The chief executive of one of the worst-performing hospital trusts in England says steps have already been made to improve it.

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust is one of 12 trusts to receive a no-star rating in the Government's new assessment scheme.

It "significantly underachieved" in seven out of 21 Government targets used to assess the trust's performance.

These included reducing in-patient and outpatient waiting times; speeding up the number of women with suspected breast cancer being seen by a consultant two weeks after referral; and reducing the number of patients waiting on trolleys for more than 12 hours in the accident and emergency department at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Chief executive Stuart Welling said the figures collated for the ratings were for between January and March 2001 and since then the trust had already improved significantly in several areas.

The trust now has three months to improve its performance or a new management team will be brought in.

Representatives from the trust, Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority and Brighton and Hove Primary Care Group are working on plans to improve health care performance throughout the city.

One of the main areas being looked at is the shortage of nursing home beds in the city which means more patients are having to stay in hospital until a place is found for them.

Mr Welling said: "Many of the problems that beset us are not restricted to us alone. I do not doubt the commitment of our staff to deliver continuously improved modern health service."

The trust says it is now managing to get all patients with suspected breast cancer to a consultant within two weeks of referral following the appointment of more staff.

It has also managed to significantly cut its waiting list times despite missing its annual target.

Brighton, Hove and Lewes Community Health Council chairman Mo Marsh said: "It is important to stress this is not a reflection on actual clinical care or standards but rather one of management and organisation.

"It is interesting to see that nearly all the low performing trusts were in the South and this reflects the pressures and recruitment difficulties faced in what is an expensive place to live."

Other hospital trust results announced were two stars out of a possible three for Eastbourne, Worthing and Southlands and Royal West Sussex trusts, which means they are "performing well overall" but have not reached consistently high standards.

Mid Sussex, Surrey and Sussex and Hastings and Rother trusts were given one star, which means there is "some cause for concern".

The two and one-star trusts will receive a share of cash from a £155 million Government improvement fund but will have to account for every penny to the NHS Modernisation Agency.

Eastbourne chief executive Alan Randall said: "The district general hospital has a super team of staff. There is no reason why we should not get the top, three-star rating, and that's what we intend to achieve next time."

A spokesman for Hastings and Rother said: "We are disappointed with the star rating. The areas of concern are mainly around percentage of patients waiting under two weeks after being referred to a consultant with suspected breast cancer.

"We have now appointed extra consultant cover which will relieve the situation."