WAITING times for hospital services in York have fallen by two-thirds over the past six years, according to Government figures.
The NHS in-patient waiting time in 2003 was 15 weeks and had fallen to just under five weeks in 2009.
Over the same period out-patient waiting times have almost halved from 6.4 weeks in 2003 to 3.6 weeks in 2009.
Local labour MP Hugh Bayley said: "These figures show that the Government’s targets have improved the quality of patient care, including the sharp reduction in waiting times for treatment.
"This would not have been achieved if clinicians and NHS managers had not been required to achieve minimum standards of care through the use of targets."
He added: "It’s not just the targets, the dedicated staff at York Hospital have worked tirelessly to raise standards in patient care, and to make sure more patients than ever before are being seen quickly."
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