The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap all NHS targets, including the star rating system and waiting list limits.

Making the announcement on Monday, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the existing centrally imposed targets were distorting clinical judgements.

Instead, the Opposition plans to introduce best practice clinical standards based on evidence.

Details of the policy will be set out in more detail on Wednesday, when Lansley and party leader Michael Howard return their focus to public services.

The Conservative "patients' passport" policy is set to be revamped as part of the latest move.

The party will also insist that NHS professionals must be given the freedom to focus on their patients rather than bureaucracy.

And there will also be a pledge to extend the powers of foundation hospitals so that they have greater flexibility and borrowing powers.

"We want a patient centred health service," said Lansley.

"The hundreds of targets means that, at present, the service responds to the Department of Health diktats not patients needs and choices.

"Performance management should be the responsibility of NHS trusts themselves and patients’ right to choose will be the incentive needed to shape services and promote innovation and efficiency.

"In place of bureaucratic targets, we need to establish that clinical standards, based on evidence and best practice determine the quality of care the NHS provides."

The government's targets will be replaced by giving GPs and patients "access to better information on the performance of hospitals".

"That way they can make informed choices without tying up professionals in red tape," said a party statement.

"Hospitals could set their own targets as a means of managing their own organisation but these would have their proper place as a tool of effective management, rather than an instrument of central government control."