People in Wales don't expect a "difference" to be made to NHS waiting lists in the first three months of a Plaid Cymru government, the party leader has said.

Rhun ap Iorwerth promised to tackle the problem as he launched a plan for what Plaid would do in 100 days if it won the Senedd election in May.

The long list of proposals published on Saturday morning is aimed at improving healthcare, raising educational standards and "better government".

Ap Iorwerth told the BBC he wanted waiting lists to fall to pre-Covid levels by 2030 but played down how much action Plaid could take quickly.

Other promises include plans that could see smart phones restricted in classrooms and a new coach service from north to south Wales.

The document promises multiple reviews of how public services work, including the NHS.

Labour has been in power since the parliament's predecessor, the National Assembly for Wales, opened its doors in Cardiff Bay 27 years ago.

Opinion polls have suggested Plaid is vying for first place with Reform for the 7 May Senedd election.

Plaid has never won a Senedd election but has supported Welsh Labour-led governments in the past.

The 60-page bilingual document says a Plaid-led Welsh government would focus on "bringing down waiting lists" and commission an independent review of NHS performance.

It does not give a target for how much lists could come down, but said Plaid would establish a group responsible for delivering up to 10 surgical hubs across Wales, with a report due at the end of 2026.

Asked on Friday on the BBC's Walescast podcast whether waiting times would come back down to pre-pandemic levels by the end of a four-year parliamentary term, Ap Iorwerth said: "Yes, we should be able to expect that."

Asked about the number of reviews in a separate interview, Ap Iorwerth insisted the plan includes "things that we will do immediately. There are things we need to learn more about immediately".

"What we have here is a very clear plan about what those first measures will be in order we can use the next four years in a really constructive way."

Asked why there were not targets to reduce waiting lists or childcare, he said: "I don't think people were expecting a new government to make a difference to waiting lists in three months.

"With the greatest of respect I don't think the public think any government can make differences in that type of timescale."

He said the document was a "road map" that showed how "serious we are about governing".

Ap Iorwerth launched the 100 day plan on the second day of his party conference in Newport's International Convention Centre at a press conference where the media was unable to ask questions until interviews held later.

A new cancer plan was promised, as well as a summit to develop a roadmap to shift resources towards primary care.

The party said it would "develop local plans" to expand to 20 hours of free childcare for all two-year-olds once rollouts of plans for 12.5 hours are complete, and would start work to "develop" child poverty reduction targets.

Plaid said it would "bring forward plans to empower local authorities" to restrict the use of smartphones in schools for under-16s.

It would "prepare to launch" an express coach service between north and south Wales and would consult on Plaid's "priorities for a new culture strategy".

In education Plaid said it would "progress the development of a new foundational literacy and numeracy plan" and "commission a national school building conditions survey".

It also promised to bring the public sector together as a "one Welsh public service" and was "charting a practical pathway to net zero by 2040".

Audits or reviews were pledged on issues from health data and health-based inequalities to university and local government funding.

The leader of the pro-independence party said: "Nearly 27 years of Labour-led rule has left our nation wanting.

"An NHS overwhelmed by demand, educational standards among the worst in Europe and an economy still too tied to Westminster to have any real firepower.

"Others may promise change but as this plan proves, Plaid Cymru is the only party with a detailed plan of action, representing the genuine new leadership the people of Wales deserve."

Plaid's finance spokeswoman Heledd Fychan told a conference fringe event that the party's Senedd group were being "realistic" when working on the manifesto for the election.

"There are some things we would love to do but the funding is not there at the moment," she said.

Plaid is hoping it can win enough seats to form a minority government - meaning it would govern alone but would still need the help of other politicians to get votes through the Senedd.

No party has ever won more than half the seats in the Senedd, and the new system makes winning a majority theoretically more tricky with a new proportional voting system.

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