WAITING times for hip replacements in Dorset hospitals rank among the lowest in the country, according to a new survey.

South and West Dorset have come out tops in the new report which details waiting lists for hip operations in England by parliamentary constituency.

The waiting times for the operation beat the national average by over 120 days.

The online health guide shows south Dorset has the second best waiting time for hip operations in England with an average wait of 117 days - topped only by hospitals in the Hackney and Shoreditch area of London with 111 days.

And waiting times for hip implants in the west of the county also rank among the best in England with a wait of only 121 days.

South Dorset MP Jim Knight welcomed the news and said the figures reflected a better quality NHS service in the area.

The Labour member said: "I'm delighted that in an area with a high number of elderly people and a high demand for hip operations, we've managed to come out among the best in the country.

"We are fortunate in Dorset to have such a high quality service from the NHS, thanks to the dedicated and committed staff."

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust were also pleased with the news and said they hoped to continue their success.

A spokesman said: "We're pleased to be highlighted as one of the best. We've been striving to achieve shorter waiting times for all treatments.

"Obviously the shorter the wait, the better it is for our patients.

"At the end of the financial year we had no patients waiting over six months for an operation.

"About 13 per cent of these patients were waiting over four months, but most of them were seen more quickly."

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin also congratulated the work of the hospital.

Mr Letwin said: "Management at the hospital is to be congratulated for the work in which they have excelled."

But the shadow home secretary warned there was still plenty of work to be done to improve other areas of the health service.

He added: "Although West Dorset General Hospital does well compared to most in many fields there are still many areas that need improving,"

The website was set up by the Associate Parliamentary Health Forum and is derived from NHS statistics revealing likely waiting times by postcode analysis.