Health Minister John Hutton believes improving Barnet Hospital's dismal track record will be a long and painful process.

But the minister backed the Government's recovery plan for the beleaguered Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust whose chief executive Liz Heyer resigned last month.

"There is no pain-free way of improving performance particularly when the problems are embedded in an organisation but it is better that we embrace the need for change than to shrug our shoulders and say there is noting more we can do," said Mr Hutton during a whistle-stop tour of Edgware Hospital on Friday last week.

The NHS rating system, which in September placed Barnet and Chase Farm among 12 trusts in England with zero stars, was criticised by some experts for focusing mainly on administrative and not clinical issues.

"Of course there will be individuals who are not happy with their star rating performance and there will be complaints and criticisms but that is an essential building block and it gives me optimism," said Mr Hutton.

"It is not about kicking people in the teeth and telling them they are hopeless. The job of Government is to identify the problems and work systematically to make improvements.

"We believe in the NHS and will take whatever action is necessary to improve it."

Miss Heyer eventually resigned when an investigation of the trust revealed a backlog of 2,700 patients waiting for ultrasound tests at Chase Farm.

Mr Hutton said he supported bringing in external managers to take over.

"We want to find a solution from within the NHS, if we cannot get that we will look to other alternatives which is why we haven't ruled out the prospect of external management. We need the best management if we are to improve and we are not going to short-cut the process."

A decision on the trust's new chief executive is expected to be made next month.

Acting chief executive Paul O'Connor has told the Times Group he will be applying for the post.