Priority will be given to those patients with the most serious conditions

Health Secretary Alan Milburn

NHS plan

Mr Milburn said that Labour would be sticking to the waiting list promises it made in the NHS plan.

In the last parliament Labour promised to cut the total number of people waiting for hospital treatment.

But that system was heavily criticised because some patients with higher clinical needs ended up waiting longer because hospitals were trying to meet government targets.

Mr Milburn said this would no longer be the case.

"I can confirm that there will be no waiting list target but there will be a concerted drive to reduce waiting times.

"Priority will be given to those patients with the most serious conditions."

The government is pledging to target four key areas for health improvements - cancer and heart disease; mental health services; GP services and emergency care.

Mr Milburn said Labour wanted to hand over control and budgets to front-line staff.

GPs, nurses and members of the local community who control primary care trusts should spend 75% of the NHS budget by 2004, he said.

Mr Milburn said the government plans were "ambitious", but essential to rebuild public confidence in the NHS.

"Our ambition as a country surely has to be to make the NHS a service of first choice not last resort.

"This second term then is all about embedding far reaching reform in all parts of the health service and in social services too.

"Reform cannot be an optional extra. Investment alone cannot deliver the goods. It is reform that is the key to the improvements that we seek to unlock in the NHS."

Shadow health secretary Liam Fox called on Mr Milburn to apologise to patients who had suffered because of the old waiting list policy.

"Labour's new proposals fail to recognise that patients are individuals and must be treated as such."

Doctors

Dr Ian Bogle, BMA chairman, said he was looking forward to working with the Government to improve the NHS, but he stressed that it was vital the government put more doctors into the services.

He said he also wants to see changes in the way the government works out its waiting list targets with more emphasis being given to clinical need.

The BMA was highly critical of the Labour government's record on the NHS both before and during the election campaign.

However, BMA Chairman Dr Ian Bogle said the 10 point plan showed their commitment to reform and to the public.

He said the plan aimed to ensure higher professional standards; better regulation of the profession and more openness with patients.

The BMA's plan includes ensuring the skills of all doctors are up-to-date; a thorough review of medical training; a reform of the GMC; more doctors; making hospitals more accountable and a reform of the medical negligence system.

No complacency

Health Secretary Alan Milburn promises to cut waiting list times

Dr Bogle said: "Although the medical profession has been buffeted recently by a series of scandals, the public's trust in doctors remains high.

"But the profession is not complacent.

"Every profession needs to change if it is to meet the demands and retain the trust of those it serves. Medicine is no different."

"Doctors know that patients' trust has to be earned and maintained. Sensible reforms, which will benefit patients and bolster their confidence in doctors, have and always will receive our support."