An Oxford hospital has hit back at claims it failed to meet basic hygiene standards in its kitchens.

The Churchill Hospital, in Headington, has been criticised for its food storage, food temperature, poor personal hygiene and poor cleanliness in a report prepared by MP Norman Lamb following a Freedom of Information Act (FoI) request.

The FoI request was submitted to a quarter of local authorities in England asking for health inspection reports into food preparation areas. The survey took into account 377 hospitals.

But Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, which runs the Churchill, said there were no major problems with hygiene in its kitchens and it has been backed up by the city council's environmental health team.

A hospital spokesman said: "Our last inspection was in February this year. The inspection report did not show problems with vermin or pests, or lack of personal cleanliness, nor have these issues been raised in previous years."

The spokesman said the hospital had not been issued with an improvement notice in at least 15 years.

Criticisms in the report suggested out of date sandwiches were kept in the fridge and that freezer temperatures were measured above the required level.

A spokesman for the Churchill said the freezer temperature could have been due to the machine being recently opened.

She said: "The trust has done much over the past few years to improve cleanliness and environmental standards."

Neil Bacon, food safety team manager at Oxford City Council, said inspectors found in February the Churchill's main kitchens had "good standards of operational and structural hygiene".

An inspection of ward kitchens in May found they were clean and hygiene was good.

Mr Bacon said: "The food safety standards at the Churchill Hospital are at a very good standard and gives us no cause for concern."

Jacquie Pearce-Gervis, chairman of the Oxfordshire Radcliffe Hospitals Patients' Forum said the forum last inspected the hospital in November 2005 and was satisfied with standards.

She said: "We are due to come back before Christmas. No member of the public has raised it with us at the moment, but if the public would like to raise any aspects we would be very happy for them to contact us."

Five other hospitals had five or more areas of concern highlighted in the report. They were Farnham Road Hospital, in Guildford, Blackpool Victoria Hospital, in Blackpool, City Hospital, in Derby, Ipswich Hospital, in Ipswich, and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in Norwich.

The John Radcliffe Hospital, Radcliffe Infirmary and the Horton Hospital, in Banbury, were not criticised in the report.