Resident doctors in Scotland begin ballot for strike action

Resident doctors in Scotland are voting to strike after they said government ministers had abandoned a pay deal.

BMA Scotland said the proposed 4.25% rise for 2025/26 would be the lowest in the UK and less than what was recommended by the independent pay review body.

But Health Minister Neil Gray said it was a “fair, accessible and equitable pay offer” and called on members to abandon industrial action.

He said the Scottish Government had invested heavily in paying resident doctors over the past two years and added that any strikes would hamper its efforts to reduce waiting times.

Scotland's resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, were prepared to go on strike in the summer of 2023, but the promotion was canceled after a new payment offer.

As part of the latest deal, BMA Scotland said the government was committed to making “credible progress” in restoring wages to 2008 levels in each of the next three financial years.

Fees for a newly qualified 'first year' doctor currently start at £34,500, rising to £42,792 in the second year. resident doctor salary scale from £45,503.

Strike voting will be open from Friday to December 19th. If the answer is positive, strikes are likely to begin in the first few weeks of the new year.

Voting opens when resident doctors begin working in England. five-day strike.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA's Scottish Doctors' Committee, said: “Doctors have been shocked that the Scottish Government appears intent on reversing the progress made in restoring our pay over the past two years and it is clear that they will defend a deal that has been agreed in good faith by both parties.

“As always, we are ready to negotiate anytime and anywhere. But we will not sit idly by while the Scottish Government tries to tear up the agreement they have with Scottish resident doctors in 2023.”

He said November 14 was an “extremely significant day” both for resident doctors in Scotland and south of the border.

“I know I speak for all Scottish doctors when I say we stand with them,” he said.

“The Scottish Government now has the chance to draw a dividing line between them and Westminster, and all it takes is a return to the status quo: back in the bargaining room with BMA Scotland, in good faith and with a credible wage offer in line with the promises they made in the agreement we signed.”

He added: “Until now, Scotland has been the only country in the UK to avoid industrial action and there is time to prevent these actions – but only if the Scottish Government lives up to its commitments.”

Dr Smith said the Scottish Government's response had been “disappointing” and it had ignored the BMA's requests for further talks.

“I hope that this time the government will take the necessary steps to reverse its decisions, which put NHS Scotland on the path to disruptive industrial action,” he added.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Industry action will not be in anyone’s best interests, least of all the patients who rely on our NHS. I encourage resident physicians to reject this option.

“Our proposal for fair, affordable and equal pay of 4.25% for 2025/26 and a further 3.75% for 2026/27 is the same proposal that nurses and other NHS staff decided to accept earlier this year.

“We value the role of resident doctors in healthcare delivery and have invested significantly in their pay over the past two years, agreeing the highest pay in the public sector – a 12.4% increase in 2023/24 and a combined 11% increase in 2024/25.

“These awards were justified as we began the process of implementing the 2023 agreement, which we are absolutely committed to honoring.”

He said the Scottish Government had already invested extra £135.5m to tackle waiting times.

“The latest data shows that our plan is working to reduce the overall size of the waitlist. Any strike by resident doctors will hamper our progress on this issue,” he added.

If resident doctors do go on strike, it would have hugely disruptive consequences for the Scottish Government.

This will be the first major strike by NHS staff in Scotland. This is the only part of the UK that has avoided strikes.

Resident doctors make up almost half of the medical staff and range from newly qualified doctors to doctors with many years of experience.

Strikes in England led to the cancellation of thousands of appointments and surgeries. Further disruption is expected as another five-day strike begins on Friday.

Any strike here would be a major blow to the Scottish Government's key promise to eliminate long waits for procedures and appointments by March next year.

And it will put further pressure on an already strained NHS in an election year.

A resident doctors' strike is not inevitable, but it is coming.