At the sharp end: What the professionals think of the Budget

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Dr Paul Dubbins, 52, consultant radiologist at the Royal College of Radiology

"It would be disingenuous to say that I and those within my speciality are not heartened by Gordon Brown's commitment to the NHS. The Chancellor has put his money where the Government's mouth is with his five-year plan. However, because of the shortfall in personnel, buildings and equipment, the money will not have the immediate effect that the Government or the public are looking for. The need for the NHS to invest in information technology is a critical issue ... The way in which we communicate within hospitals, between hospitals and with primary care teams is reminiscent of the Dark Ages."

Melanie Every, 50, midwife at the Royal College of Midwives

"I am delighted that more money is being poured into the NHS but I would like to see it spent in all the right places. It is a major point of concern for me that the pledged funds go directly into benefiting patients and not into administration. There has also been some anxiety raised over the fact that NHS staff and patients are the ones that are going to be paying for the improvements through a rise in their national insurance. If we are to look after the future population, we need to offer excellent care to mothers and babies. I would like to see this money being used to provide women in labour with one-to-one care. We are losing a lot of midwives through overwork."

Claire Strickland, 46, physiotherapist at St Bart's Hospital, London.

"My reaction is overwhelmingly a positive one. I was especially glad the Government recognised the importance of therapy services in getting patients out of hospital through rehabilitation. One budgetary issue which raised some concern for me was the emphasis on elderly 'bed blockers' who were forced to stay in hospital due to the shortage of space in nursing homes. I feel the emphasis should have been on the need for more rehabilitation therapies so elderly patients can return to their own homes. As far as the areas of greatest need goes within the system, my first priority would be to improve staff pay."

Diane Abraham, 27, receptionist at Southampton General Hospital.

"I'm not entirely happy that the money to fund the NHS has come from our own wages due to the rise in national insurance but in the end, we all pay for public services so I do not begrudge it. There are probably two areas where I would like funds to be concentrated. Our biggest problem is that we have a backlog of patients who need treatment. We need more doctors to help ease this build-up. I would also like the money to be used to give us all a pay rise and to see our incomes rising with inflation each year. If ancillary and support staff such as cleaners had better pay, I think many would take more pride in their work and understand why it is important to keep everything clean."

Alastair Pickering, 27, house officer at Wycombe General Hospital, Buckinghamshire

"I feel the biggest problem for everyone in the NHS is the pressure from the public, who have seen money spent on the system in the past, but who can't distinguish where this has gone or how it has improved health care. Another burden is the pressure that many of us feel from management to improve waiting lists. At the moment, there is a lot of bed blocking that goes on, through no fault of anyone in particular. Unfortunately, the finances have not been there for us to be able to sort this out quickly. There is a finite number of beds so the problems have a knock-on effect on people waiting to be admitted to hospital."

Gail Adams, 36, nurse at St George's health care trust, London

"I welcome the funds that have been pledged by the Chancellor but ultimately, I would say that the proof is in the pudding. I think a gesture of goodwill is needed to financially benefit those who provide services in the NHS, as well as improving the service itself. We need this kind of gesture to believe that rhetoric and positive words are followed by results. The area which I would regard as an absolute priority for cash concerns the lack of capacity in hospitals. The demand for beds outstrips the supply and, as a result, we have our long waiting lists. Raising the basic level of pay, as well as increasing London weighting, would benefit the entire system."

Dr Hafshah Khan, 26, GP at May Day Hospital, Croydon

"I am a little sceptical of the Government's pledge and question where the money is actually going to be spent. Also, I do not feel that money is the solution to all the grievances of the system. It will take a change in the attitudes of the public as well as money to solve our current crisis. Working in casualty, I deal with a lot of minor complaints that can be resolved by using some common sense. It is about people taking responsibility for themselves and learning not to waste the resources that we have rather than merely about additional funds. I am worried that in reality the money is poured into bureaucracy and isn't filtered down to patients."

Helen Richardson, surgeon, 38, at North Riding Infirmary, Teesside.

"The NHS has stayed the same in lots of senses such as capacity problems, but the expectations of the public have risen dramatically over the years.

What we need is more staff at all levels across the board. From my own experience wards are particularly understaffed by nurses and each task is passed downwards. Nurses are doing the jobs of doctors and untrained assistants are doing nurse duties.

We need to halt this and get more training for staff.

One area I think we should tackle with the money is the whole patient experience, which really needs to be scrutinised. A hospital visit should not be an unpleasant experience."