WAITING lists at the Royal Bolton Hospital have fallen by 2.3 per cent, the government announced today.

New figures revealed that overall waiting times for patients has fallen across the region.

The number of patients waiting for surgery fell by 117 from August and September.

In August, there were 5,006 people waiting for operations at the Bolton hospital.

Today's results come hot on the heels of an independent survey by Birmingham University which listed the hospital in the top 50 of the best for waiting lists.