The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley on Thursday launched a drive to reduce the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for hospital treatment.
Around a quarter of a million people in England have been waiting for non-urgent treatment in England for longer than this period, Lansley said.
Ministers are concerned that patients become 'forgotten' after 18-weeks because NHS targets encourage hospitals to focus on patients approaching this deadline.
"Because of Labour's perverse approach, the NHS actually had an incentive not to treat patients," Lansley told the BBC.
"The new approach we will take from next year will clamp down on this practice. We will reduce the number of patients on hidden waiting lists, ensuring everyone gets access to the treatment they need."
But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said the government was launching the crackdown because Lansley had failed to "get a grip" on waiting times.
He added the government's controversial plans to shake up the health system, which would include greater private sector competition in the NHS, would make matters worse.
"This will take us straight back to bad old days of the Tory NHS, where patients are forced to choose between waiting longer or paying to go private."
A spokesman for the Department of Health said full details would be announced later on Friday.
Copyright 2011 AFP European Edition
