CENTRAL Manchester hospitals have lost their top three-star rating under new performance figures.

The Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust has dropped to two stars after it "under-achieved" its target for financial management.

A trust spokesman said: "While we have achieved the highest level of performance in delivering services to patients, we finished the year with a deficit, which led to the loss of a star."

Bolton is the only hospital in Greater Manchester to get only one star in the tables, released by the Healthcare Commission. Its record for treating breast cancer within one month of diagnosis was "poor". It missed targets for the number of patients waiting less than four hours in A&E and for financial management.

It is the second year that Bolton received one star. A spokesman said the hospital was badly hit by winter vomiting disease in November and December, but figures for emergency admissions had improved to 99.7 per cent this month.

The star ratings judge hospitals in categories including A&E waiting times, waiting lists, patient referrals, child protection, cleaner hospital environments and cancer targets.

Stockport, East Lancashire, and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh hospitals missed their financial management targets and were strongly criticised by the Healthcare Commission.

Operations

South Manchester Hospitals University Trust missed its A&E waiting times target and its cancelled operations rate was deemed "poor".

But it still attained three stars after achieving top scores, including child protection and stroke care.

Also on three stars were Christie Hospital and Salford, Stockport, Oldham, Tameside and Glossop, and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh hospitals. Pennine Acute Trust, which covers hospitals including Bury and Rochdale, got two stars.

Primary Care Trusts, the bodies responsible for planning healthcare services, are also rated. Oldham PCT shot up from one star last year to three, but sexual health care was judged "poor".

Central Manchester PCT rose from two to three stars, but cervical screening was "poor", and Bolton PCT rose from one to two stars.

The three local Mental Health Trusts all received two stars.

Laura Roberts, chief executive of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, said: "This is a huge achievement following last year's zero rating."

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service got three stars for meeting targets for emergency calls, financial management and improving working conditions.

The Lancashire service also got three stars.

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