NUMBERS of patients waiting for NHS operations have increased in parts of the region but fallen elsewhere, according to the latest figures.

The largest fall in patients waiting for an operation was in North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, which saw a 2,592 reduction to 26,133 by the end of April.

In County Durham and Tees Valley, the number fell by 455 from the end of March to 15,518 at the end of April.

But further north, the waiting lists in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear jumped by 2,567 at the end of April to a total of 21,769.

All three strategic health authority regions saw an increase in the number of patients waiting more than six months for their NHS surgery.

The largest increase was in North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, which had 1,929 patients waiting for more than six months, an increase of 701.

Numbers waiting longer than six months also jumped by 234 to 811 in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

County Durham and Tees Valley saw an increase in six month-plus waits of 20, taking the total at the end of April up to 722.

Across England, the total number of patients waiting for an NHS operation has risen by almost 6,000, according to the figures.

A total of 827,300 patients were on the waiting list at the end of April.

And 45,400 had waited for more than six months, a figure which was up by 4,600 since March.

But the Government said it was on target to meet its commitment to ensure that no patient waits longer than six months for treatment by the end of the year.