POLITICAL leaders in Medway and Swale have predicted the area's main hospital will be recognised by next year as among the best in the country. In an unusual move, MPs Paul Clark, Bob Marshall-Andrews, Jonathan Shaw and Derek Wyatt spoke to managers and other staff at a meeting at Gillingham's Medway Maritime Hospital to show their support.

They said the hospital's no-star rating, published in a Government survey two weeks ago, did not reflect improvements during the last six months in waiting times and the trust's financial position, or the quality of medical care.

Mr Shaw, the member for Chatham and Aylesford, said: "This is the first time Medway Maritime Hospital has been tested and the tests were done on what was really a different hospital. In three areas, the hospital has fallen down, all of which have been addressed in the last year.

"Next year's assessment will show a marked improvement and in the course of the next four years, there will be more doctors and waiting times will continue to fall. Our responsibility as members of Parliament is to continue to make sure that more resources go into healthcare."

The MPs pledged to keep up pressure on the Government to continue to narrow the gap between health spending for each person in Medway and that in some other parts of the country.