Patients at Airedale General Hospital are among the best cared for in the country, according to a new report published by a health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has divided 161 health trusts across the country into six bands based on the risk that people might not be receiving safe, effective, high-quality care – with band one being the highest risk and band six the lowest.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust was among 38 in band six, which its executive medical director Andrew Catto welcomed.

The consultant physician said: “As one of the first 18 trusts to be assessed as part of the new hospital inspection regime – to trial the methodology – we are awaiting the official feedback from our visit and so cannot confirm what our final evaluation will be until the report is published.

“However, the band six assessment we have been given corresponds to the low risk rating we received in July.

“While we have been judged to be low risk we can never be complacent and we welcome the opportunity to receive feedback through fresh eyes, following our inspection in September, on the quality of our care and to see where we can do more to improve the experience of our patients.”

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was one of 24 put in the highest risk category following CQC analysis of more than 150 indicators, such as staff surveys, mortality rates and the rate of avoidable infections.

Concerns there include whistleblowing, cases of the bug Clostridium difficile and serious concerns over education.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was one of 30 placed in band three.

Chief Nurse Juliette Greenwood said: “We constantly monitor the quality of our services and continuously work to make improvements so they remain safe, effective, caring and responsive to our patients’ needs.

“Our new corporate strategy reinforces our commitment to place patients at the heart of everything that we do and to ensure that our services support the needs of our population.”

The CQC is using the data – called intelligent monitoring – to inform its new inspection regime of all NHS trusts by December 2015.

The CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “As a doctor, I liken intelligent monitoring to a screening test. Our inspection combined with intelligent monitoring provides the diagnosis, following which we make a judgment, which will in turn lead to action.”

The report will help identify where inspectors need to focus their attention, with Leeds earmarked for a visit soon.

Dr Yvette Oade, chief medical officer, and Suzanne Hinchliffe, Chief Nurse for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, yesterday issued a joint statement. They said: “Our hospitals have significantly lower than the average mortality rates and our staff work hard to provide good-quality care to our patients, and we hope this will be apparent when the first wave of inspections take place in January.”

They said work was being done to make improvements and the trust was “fully aware” of the risks highlighted.

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Dewsbury and District Hospital, and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust are both in band three.