HEALTH bosses have praised the performance of NHS trusts after substantial improvements in waiting times.

All hospital trusts within the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority area achieved the March 31 targets for no patient to wait more than 12 months for admission to hospital, or for more than 21 weeks to be seen in an outpatient department.

A spokesman for the authority said: "Overall performance by the local NHS trusts has been excellent, and all have made substantial improvements in waiting times towards the end of the year."

Gateshead Health, South Tyneside Health Care and City Hospitals Sunderland all reported no patients waiting more than nine months for admission, or for more than 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment at March 31.

All trusts except Newcastle Hospitals and Northumbria Healthcare met their targets for a reduction in the number of patients waiting more than nine months.

But the Newcastle trust managed to recover from being 1,300 over target in January to end the financial year only 306 behind target.

Throughout the health authority area there were 1,008 fewer patients waiting longer than nine months at March 2003 compared to the same time last year. The improved performance is reported to authority members tomorrow.