Tories to drop NHS targets

A Tory government would replace "top-down" NHS targets and focus on making people healthier, David Cameron has pledged.

He said his party would concentrate on outcomes, such as the life expectancy of cancer patients, instead of limits for hospital waiting. Speaking in Bristol, Mr Cameron said that the NHS would have the "first call" on extra resources under a Tory administration and that spending would rise.

Andy Burnham, the Health Minister, said that the Tories' policy would mean "a return to long waiting times and a two-tier NHS" . He added that the plan to scrap targets would turn the clock back 10 years.