The Government says a record number of people are now getting elective surgery done in the public health service.
The national health target results for the final quarter of the 2010 - 2011 year, released on Tuesday, show an extra 500 patients a week are getting operations.
Minister of Health Tony Ryall says district health boards delivered more than 145,000 elective operations in the past financial year, up by 26,000 on three years ago.
He says the overall health target results are particularly pleasing given the difficult year the Canterbury region has faced.
The latest health target results also show that all cancer patients ready for radiation treatment started it within four weeks, with the exception of the Christchurch cancer centre.
Some 92% of emergency department patients were admitted, discharged or transfered within six hours.
Mr Ryall says there is still room for improvement in a number of DHBs and work is underway to help them.