MORE than 90 per cent of patients who went to accident and emergency in north Cumbria were seen within four hours, according to the latest figures.

New data released by NHS England show that 91 per cent of people who went to A&E units at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle or the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven were seen, treated, admitted or discharged within the four-hour target.

The newly-published percentage for June is a further improvement in the trust's A&E performance figure, which has increased by more than 10 per cent since March.

Yet the figures show that it meant 705 of the 7,849 patients who needed A&E had to wait more than four hours.

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the two hospitals, is now ranked 44th out of 138 trusts in the country that have major A&E departments.

It is a huge improvement - in January it was ranked 96th.

The national target is that 95 per cent of patients should be seen, treated, admitted or discharged within four hours.

The national average currently stands at 85.8 per cent.

Helen Ray, the trust's chief operating office, said: "The latest national data is extremely positive news and shows that, as a whole trust, we are getting better at seeing patients more quickly.

"We are improving month­-on­-month, to go from being in the bottom third trusts in the country to the top third in just five months is extremely encouraging.

"At the heart of this improvement is the dedicated A&E staff who constantly strive to improve services they deliver.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them sincerely for their hard work."