One of Tony Blair’s most influential policy gurus has been in Scotland giving top tips to MSPs on how to sort out the NHS north of the border, writes Steve Bargeton, political editor.

Professor Michael Barber, director of the Prime Minister’s delivery unit in the Cabinet Office, was invited to give a presentation to the powerful Holyrood finance committee in the run-up to the general election.

During the election, First Minister Jack McConnell was embarrassed repeatedly over his Executive’s record on hospital waiting times compared with waiting times in England.

Opposition parties pointed out that, while Labour was promising a target of an 18-week maximum waiting time for patients in England, they were offering a 36-week equivalent for patients in Scotland.

Indeed, so disgusted were some of Labour’s Westminster candidates with the state of the health service in Scotland that they resorted to quoting English health statistics in their election literature.

It has now emerged that while this row was going on, the Labour-dominated Holyrood finance committee invited Professor Barber to tell them how results have been achieved in England.

The move was being seen by some MSPs last night as a thinly-disguised slap in the face for Mr McConnell’s health policy.

During his presentation to MSPs Professor Barber described how the UK Government has brought down waiting times and all but eradicated them in many areas.

In a cautionary note to failing Scottish ministers, he said, “The dilemma that politicians in all developed countries face today is that, although they need a long-term strategy in order to be successful, they must deliver short-term results, otherwise no-one will believe in them.”

Professor Barber agreed with committee convener Des McNulty that it should be easier to bring about improvements in Scotland than in England—simply due to the smaller size and population.

“It should be easier to find the model that will work at school or hospital level if there are fewer front-line units,” he said.

“For example, an A&E policy in England will perhaps be required to influence 200 A&E departments, whereas there will be many fewer in Scotland.

“Similarly, a primary school literacy programme in Scotland will be on a much smaller scale than one that covers 20,000 schools in England.

“To secure faithful implementation among 20,000 schools and 190,000 primary school teachers in England is a challenge.

“In Scotland, implementation should, theoretically, be less of a challenge.”

Several MSPs on the committee asked Professor Barber whether he had been asked to pass on his recipe for success to Scottish ministers.

He said he had not.

However, last night, finance committee member and the Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Andrew Arbuckle said, “I think it would be very worthwhile for ministers to hear what we heard this week.”

And Scottish Tory committee member Ted Brocklebank admitted, “I asked him (Professor Barber) if he had been asked by the Scottish Executive to deliver a presentation to them.

“I was astonished to hear that he has not.

“It seemed to me that he has a system for getting waiting times down.”

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said, “Following the dressing-down Jack McConnell and other Labour MSPs received during the election campaign, this embarrassing public rebuke only goes to show what a mess the Lib/Lab coalition has made of public affairs in Scotland, particularly the health service, when senior officials are dispatched to stick the knife in.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said, “Our officials helped support Professor Barber in delivering his presentation.

“The committee will want to take advice from many quarters.”