 per person in 1997 to £1,113 in 2003, with £25 million of Government money invested in new services at York Hospital over the past three years.

Mike Proctor, the hospital trust's chief operating officer and director of nursing, said: "We were delighted to hear how positively older people in York view the care they receive at the trust.

"The results of Mr Bayley's survey are testament to the hard work and dedication of all staff who work here.

"Improving hospital cleanliness is at the top of our agenda, and we take any concerns people have about it extremely seriously.

"This is why we constantly strive to improve the hospital environment by monitoring it very closely.

"During a recent Patient Environment Action Team inspection, cleanliness at the trust was assessed as being satisfactory.

"We are not complacent in this area, and are committed to achieving a rating of excellent."

Updated: 10:42 Wednesday, May 25, 2005