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The average waiting time for operations has fallen to its lowest level ever, it emerged today.

Patients booked for surgical or medical procedures are now on lists for an average two and a half months.

The numbers waiting longer than a year fell from more than 4,000 two years ago to 611 now, according to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

Minister for Health Mary Harney said hospitals were treating patients in a timely manner despite economic and financial pressures.

“These low waiting times have been maintained through the first quarter of 2010 as well, at a time when there was extremely high demand for hospital services due to the weather,” Ms Harney said.

The fund, set up in 2002, arranges private care for patients waiting more than three months on the public system.

Ms Harney said that when the fund was established, average waiting times for operations were between two and five years.

“The NTPF, in focusing on those patients waiting longest, has consistently driven down these waiting times, ensured the treatment is provided, and done so in a way that delivers value for money to the taxpayer”, the minister added.

There are now 611 patients waiting more than a year for treatment, down 48 per cent from April 2009 (1,186) and down from 4,637 in December 2007.

Of those patients waiting more than a year, two thirds are in five hospitals - Tallaght, Tullamore and Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin, Mid West Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle and Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

The fund said it would now give renewed focus to those patients waiting longer than nine months.