Latest NHS league tables have confirmed the crisis of trust among parents in the Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth (MSW) health authority area, where fewer children than anywhere else in England are immunised against Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and diptheria.

At 78.4 per cent, the vaccination rate is well below the 85 to 90 per cent thought necessary to protect public health.

The new NHS Performance Indicators reveal a mixed diagnosis of the health of MSW.

At St George's Hospital, in Tooting, just 38 per cent of junior doctors are working to national standards covering maximum hours, rest periods and the provision of accommodation for resting between shifts.

However, human resources director Colin Watt said standards had risen since the figures were collected, insisting: "There is always effective cover for patient care."

St George's own statistics revealed the highest vacancy rate for qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors among acute teaching hospitals, but a spokesman claimed it has the lowest vacancy rate in London following "extensive recruitment work".

In its favour, St George's did not cancel a single operation for non-clinical reasons.

Good news is that the area boasts the best chance of survival for new born babies, with the lowest infant mortality rates in England.

Teenage pregnancies a particular problem in the past have fallen by 12 per cent in one year after a boost to family planning services and schools' sex education, and the appointment of a dedicated adviser.

Access to GPs has risen, with one family doctor caring for every 60 people, while cancer survival rates are better than average perhaps related to the speed with which urgent cases are seen by specialists.

Other waiting lists, however, match the national norm, while survival rates following surgery are below average.

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