FEWER patients in Gwent were waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment in the area's hospitals at the end of March than at any time in the previous six-and-a-half years.

And by March 31, no patients had been waiting more than eight weeks for a diagnostic test that is subject to that maximum timescale, the first time such waits had been eliminated in nine years.

The latest figures, published by the Welsh Government, are encouraging given they have been achieved against a background of rising demand and winter pressures.

But despite the major reductions over several years in waits of longer than 36 weeks for treatments - down to 110 by March 31 - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board faces the possibility of having to repay some or all of the £3.1 million in Welsh Government funding it received in 2018/19 on the understanding that no-one would be waiting beyond 36 weeks by the end of March.

The cancellation of some operations in March due to emergency pressures, and problems for another NHS provider in carrying out ophthalmology treatments for Gwent patients, meant this deadline was missed.

The health board had subsequently hoped that this target would be met by the end of June.

But director of finance and performance Glyn Jones told board members the health board has indicated to the Welsh Government that this will not now happen.

And he added that it would be a "challenge" to achieve the target by the end of September.

He also cited a further issue - a disincentive for consultants to take on extra work due to pension and tax issues, which is affecting the NHS UK-wide - as a risk that is "out of our control as a health board"

Despite the challenges of meeting diagnostic and treatment waiting times targets, and of maintaining them subsequently, the health board is in its best position regarding these for some years.

Two health boards that provide acute services - Hywel Dda and Cwm Taf - managed to eliminate 36-week waits by March 31, and of the remaining four, Gwent's health board had the fewest (110). The vast majority of the remaining patients who had been waiting longer than 36 weeks - more than 8,000 - were in north Wales and Cardiff & Vale.

Gwent's was one of two health boards that provide acute services to have eliminated waits of longer than eight weeks for tests by the end of March.

Again, the large majority of waits of more than eight weeks for tests involved patients living in north Wales (Betsi Cadwalladr University Health Board).