Hepburn Health Service chief executive officer David Lenehan said the extra patients admitted in the period to the end of June reflected an increasing demand for ear, nose and throat and endoscopic procedures.

"The health service had negotiated with visiting surgeons to perform additional operation lists in an attempt to meet this demand," he said.

Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said Daylesford Hospital was "doing its bit in the general improvement in hospitals across the state".

"The Daylesford Hospital is performing well at treating extra patients," she said.

Ms Pike said the number of people on elective surgery waiting lists in Victoria was the lowest it had been since 1998 and almost 4000 below the number of people waiting.

Ms Pike said Victoria's hospitals treated 2.15 million patients in 2005/06 - either admitted to a bed or treated in emergency - an increase of more than 500,000 on the figures for 1999/00.

"The other key indicators of eight-hour trolley waits and ambulance bypass across the state had also been cut, compared to the previous year," Ms Pike said.