Plans for the first national health screening programme to detect early signs of the top killer diseases in the UK have been unveiled.

The Government initiative is the first national screening programme of its kind in the world which aims to spot the early signs of heart problems, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.

In his first major speech on the issue as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said creating a more personalised and preventative service would be the Government's "highest priority".

"The NHS of the future will do more than just treat patients who are ill - it will be an NHS offering prevention as well," he said at Kings College in London.

"The NHS of the future will be more than a universal service - it will be a personal service too. It will not be the NHS of the passive patient - the NHS of the future will be one of patient power, patients engaged and taking greater control over their own health and their healthcare too.

"And so if the NHS is to change like this - to meet the challenges of 21st century healthcare and our 21st century lives - we will have to embrace even deeper and wider reform."

And in a bid to cutting waiting times, Mr Brown also announced plans to make key diagnostic procedures like blood tests, electro-cardiograms (ECGs) and ultrasounds available in local GP surgeries.

He also announced that Health Secretary Alan Johnson will set out plans over the coming months to introduce NHS tests to identify vulnerability to a range of heart and circulation problems.

Mr Brown outlined further moves to meet the Government's target of a maximum 18-week waiting time from diagnosis to treatment.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.