THE BODIES responsible for running Whipps Cross and King George Hospitals have been found to be underperforming in a range of key areas.

Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust (WCUHT) and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRT) both fell short of minimum standards in a newly published performance report.

The trusts were rated for their management of finance, standards and targets, user experience and quality and safety as part of the Government's NHS Performance Framework.

BHRT was officially rated as 'underperforming' after failing to address its problems within a three month period set by the Government - and will now be managed by NHS London until standards improve.

WCUHT faces the same fate if it does not make improvements during the same period of time.

The findings have piled yet more pressure on the management of BHRT after it also received one of the lowest patient satisfaction scores of any London trust for its A&E services in a Health Care Commission report published earlier this year.

A spokeswoman for BHRT said: "The Trust is continually working to improve performance, and is in the middle of a major turnaround programme to improve finances and patient care, which is already proving successful.

“We are working alongside our partner PCTs and NHS London to make sure that targets are met."

A spokeswoman for WCUHT said: "The Trust’s classification as an organisation which (sic) performance is under review under the new Department of Health is disappointing.

"The Trust has worked hard to improve its quality of services to patients and as a result for 2008/9 achieved the majority of its key performance targets.

"However the performance rating reflects the 2008 Inpatient Survey in which the Trust under performed in a number of areas including confidence in the nursing staff and quality of discharge information.

"As a result the Trust has been working hard to improve its services to patients and has launched a “Patient Experience Revolution.”

"As part of this a number of initiatives are underway including “In Your Shoes” sessions where large numbers of patients share their real experiences with staff face to face."