Hospital and primary care trusts covering Dover and Deal have performed better over the last year, a watchdog report says.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust and Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust have both improved, according NHS performance ratings published by the Healthcare Commission.

The PCT went up from the status “weak” in 2006/07 to “fair” in 2007/08 in the quality of services category.

Over the same period it rose from “fair” to “good” in use of resources.

The hospitals trust, covering Buckland Hospital in Dover, went up from “weak” to fair” in use of resources over that time and maintained its status of “fair” for quality of services.

The report published performance ratings for all NHS trusts in England, including for 26 in the South East Coast region.

The ratings range was “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” and “weak.”

Stuart Bain, chief executive of the hospitals trust, said; “I would like to personally pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of all PCT staff in achieving these results.”