ANDOVER War Memorial Hospital is only the second hospital in the country to win a gold standard award as a Practical Development Unit.

The combined unit between Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust and Hampshire PCT involves therapies, the prevention of dependency team, the day hospital and Kingfisher Ward. Site clinical co-ordinator Una Brady said: "We've worked together to reach a set of standards that provides gold standard care for our patients."

The work applies not only to in-patients but to preventing people having to come into hospital in the first place and who therefore need services in the community - as well as rehabilitation after any stay in hospital.

"One of the standards they reached very high levels with was communication, not just to the patient but between each other," said Una.

The standard is accredited by Bournemouth University who spent a day at the hospital making sure it had done what it said it had done and talking to patients about their experiences.

But the team cannot rest on its laurels beca-use it has to complete annual reports and it will have to seek re-accreditation in three years time.