The troubled health trust whose chairman resigned last week after being given a poor rating by the Healthcare Commission says it is on course to hit waiting list targets.

The troubled health trust whose chairman resigned last week after being given a poor rating by the Healthcare Commission says it is on course to hit waiting list targets.

Figures for April to August show that 92pc of patients in the NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney area waited 18 weeks or less for treatment after being referred by a GP.

But the 90pc target was not met for inpatients, of whom 84pc were treated within the time-frame, although the trust believes it will hit the figure by the end of October.

David Matthews, the trust's director of finance and performance management, said: “We have worked extremely hard alongside our partners at James Paget Hospital's trust to achieve these results, and our staff have shown enormous commitment and dedication. As a result, our patients are receiving much faster treatment than they were this time last year.”

The figures also show that cases of C difficile are falling, with 59 cases identified between April and September against a ceiling of 78, of which 26 were recorded at the James Paget.

NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney was rated “weak” for quality of services and management of finances in the annual healthcheck. Bernard Williamson resigned as chairman last week, saying he hoped his departure would help the trust turn itself around.