IT was bad luck for Hereford County Hospital when a team on an annual inspection tour visited the men's toilet in the main reception area.

Someone had blocked the urinal with chewing gum and there was a flood - and it was not the first time this had happened, the visitors were told.

Nevertheless the hospital fared well in the overall report from the inspection team, which gave the hospital a score of 92%.

And the National Patient Safety Agency, which analysed all the information, rated the hospital as good for its environment, food and the privacy and dignity it provided.

The inspection looked at the A&E department, outpatient clinics, public areas and two wards.

They reported the standard of cleanliness to be excellent in all the areas they visited and said there were big improvements in the Oxford Suite and the fracture clinic from last year.

Staff were reported to be friendly and helpful and all departments had patient information readily available.

Apart from the flood in the toilets, the team thought the toilets in the main reception appeared to be inadequate for the number of people using them.

A ceiling vent was also missing and the toilets were said to be smelly - despite a previous recommendation that air fresheners be installed.

The team said it wanted to see continued improvements at the hospital and urged a more robust and ongoing painting programme in A&E to reflect its high profile.

They also wanted more attention paid to the observation ward, which was reported to be dreary and cluttered with mismatched furniture.

Pull cords in bathrooms were said to be grubby and could have longer handles or plastic protection around the cord for easier cleaning.

Other problems identified included air vents that needed more attention, the mortuary which was said to be dark and depressing, and the children's unit was described as cluttered with the outside roof play area guttering requiring cleaning and the floor surface grubby and worn.

The team also expressed some concern about doors being too heavy for people in wheelchairs or on crutches to manoeuvre.

Outside the grounds were said to be bright and cheerful but closer inspection showed beds to be overgrown with weeds and litter deposited.

The hospital trust and its partners said they had now drawn up an action plan to meet most of those points and were preparing an upgrade scheme for toilets in the main reception with better deodorisers.