The announcement was on the day new waiting figures were published

By the end of next March, she said no patient in Wales would wait over a year for an operation without having had a second offer of treatment elsewhere - the so-called second offer guarantee scheme.

But opposition politicians were unimpressed.

They said the assembly government's record on health could threaten the devolution process.

Ms Hutt said: "The scheme currently applies to patients waiting over 18 months.

"Because it has been so successful we are now ready to announce the next phase.

"Building on what has already been achieved I am confident that we can use the same techniques to reduce waits further."

The Conservatives described Jane Hutt's announcement as "panic measures to disguise the disastrous state of the NHS in Wales".

Jane Hutt insists improvements are being made

South Wales Central AM Jonathan Morgan said: "I asked Jane Hutt to commit to this at last week's health committee but she refused.

"Today's announcement is yet another example of panic from this increasingly ineffective health minister and the discredited Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government.

"Jane Hutt has been forced into making this eleventh-hour move after John Reid's announcement that no patient in England will wait longer than 18 weeks for treatment."

The announcement coincided with the publication of the latest waiting list figures for Wales.

'Defending the indefensible'

Conservative AMs said more people were on waiting lists now than this time last year, up from 299,622 to 306,346.

The assembly government, however, preferred to focus on the drop in those waiting over 18 months for in-patient or day care treatment - down from 5,870 in May last year to 1,501.

Speaking after the debate, Plaid Cymru's shadow health minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas said: "Jane Hutt is defending the indefensible. People are waiting three to four years for treatment."

Last week the assembly government had to fend off attacks on the way it was handling the NHS in Wales.

Comparing Welsh and English waiting lists, Dr Tony Calland - chairman of the British Medical Association Welsh council - warned that people's patience was running out.

His comments followed an attack from independent health analyst Roy Lilley, who branded the Welsh NHS "a basket case" and argued that powers for health should return to Westminster.

But Ms Hutt disputed his figures and insisted improvements had been made.

"(On waiting lists) we've got a good record on cardiac," she said.

"We are saying to people if they are waiting an unacceptably long time over target points, then they will be offered treatment at another hospital."