Doctors have warned ministers that they will not allow themselves to be used as "scapegoats" if the government's NHS investment plan fails to deliver meaningful improvements.

Speaking after the BMA's first council meeting to discuss the £40 billion investment programme, Dr Ian Bogle said the government must shoulder the blame if no improvements are achieved by the time of the next election.

"We are well aware if this doesn't succeed in about three years' time, which will be election time, the scapegoats could be those working in the health service," he said. "They might be unable to resist the temptation to blame the staff but that is something they must not do."

He said that the money would only be effective if the government got over its obsession with targets.

"The professionals are sick to death of being shackled in this way and having their feelings about clinical priorities overridden by government targets," he said.

Dr Bogle said it was time to "unshackle the NHS" from Whitehall command. "The professionals should decide without always having a government target from Whitehall skewing what they are doing locally," he said.

His comments came amid growing concern that doctors are carrying out more target-related low priority work rather than focussing their efforts on patients suffering pain and disability.

But he warned that all parts of the NHS must strive to make the new investment work.

"It is unthinkable that in three or four years' time we might see this not working. It would get us into other ways of funding healthcare that I don't believe in," he said.