Tas surgery wait lowest in 3 years: govt

The Tasmanian government is claiming to have slashed elective surgery waiting times to the lowest point in three years.

Elective surgery waiting times are at their lowest point in three years across Tasmania, the state government says.

There have been improvements of up to 50 per cent at major treatment centres including the Royal Hobart Hospital, Launceston General Hospital and the northwest Mersey hospital, Health Minister Michael Ferguson said on Thursday.

"Over the past 12 months to the end of April the waiting list has fallen by more than 1700 people, we have also seen significant falls in the number of people waiting too long for their surgery," he said.