York Health Trust is still falling short of the Government's targets for urgent breast cancer referrals, according to a Good Hospital Guide.

The first part of the guide, published yesterday in the Sunday Times, put the trust joint ninth on the list of the English NHS trusts with the worst performance in this area.

It showed only 72 per cent of women were seen within two weeks after an urgent referral to see a specialist.

But Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust was among 72 trusts in England to meet the Government's target for 100 per cent of women to be seen within the fortnight timescale, while the Harrogate Health Care Trust's figure was 98 per cent.

Last September the Evening Press reported that York Health Trust had the worst record in Yorkshire.

York District Hospital general manager Susan Acott said then the problems were due to having only one dedicated breast cancer surgeon.

But a second was appointed this month and is now in post.

Trust deputy chief executive George Wood said it had been meeting the two-week target fully since the beginning of December and was still doing so. The good news for the York trust was that patients' confidence in its doctors was rated at 87 per cent, placing it equal tenth nationally.

The York trust came ninth nationally in the league for trusts with the fewest doctors per 100 beds, while the Harrogate Health Care Trust was 20th with 25 doctors per 100 beds. The Northallerton trust had 27 doctors per 100 beds.

The second part of the A to Z guide will be published on Sunday. Meanwhile, key information on hospitals - including waiting times, cancelled operations, cleanliness and length of stays - is to be made available to the public within the year, as part of an open NHS policy, the Government has said.

Updated: 11:32 Monday, January 15, 2001