Two Oxford hospitals have among the worst cleanliness standards in the country, according to an official survey published today.

The Radcliffe Infirmary in Woodstock Road and Oxford Community Hospital, a community patients' ward run by Oxford City Primary Care Trust at the Churchill Hospital, were placed in the bottom 2.5 per cent of hospitals after both were rated "poor".

Out of 1,184 hospitals, the Oxford hospitals were among only 24 to score so badly, while another three elsewhere in the country were marked "unacceptable".

Last year, Patient Environment Action Teams inspectors gave the Radcliffe Infirmary an amber rating for both cleanliness and food quality.

They grade hospital buildings using a traffic light system -- red for poor, amber for acceptable and green reflecting high standards.

In 2003 Oxford Community Hospital won amber for cleanliness and green for food. The ratings compiled by PEAT provide a "snapshot" of environmental cleanliness and food standards.

The scores were released as the Government played down continued fears about hospital-acquired infections and announced new measures to combat superbugs like MRSA.

They were put together after a second visit by PEATs which saw the number of "poor" or "unacceptable" hospitals slump from 90 during the first visit earlier this year to 27.

The PEATS looked at 24 cleanliness and environment issues in hospitals, relating to wards, reception and waiting areas, accident and emergency areas, corridors, furnishings and linen.

The Government said that "a lot more work is needed" to improve standards as 49 per cent of hospitals were given the middle ranking of "acceptable".

These included a raft of Oxfordshire hospitals including Churchill Hospital, Horton Hospital, Bicester Community Hospital, Townlands Hospital in Henley, Wallingford Community Hospital, Abingdon Hospital and Didcot Hospital.

Also ranked "acceptable" were institutions within Oxfordshire Learning Disability Trust, including Hernes House, John Sharich House and its Short-Term Treatment and Assessment Centre.

Oxfordshire Mental Health Trust had its Fiennes Centre, Littlemore Health Centre, Moorview, Orchard Lodge, Park Hospital and Warneford Hospital bracketed under "acceptable".

John Radcliffe Hospital was rated "good", as was Chipping Norton Hospital, Oxfordshire Mental Health Trust's Fulbrook Centre and Wantage Hospital.

Those hospitals were among 38.5 per cent to receive the second-highest rating.

Evenlode, within the Oxfordshire Learning Disability Trust, was the only county hospital to receive an "excellent" rating, which was received by 10 per cent of institutions nationally.

The ratings were published alongside new guidance for hospitals to improve cleanliness and bring down rates of infections.

A spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals said: "Clearly there is still room for progress at the Radcliffe Infirmary.

"The trust has also made available Environmental Improvement funding of around a quarter of a million pounds for various initiatives, and we look forward to the next PEAT visit.

"The services currently at the ageing Radcliffe Infirmary will move to new developments at the John Radcliffe and Churchill sites in early 2007 which will enable us to reach higher standards.

"We are the largest trust in the Thames Valley with the highest number of patients and visitors and we will continue to work to maintain and improve the patient environment."