Patients in Oxfordshire now have among the shortest waiting times in the country after hospitals reached a Government target ahead of schedule.

The reduction in waiting times means that the trust has achieved the national 18-week referral-to-treatment target nine months ahead of schedule.

Since 2003, some waits in Oxfordshire have fallen from over 130 weeks, and are down from 42 weeks only a year ago.

This means that the maximum waits for each stage of treatment at the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals in Oxford and at the Horton Hospital in Banbury are now: Outpatients: four weeks Diagnostics (x-rays, ultrasounds, laboratory tests): six weeks Inpatient (surgery or other inpatient treatment): eight weeks Oxford Radcliffe chief executive Trevor Campbell Davis said: "This fantastic achievement is due to the dedication and hard work of staff at every stage of the patients' journeys.

"We hope that, along with the fantastic new facilities that have opened in the last 18 months, this will be another reason to make our hospitals the first choice for patients, not only in Oxfordshire but also the surrounding counties."