West Suffolk Hospital has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award in recognition of the care it provides for its patients for the third year running.

The trust is one of five finalists in the quality of care category in the Top Hospital Awards 2013, which are run by independent healthcare intelligence company CHKS. The hospital in Bury St Edmunds has won the award in the previous two years.

The shortlisting comes after West Suffolk recorded good performance against a number of key criteria, including the length of time patients stay in the hospital, waiting times and rate of emergency readmissions. Mortality rates and whether the patient’s care pathway proceeded as originally planned were also included in the assessment.

Stephen Graves, chief executive, said: “To be shortlisted for such a prestigious national award for the third consecutive year is fantastic news for the trust. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and shows our patients are receiving high quality, safe and effective care.

“This achievement highlights good performance in a wide variety of key areas, including length of stay and the amount of time which patients wait from referral to treatment. As well as being important markers for the quality of care our patients are receiving, these factors also make a big difference to the experience which people have while using West Suffolk Hospital.

“However our aim will always be to improve still further and learn lessons for the benefit of our patients. We will not become complacent and will build on this strong foundation over the coming months to ensure we can continue to deliver the best possible care to everyone using the hospital.”

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on April 30.