IPSWICH Hospital is expected to keep its two star performance rating as Department of Health league tables are published today. The rating, which uses figures collated over the last year, is likely to show the hospital's progress and success at meeting government targets.

IPSWICH Hospital is expected to keep its two star performance rating as Department of Health league tables are published today.

The rating, which uses figures collated over the last year, is likely to show the hospital's progress and success at meeting government targets.

Jan Rowsell , head of communications at Ipswich Hospital, said the rating was based on the hospital reaching nine key targets.

She said: "The national NHS performance indicators are announced today. "They are based on a series of nine key targets based on access to healthcare and financial management of the hospital.

Ms Rowsell gave examples of targets that have to be met to secure a high rating. Three stars is the highest available, one the lowest.

She said: "The targets are things like having no patient waiting more than four hours for treatment in the accident and emergency department, nobody waiting more than nine months for an inpatient operation, and having nobody waiting more than 17 weeks for their first outpatient appointment."

Once targets are met patient and staff surveys are used to assess the hospital further.

The staff of 3,800 plus 400 volunteers will be among the first to learn of the hospital's rating later today.

Ms Rowsell said she was unable to speculate on how many stars the hospital would be awarded. She confirmed all nine key targets had been met during the last year.

She said: "We have had an extremely busy year with an unprecedented rise in the amount of people needing emergency and urgent care.

"There has also been exceptional pressure on beds."

Last year the hospital was boosted from just one star to two.

Ipswich Primary Care Trust, Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust, Central Suffolk Primary Care Trust and the Suffolk Mental Health Partnership Trust are among those NHS organisations in the region that will also be given a star rating today.