Welsh health secretary Jeremy Miles has unveiled a strategy to reduce the NHS waiting list by 200,000, eliminate 2 year waiting times for planned treatment and restore a maximum 8 week wait for tests by March 2026.

Miles has also set out a new patient deal to help people track their place on the waiting list and to crack down on the 700,000 outpatient appointments which are missed or cancelled every year.

It is hoped that the more efficient use of healthcare resources will have a significant impact on the number of people being treated in Wales.

The new “patient deal”, will be incorporated into refreshed referral to treatment guidance.

As part of the deal, the NHS will provide faster access to planned care and will tell people how long they can expect to wait when they are added to the list. Patients will able to track how long they have to wait through updates to the NHS Wales app, which will be available from June.

Meanwhile, only able to track how long they have to wait through updates to the NHS Wales app, which will be available from June. The NHS will support people to get in the best possible shaped for their treatment.

People will be offered two dates for an appointment – if they cannot or do not attend these, without a good reason, they will be removed from the waiting list. Health boards will also be required to minimise the number of cancelled appointments and operations.

Miles said: "The NHS will do all it can to prioritise faster access to treatment. In return, we are asking the public to do all they can to prioritise and keep their appointments so, together, we make the best possible use of scarce NHS resources.

"We cannot continue losing as many as 1 in 7 appointments because people do not turn up or cannot attend, and a further 10% which are cancelled by the NHS. These missed appointments delay care for everyone and waste valuable resources that could be helping other people.

"Evidence shows people who are in better health recover from surgery faster, have fewer complications and require shorter hospital stays. By ensuring people are properly prepared and fully informed about their treatment options, we can achieve better outcomes while making more efficient use of NHS resources."