Hewitt has brought NHS is 'to its knees' say doctors

Top consultant Dr Jonathan Fielden said that recent cuts in services to restore financial equilibrium had been 'excessive'.

Dr Fielden, who is chairman of the British Medical Assocaition's consultants' committee, made his remarks in a speech to the annual consultants' conference.

Dr Fielden said: "The profession is angry. It is angry with managers, with employers, but most of all we are all angry with the Government for a woeful dereliction of duty, towards patients, towards the profession and towards the future.

"The profession is angry because of this Government's mis-handling of the health service and has lost all confidence that the Government can solve the problems it has created."

His warning came as delegates at the BMA conference voted for a motion of no confidence in the Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson. They have accused him of ignoring the views of the profession.

Dr Fielden also used his platform to warn incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown that he risks destroying the service if he fails to listen and act upon widespread concerns about health policy and funding reductions.

He maintains that "political meddling has brought the NHS to its knees" and urged Mr Brown: "Unshackle the profession, give us back the health service and we will rebuild it.

"Fail to do so and you will rightly have a long lasting legacy to be condemned for destroying the best piece of social capital the country has ever had."

The Health Secretary dismissed the accusations, saying it was "completely absurd" in the light of rising patient satisfaction.

And she insisted that although there had been "real problems" - such as with the junior doctors' training application system which had affected morale - overall things were getting better.

Ms Hewitt said Dr Fielden's main complaint appeared to be that ministers should listen to doctors and other frontline staff.

"That's exactly what we do," she added. "I think it's very important that we have that strong dialogue with staff."

She told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme it was "completely absurd" to say the service was on its knees.

"What we've got is a situation where patients are more satisfied... but staff have to make very difficult decisions and of course that's had an effect on morale," she added.

During his speech in central London, Dr Fielden said: "Policy so far is rightly criticised for lacking strategic direction, pouring out initiative after initiative, taking good principles and tying them up with bureaucracy and political necessity, killing off the benefit and leaving a distorted skeleton behind."

He has also attacked the government's "excessive use of private firms".

"The independent sector should only be used where the NHS needs it, not thrust into its midst like a carelessly placed hand grenade," he said.