MORE than 20 per cent of inpatients at York Hospitals NHS Trust have to wait longer than six months for treatment, according to an audit of hospital standards published tomorrow.

The Sunday Times Good Hospital Guide discovered 21 per cent of inpatients had to wait longer than six months between the decision to admit them to hospital and undergoing treatment, between October and December last year. Twenty per cent of outpatients had to wait more than 13 weeks for an appointment with a specialist.

The guide also found 80 per cent of patients were satisfied with their care, 84 per cent trusted the doctors and 88 per cent felt they were treated with dignity - some of the highest results on the survey.

This year's mortality rate was 97 - lower than last year's 108. Average is deemed between 90 to 110.

The 96-page guide is the only independent audit of hospital standards throughout Britain and Ireland.

Hospitals were ranked on a 12-point scorecard by Dr Foster, Britain's leading independent authority on healthcare.

It is geared towards providing patients with information that will help them make better-informed decisions about their treatment or referral in consultation with their GP. The guide will be published tomorrow with the Sunday Times.

Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Hospital Of The Year. It has the shortest waiting times of any English trust - all but a handful of inpatients and outpatients are seen within target times.

A spokeswoman for York Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The information in the Dr Foster report is useful information and as always reflects the hard work which staff at the hospitals trust have carried out during the last year. It also highlights ways in which we can improve our services.

"We already know that people who use our services overall think they are very good, but we are not complacent and are always seeking ways to improve."

Updated: 09:47 Saturday, May 15, 2004