The region's major hospitals have been praised by inspectors for their cleanliness and food quality. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was rated excellent in both categories, while the James Paget University Hospital at Gorleston and Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn were both rated good.

The region's major hospitals have been praised by inspectors for their cleanliness and food quality.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was rated excellent in both categories, while the James Paget University Hospital at Gorleston and Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King's Lynn were both rated good. But the picture is more mixed for Norfolk and Suffolk's community hospitals and mental health wards.

The new figures come from the annual Patient Environment Action Team inspections, which were set up in 2000 to assess every hospital in England with more than ten beds, and are published by the National Patient Safety Agency.

Nationally, standards have improved, with 98.5pc of trusts rated as least acceptable on patient environment, which includes cleanliness, infection control, décor, lighting and bathrooms. Hospital food was rated as acceptable or better in 99.5pc of trusts.

Norfolk primary care trust's 11 community hospitals were all rated as excellent or good for food, and as acceptable or good for environment.

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Care Trust's premises were mostly good, but Chatterton House in Lynn was rated as poor for its environment and acceptable for its food. Hellesdon Hospital was acceptable on both counts. A spokesman for the Trust said: “Chatterton House was inherited by the trust from the PCT at the end of last year. It is one of the board's objectives to further improve our estates this financial year and some moves were already in place to improve Chatterton House to offer a better environment for service users and staff in the future.”

Yarmouth and Waveney's four community hospitals were rated as excellent for food, with the exception of Northgate hospital, which was acceptable. They were rated as good for cleanliness and environment, except for Beccles hospital, which was acceptable. Southwold had improved significantly from poor last year.

A spokesman for Waveney and Yarmouth PCT said: “We are extremely happy with the results at Southwold, which reflect the level of investment we have been able to put in. The survey has shown some areas which can be improved and we are looking at the most appropriate ways of achieving this.”

Anna Dugdale, acting chief executive of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: “These are excellent results that are down to good teamwork on the part of often over-looked staff who are delivering an excellent service for patients. We remain determined to maintain those standards and improving them further wherever possible.”

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds was rated good for cleanliness and patient privacy and dignity, and excellent for food.