Plans for an upgraded NHS app to allow more patients in England to book treatments and appointments will be part of a package of measures unveiled by the government on Monday.

These changes will allow patients who need non-emergency alternative treatment to choose from multiple providers, including in the private sector.

Ministers and NHS leaders will this week publish what has been described as an alternative recovery plan designed to accelerate planned treatment.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said there was a risk the policy would “discriminate against or exclude” patients who do not have access to digital technology.

The plan will set out how the government aims to deliver on one of its key election promises – to get more than nine in 10 patients getting their treatment or signing up within 18 weeks of referral by the end of this Parliament.

Currently less than six in 10 are disposed of in that time. This will aim to significantly reduce the overall waiting list which stands at less than 7.5 million.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the move would move the NHS “into the digital age” and help reduce waiting times “from 18 months to 18 weeks”.

The plans would “put patients in the driver’s seat and get them treated on time”, Mr Streeting said, and give them “control of their own health care”.

Action will also be taken to tackle missed appointments, which can be costly to the health service, including an artificial intelligence pilot to help identify patients who may need extra support to attend Can.

The Department of Health said the NHS app will allow more patients requiring non-urgent treatment to view and manage appointments.

The first phase of the scheme will be implemented in March, when more than 85% of acute trust patients will be able to see their appointments on the NHS app.

Reminders will be sent by hospitals to reduce the number of missed appointments. Diagnostic tests can be booked at specialist centres, with results coming back more quickly.

They will also be able to contact their healthcare provider and receive regular updates, including how long they may have to wait.

Patients already have the right to choose where they want their treatment, even in the private sector, but they are not always told this. Details of NHS and independent providers will be made clear through the app.

Some of these features are already available in the NHS app and Manage Your Referrals website. But officials say only 8% of bookings are made through these platforms.

Other plans include expanding a scheme for GPs to discuss certain cases with hospital specialists before making referrals to ensure patients are treated in the right setting.

The current advice and guidance scheme has resulted in 50% of cases being directed to more appropriate care rather than being put on long waiting lists and has reduced pressure on hospitals. These include some conditions of the ear, nose and throat.

GPs will be able to refer patients with certain conditions directly for tests or scans without the need to see a consultant first. The aim is to reduce waiting times and remove people who have got everything from the waiting list.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said the use of technology would revolutionize access to health care and “put patients in the driving seat of alternative care”.

But Professor Phil Banfield, chairman of the BMA Council, said the focus should be on the neediest patients rather than a “pointless obsession” with artificial targets.

He said there is a danger that patients will become isolated without access to tablets and smartphones.

“We already have a two-tier health system – those who can pay for access to care and those who cannot,” he said. “We must avoid creating a third tier of disenfranchised vulnerable people”.

Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said a new plan to reduce waiting times would be welcomed. But he said the government would fall short of its targets without further reform and investment “including upgrading IT and dismantling NHS facilities”.