SaTH is now amongst the top performing half of the country for the proportion of patients waiting less than six weeks for their diagnostic test.

Ned Hobbs, chief operating officer, said: ‘Whilst we are making progress, we are humble and know we have more to do.

‘Behind every number is a person and their loved ones and that is what drives our improvement work. We want to reduce waiting times to ensure our patients receive a diagnosis as quickly as possible, and that everyone has the best care and experience whilst using our services.'

Latest figures show 82.1% of patients were seen within six weeks for a diagnostic test and an 87% reduction in the number of patients waiting more than 13 weeks for their test. There was also a 40% reduction in the total number of patients waiting for their diagnostic test over the last year.

The overall waiting times for cancer imaging diagnostics have also improved. In July,  performance against the cancer Faster Diagnosis Standard was the best in 18 months.

The trust also saw an improved performance in cancer 62-day referral to treatment with the July performance the best for more than three years and the number of patients currently waiting in excess of 62 days is the lowest for over four years.