Tories will abolish waiting list targets

Performance targets and the waiting list system imposed on hospitals will be abolished under the Conservatives.

The party's new health policy, to be outlined on Wednesday, will also include plans to scrap star ratings. Doctors welcomed the news.

The new shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley believes NHS doctors and managers should focus on patients rather than bureaucracy.

He is setting out his ideas for the future of healthcare before announcements to be made by Health Secretary John Reid on Thursday.

Dr Reid is expected to reveal plans to give patients more choice on where they are treated. The Conservatives intend to extend the power of foundation hospitals so they have more flexibility and are able to borrow and invest more.

They say instead of centrallyimposed targets, hospitals would be able to set their own.

The aim is for GPs and patients to have better information on the performance of hospitals. This will mean that hospital managers will have to provide evidence at a local level on what is best - without tying up doctors in red tape.