Hospital waiting times fall for third month

The longest waiting lists for planned NHS treatments fell by more than a quarter in February, according to the latest statistics.

In February there were 15,505 cases where somebody had waited more than two years compared to more than 21,087 in January – a decrease of more than 26%.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles welcomed the drop and said it showed what could be achieved when health boards focus on "delivery" and "new ways of working".

But the figures suggest considerable progress is still needed if the NHS in Wales is to hit the First Minister's target of reducing waits of two years and over to 8,000 by March.