The government has welcomed new waiting list figures which show an almost 100 per cent fall in the number of people waiting more than 12 months for inpatient treatment.

In the year to July 2003, the list fell from 18,900 to just 37.

However, the figure also represents an increase of 8.8 per cent over the course of a month.

The number of patients waiting to be admitted to NHS hospitals remains below the one million mark, after a fall of 600 over the month to 992,000.

Overall, waiting lists fell by six per cent over the year to July 2003.

"The NHS is on course to ensure that by 2005, nobody should have to wait longer than six months for an operation," said health minister John Hutton.

"Since 1997, the number of patients waiting 12 months for treatment has fallen by over 30 thousand.

"Reducing waiting times in the NHS is the public's main priority. The NHS is making good progress in cutting waiting times.

"The extra investment and reforms that are taking place will ensure that this progress is maintained."

The figures drew a withering response from the Conservatives and a claim that the gains were poor when set against the costs of achieving them.

"Since March 2000 the waiting list has been reduced by about from 1,037,066 to 992,000. At the same time health expenditure has increased by over £16 billion," said shadow health secretary Dr Liam Fox.

"That means that the total increase in the NHS budget has been over 33 per cent whereas the fall in the inpatient waiting list has been around 4.5 per cent. If ministers still think they are doing well then how do the 992,000 people who are still awaiting treatment feel about that?"