WARRINGTON’S primary care trust has received a mixed bag of scores in this year’s health ratings.

Now called NHS Warrington, the organisation has dropped from good to fair in the quality of care it gives but rose from weak to fair on its finances.

A spokesman for the trust said 2007-08 had been an extremely challenging year but that things were improving.

A statement said: “NHS Warrington changed its approach to work more closely with the town’s clinicians and also independently balanced its books for the first time in its history.

“We are pleased that the use of resources rating has improved from last year’s weak to fair, and that we achieved the same amount of national targets as we did last year.

“The Healthier Warrington survey, completed in June 2008 by almost 10,000 residents – where almost two thirds thought that Warrington’s health services were either good or excellent – shows a much better position than this annual health check quality of services fair rating, which primarily reflects services provided during 2007.

“However, the health check has highlighted a number of key areas for improvement and we will continue to work with North West Ambulance Service, North Cheshire hospitals and the Warrington GP community to address these issues.

“We have developed a strategy to improve the health of Warrington people and the health services that they receive. We will be consulting on this from November onwards.”