IF you wanted a room for the night, you might have a choice between a slightly-down at heel one-star hotel and a more luxurious three-star establishment over the road.

Both would offer clean sheets and somewhere to lay your head, but the latter would perhaps be more comfortable, better equipped and more efficient.

Sadly, when it comes to spending the night in a hospital, most of us don't really have a choice.

Anyone taken seriouly ill in or around Worcester will be rushed to the Worcestershire Royal - a one-star hospital, according to the latest official ratings.

Other hospitals around the country have been awarded two or even three stars, but the Royal is stuck with the one it had last time around.

It's not the worst - nine hospital trusts failed to get any stars at all - but its performance is hardly confidence-inspiring for patients.

Inspectors say it must see casualty patients more quickly as well as slash its out-patient waiting lists if it is to have any hope of improving its score, which they describe as 'unacceptable'.

We agree. Perhaps the people who run the Royal should look at how things are done over at Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership

It managed to raise its rating from no stars last year to three stars in 2004-5 - a fantastic achievement.

If standards at the Royal could be raised to the same level, we'd have the healthcare equivalent of the Ritz.

And that's what the people of Worcestershire deserve.