MERSEYSIDE hospitals have performed well in the latest league tables for hygiene standards.

Under the Government's "traffic lights" rating the Royal and Broadgreen hospitals have moved from red for "poor" in April 2001 to green for "good" this year. Other hospitals across the region were mainly rated green, with a handful on amber for "acceptable."

Those hospitals which have moved from "acceptable" to "good" include Alder Hey, Aintree, Southport General Infirmary, Ellesmere Port Hospital and Wirral's Victoria Central. Those hospitals remaining at just "acceptable" include Liverpool's Sir Alfred Jones Memorial Hospital, West Cheshire hospital, the Scott Clinic, Stoddart House and Alder Hey's mental health unit.

And those consistently scoring top marks are Aintree and Liverpool Women's Hospital, Walton Centre for neurology, Wirral's Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals, St Helens Hospital, Whiston, Newton, Southport and Formby and Ormskirk district general.