He accused the executive of making health service decisions behind closed doors and he also attacked the announcement that money was to be clawed back from the health budget.

Dr John Garner: "Change is needed"

Ms Susan Deacon, and Finance Minister Jack McConnell were at odds on Tuesday when it was revealed that �34m of a �135m underspend in last year's budget would be diverted into other areas.

Instead of health, the money would go to other projects, including forestry and building conservation.

Mr McConnell's admission that it would be clawed back came as Ms Deacon announced an �8m investment in the NHS to pay for more than 300 extra specialist staff.

Ms Deacon said she was staggered by the BMA's criticism, and accused Dr Garner of attempting to win the sound-bite war.

Ms Deacon asserted that more money than ever was being pumped into the health service, and she dismissed the row over the health underspend.

'Sound-bite politics'

"What we are seeing is much ado about nothing," she said.

"What we have is �100m carried over from last year to this year within the health budget for continuing work, continuing spend and continuing capital projects.

"What we also have is around 0.5% of our �5bn making a contribution to the executive's contingency fund, which health may well have to draw upon."

We see the drip drip effect, but we don't look strategically at what to do with this money

Dr John Garner, BMA Scotland

Dr Garner delivered a report on the executive's first year of operation to the BMA in London.

He attacked "sound-bite politics" aimed at newspapers and television and reiterated the assertion that doctors want to create a world class health service in Scotland.

Dr Garner told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland that there was a real opportunity in Scotland to make a difference, but he feared it was being hampered.

"This is the taxpayers' money and we have a large NHS workforce in Scotland but their views are not being listened to.

"We do have views and we want to put them to ministers."

"We see the drip drip effect, but we don't look strategically at what to do with this money," said Dr Garner.