The west's hospitals and primary care trusts are officially among the worst in the country. Latest star ratings figures show them squandering near the bottom of the table with examples of long waiting lists and crippling debts.

Health care is something we all come to rely on at some stage in life but it is worrying when we hear about the length of the waits we may have to expect before receiving treatment.

When we hear stories about patients travelling to Europe to receive quick-fix results it makes us wonder why conditions are so much better abroad.

People have been complaining about the state of the health service for years but it seems that it is continuing to fail.

NHS star ratings have come under heavy criticism because health chiefs feel they don't fairly reflect the true quality of care in the country.

Nevertheless, surely all standards must be met if we are ever going to have a health service we can be proud of.

Limited resources and poor management are standing in the way of this.

So how many more years will our hospitals and trusts remain near the bottom?

Unfortunately, there seem to be no easy answers we can only hope for a healthier future.