Three North Yorkshire hospitals have been given a "clean bill of health" by outside experts.

Both York District Hospital, Bootham Park, York, and St Monica's in Easingwold, have been given an overall category three for cleanliness following surprise NHS inspections.

The results are based on a scale where one is poor and four is excellent. York Health Trust chief executive Simon Pleydell welcomed the findings, pointing out the trust's own assessment had produced a "two" rating.

But he still was not satisfied. "I don't think cleaning is something we can be complacent about - I want to have the best possible standards," he said.

The trust is undergoing an "autumn clean", particularly of its open public spaces, as part of a £150,000 environmental improvement.

The trust board was hearing today that a bid has been made for £240,000 extra cash to ease the "bed blocking" situation on its wards.

The Evening Press has reported that City of York councillors have backed using part of that cash to move 15 elderly patients from the district hospital into local nursing homes by next month.

But Mr Pleydell said the money would only have short-term effects. "It will give us a fighting chance of maintaining some degree of elective surgical capacity during the key winter months.

"We will continue to remain concerned about this position until we get a lasting solution that all parties are signed up to."

He said a meeting between the trust, the council and North Yorkshire Health Authority, called by York MP Hugh Bayley, was aimed at finding a long-term solution.

The board was also being asked to approve spending £223,000 this year on an intermediate care project in York, where nurses, doctors, other health specialists and social services will provide support to patients in their own homes or other local settings.