HOSPITALS in Hertfordshire have some of the highest vacancy rates in the country according to the Government's most recent NHS league tables.

Figures published this week reveal that at 13.4 per cent, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust had the highest number of nursing, midwifery and health visitor posts remaining vacant for three months as measured in March last year.

This figure is way below average for "large acute or multi service" hospitals.

They also showed nearly 30 per cent of patients admitted through A and E have to wait on trolleys for more than four hours to obtain a hospital bed, which is below average.

But in many areas the "performance indicators" show the trust has improved.

In particular, there has been a significant reduction in the number of deaths within 30 days of emergency surgery, ranking fourth among similarly sized services.

Both the trust and Hertfordshire Health Authority achieved mixed results. Hertfordshire is one of the top ten health authorities at treating breast cancer with 79.9 per cent of women surviving for five years after diagnosis.

But it is the sixth worst health authority at access to GPs with more than 45 per cent of patients having to wait for more than two days to see a doctor.

A spokesman for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Where areas of improvement have been made they reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff.

"This year is the first we have had a high dependency unit in Hemel Hempstead and Watford and we have specialist clinical nurses at both the Watford and Hemel Hempstead sites."

Watford MP Claire Ward said: "I am obviously very pleased to see improvements in our health service and that is why these performance indictors are so important as they make sure the public and patients see that improvements are taking place in the NHS. I hope the good work continues."