The length of time patients are waiting for hospital treatment is at its lowest level since December 1992, the government has announced.

The total number of patients waiting for inpatient treatment is 984,000 - a fall of 7,800 since last month.

Ministers claim that this is 69,000 less than August last year and 174,000 less than in March 1997.

The data reveals that there were only 31 patients waiting longer than 12 months for admission to hospital, six less than last month and 18,000 less than August last year.

Health minister John Hutton welcomed the figures saying: "The total waiting list is now at its lowest level for over 10 years, and we are committed to continuing this progress.

"We are adding capacity to the NHS, recruiting more doctors and more nurses, and cutting long waits for patients.

"The hard work of NHS staff and the extra investment we are putting into the NHS mean that we are on target to ensure that nobody shouldhave to wait longer than six months for an operation by 2005."

The Conservatives dismissed the figures - claiming it would take "a staggering" 62 years to clear the in patient waiting list.

"Ministerial boasts about what they call outstanding progress on the waiting list and waiting time targets will be seen as a sick joke from now on," said shadow health secretary Dr Liam Fox.

"The revelation from our research, that Labour knows average waiting times are going up but refuses to admit it, shows just how low they'll stoop."

"Labour might be hitting the unambitious targets they set themselves but in the process more patients are suffering for longer before they get the treatment they need.

"When will they stop conning the British people? Ministers must have a warped sense of values if they think this is acceptable."