The leaders clashed over waiting lists

The war of words broke out after Tory leader David McLetchie claimed 20,000 more patients were "languishing" in queues since devolution.

He called it the "ultimate indictment" of ministers' "mismanagement" of the health service.

However, Jack McConnell insisted that it was a "good thing millions more people were being treated as outpatients rather than inpatients".

Mr McLetchie claimed, too, that the Scottish Executive's latest combined statistics for day cases, as well as inpatient releases showed there were 70,000 fewer than in 1999.

'Clinical priorities'

But the first minister said: "If Mr McLetchie thinks it would be better for us not to treat people as outpatients, not to dramatically increase the number of people who are being treated as outpatients...and to force them to go overnight in beds just so we can keep the numbers up - then he is wrong."

The Tory leader also challenged Mr McConnell on a warning from the British Medical Association that ministers' health policies have a "potential for targets to override clinical priorities".

The clash came just days after a warning from Scotland's spending watchdog that NHS trusts are still failing to meet most of the Scottish Executive's targets for day surgery.