The longest hospital waiting times have shown a marked drop this year

Health minister Jane Hutt said no one in Wales is now waiting more than 10 months for cardiac surgery.

The drop, she added, showed the "huge impact" of extra funds into the NHS.

Just three weeks ago, the British Cardiac Society said lives were being lost while people waited to get a first appointment with a consultant.

Figures from January to March flagged up as successes by the assembly government showed

• numbers waiting over 18 months for inpatient or day case fell by 71.9% to 1,401
• a drop in numbers waiting over 18 months for a first outpatient appointment from 36.9% to 6,204
• no one waiting over 10 months for heart surgery
• no one waiting over 18 months for orthopaedic surgery
• numbers of patients waiting over four months for cataract surgery fell from 935 to 63.

BMA Welsh Council Chairman Dr Tony Calland said any reduction in waiting times had to be applauded but warned that there was still some way to go.

"It still leaves NHS Wales some way behind England in its ability to prioritise patients' clinical needs within a reasonable timescale," he said

"And the Welsh Assembly Government must increase its efforts to ensure that clinicians - both is hospitals and in primary care - continue to receive the support they require to be able to treat patients as they would wish."

Speaking at Prince Charles hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Ms Hutt the improved figures were down to a �5m initiative.

"As part of this initiative patients who were facing a long wait at their local hospital were offered treatment at an alternative hospital - and many took advantage of this opportunity."

She thanked NHS staff and the Health Commission Wales for their work to bring the figures down.

"Over the past five years we have been working hard with the health service to tackle waiting times in priority areas.

It's true that no-one is waiting over 10 months for (cardiac) surgery but the big problem is that the patient has to wait two years to get on that list Dr Liam Surgery, cardiologist

"These efforts are clearly paying off as we are now seeing falls across the board. Of course, there is more work to be done but we are moving in the right direction."

Earlier this month, Welsh cardiologist Dr Liam Penny said waiting times for heart patients to get on the list for surgery were getting longer.

Dr Liam Penny said this was contrary to Welsh assembly advice that a patient with heart problems should be investigated in less than three months.

Speaking after Wednesday's figures were released, he told the BBC News website: "The waiting list to see a cardiologist is 18 months.

"Once seen by a cardiologist, the waiting time to have the investigations is six months, and only then can the patients get on the waiting list for cardiac surgery.

"It's true that no-one is waiting over 10 months for surgery but the big problem is that the patient has to wait two years to get on that list.

"It means it's nearly three years in total - that's a lot of uncertainty and ill-health for people.