Details of the funding have been unveiled

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said the funding represented an increase of 7.25% on this year's figure.

He said that the record investment would lead to better services and cuts in waiting times.

But the Scottish National Party said ministers needed to seek long-term solutions to problems such as bed blocking and postcode prescribing.

The country's health boards will initially receive �5.966bn during the financial year 2004/2005.

A further �26m from the Scottish Executive's change and innovation fund will be distributed later in the year.

The money will be allocated using a formula which takes account of population, deprivation levels and population levels in remote or rural areas.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES Argyll & Clyde - �459m Ayrshire & Arran - �410m Borders - �116m Dumfries & Galloway - �170m Fife - �353m Forth Valley - �280m Grampian - �482m Greater Glasgow - �1,012m Highland - �239m Lanarkshire - �565m Lothian - �725m Orkney - �22m Shetland - �27m Tayside - �422m Western Isles - �42m

Scotland has 15 regional health boards and five special health boards, which include the Scottish Ambulance Service, the National Waiting Times Centre in Clydebank and the State Hospital at Carstairs.

Funding levels for the regional boards range from the �22.36m received by Orkney to the �1bn allocated to Glasgow.

Mr Chisholm said: "These resources will enable NHS boards to recruit more nurses and doctors, use more advanced medical technology and new treatment and drugs.

"They will also support our major drive to improve the health of all Scots through a range of programmes."

But he warned: "Record investment must be accompanied by real change and that is why we have introduced the NHS Reform Bill."

However, SNP health spokeswoman Shona Robison said: "We must start looking to the long term solutions to the staffing crisis, bed blocking, waiting times and waiting lists and postcode prescribing across Scotland.