THE amount of time patients in Lancaster and Morecambe spend on hospital waiting lists has been slashed, according to figures published this week.

A report by the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority claims waiting times for in-patient treatment are down by a third - and are still falling.

It says there were 310 people waiting longer than 12 months to be admitted to hospital at the end of last November. But figures now show no-one waiting that long.

And Lancashire Teaching Hospitals had no patients waiting longer than nine months for treatment.

Chief executive Pearse Butler says this reflects the hard work and dedication of NHS staff across the area.

"We all know that long waiting times is a major source of concern to patients, causing real discomfort and disruption to quality of life, as they wait for the treatment.

"Whatever people feel about targets, the reality is that they can be and are being achieved, making a real difference to patients and their families in this area."

But Mr Butler admits there is still more to do.

"We can't sit back or become complacent, as we have more stringent targets to achieve by April. If we continue to maintain our progress, I am confident we can achieve a swifter and better service."