Dunedin Hospital's emergency department finished the financial year with its best monthly result for treating patients.
In June, it treated or transferred 90.56% of patients within the stipulated six hours, against a target of 95%.
It was the first month the department was over the 90% mark, and a big improvement on the 76.53% it logged in July 2011.
A report to today's hospital advisory committee said the result was a "noticeable improvement", representing significant effort across all parts of the district health board.
Numbers attending the department were also 5% higher than at the corresponding time last year, the report said.
A graph for today's meeting shows the specialties with the most Southern DHB patients on "active review" in June, meaning they could benefit from surgery but because they are not severe enough, are monitored over 18 months.
Orthopaedics had the most, with 291 patients, compared with 268 in May.
Next was ear, nose and throat, with 135 patients, compared with 157 in May.
