Shadow health secretary John Maples said the extra pounds500m for the health service announced by chancellor Gordon Brown was 'disappointing'.

'The Conservative government achieved real-terms increases of 3.1 per cent, compared with the 2 per cent that Labour has achieved last year and this year.

'If Labour had followed our lead, the health service would have received an extra pounds750m in 1998-99.

'The extra monies announced for the NHS will do little to cut waiting lists.'

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Simon Hughes said the increase would 'do nothing to solve the underfunding crisis in the NHS'. 'The increase is something under 2.5 per cent, but the NHS needs 3 per cent a year just to stand still.'

He added the NHS should have been allocated pounds2.25bn this year, followed by 4 per cent real-terms increases for the next three years.