The Prime Minister said he would not allow ‘ideology’ and ‘dogma’ to clog up care as he said the health service had to improve.

Speaking in Epsom this morning the PM said: ‘Britain is a world leader, so we can do this, but first we must confront the reality of what is needed, because the NHS can’t become the sort of national money pit.’

Labour’s ‘plan for change’ pledges that by July 2029, 92 per cent of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for pre-planned care such as hip and knee replacements.

But a new target slipped out by Downing Street last night suggests that at least 35 per cent of all patients will continue to face waits of more than 18 weeks next year, down only slightly from the current figure of 42 per cent.

The figures underline warnings from Wes Streeting yesterday that delivering Labour’s pledge to restore the 18-week standard by the time of the next election two years later will be a ‘big, tough challenge’.

The health secretary said the NHS would ‘collapse’ like the retail chain Woolworths unless it embraces reforms designed to drag it into the 21st Century.

The Prime Minister has welcomed a new agreement to expand the relationship between the NHS and private healthcare sector in a bid to slash waiting times.

Unveiling his reforms for the NHS, Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘To cut waiting times as dramatically as possible, our approach must be totally unburdened by dogma.

‘Working people will expect nothing less. So, today, I welcome a new agreement that will expand the relationship between the NHS and the private healthcare sector.

‘Make the spaces, the facilities and resources of private hospitals more readily available to the NHS.

‘That’s more beds, more operations, more care available to the NHS. Treating patients free at the point of use, targeted at where we need the most.

‘A partnership in the national interest, cutting waiting times, working for you, delivering our plan for change.’

Up to half a million more appointments a year are expected to be made available by extending opening hours at community diagnostic centres and through the creation of 14 new surgical hubs and the expansion of three by June.

Giving patients the choice to forego follow-up appointments currently booked by default could free up to a million appointments.

Wearable tech will be used more widely to collect health data to reduce appointments that are routine rather than because of a clinical need.

AI that predicts which appointments are most likely to be missed will also be used to stop slots being wasted.

The fastest NHS trusts to cut waiting times will be rewarded with more funding for local projects such as investment in new diagnostic equipment or hospital ward maintenance.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the target to cut maximum wait times from 18 months to 18 weeks would be achieved by ‘bringing care closer to home and give patients more choice over their treatment’.

The Conservatives said Labour is ‘building on our foundations’ with its plans for diagnostic centres and that the announcement showed the party has ‘no new ideas of their own for the NHS – despite promising change’.

Shadow health secretary Ed Argar said: ‘Patients cannot wait for more dither and delay from the Government who promised so much, and so far have delivered so little.’