The Scottish Executive said that the controversial back-up lists will be replaced by a single waiting list as soon as possible.

The Scottish National Party described the move as a massive "u-turn" and called on the health minister to apologise for their "waiting list lies".

Earlier this year, a report from the auditor general found a large increase in patients on deferred waiting lists, which should only be for those not immediately available for treatment.

I have decided to take action on waiting lists and have concluded there will be a single list for everybody waiting for inpatient and day-case treatment

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm

The report from the Auditor General for Scotland, Robert Black, said the number of patients on the main waiting list in Scotland fell from 84,521 to 71,965 between 1993 and 2002.

However, the number on deferred lists had risen from 13,451 to 25,270 over the same period.

The deferred lists are only supposed to be used when planned hospital treatment is put off to a later date.

In some cases this can be because of changes in the condition of patients, in others because the patients themselves may want to have their treatment put back.

Unlike the main waiting list, the deferred list is not covered by a guarantee that the maximum wait for inpatient day treatment will be 12 months.

This guarantee is to reduce to nine months by the end of this year and six months by 2005 for inpatient and day-case treatment.

Malcolm Chisholm: 'Transparency'

On Tuesday, Mr Chisholm announced that he had asked for research to be carried out into how a transition to a single waiting list can be achieved.

He said: "I have decided to take action on waiting lists and have concluded there will be a single list for everybody waiting for inpatient and day-case treatment."

"That means an end to the deferred waiting list and I want that change to come into force as soon as possible."

The minister said he had asked health service statistical experts to report by the end of September on the practical aspect of this.

'Waiting list lies'

But well before then, an action plan will be finalised on the recommendations made in an Audit Scotland report on waiting lists.

He said that he had been considering the move for some time and felt it was in the interest of "transparency" in health service waiting procedures.

SNP leader John Swinney, who has been fighting the executive on deferred waiting lists since last year, described the "u-turn" as a victory for his party and for patients across Scotland.