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Scotland’s Health Secretary, Neil Gray, has expressed a desire to prevent a strike by resident doctors but maintains that the pay offer on the table is the best possible. On Friday, a vote saw medics support a four-day strike planned for January, potentially marking the first nationwide walkout by NHS workers in Scotland. Negotiations between the Scottish government and BMA Scotland, the union representing resident doctors, are expected to continue in an effort to resolve the dispute.
Gray acknowledged the right of the BMA to hold a ballot and stated that industrial action serves no one’s interests. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, he emphasized the significant pressure already faced by healthcare staff during this season, due to factors like flu, and warned that strikes would inevitably harm patient services. “I would always rather we had avoided strike action, that has been my aim throughout discussions,” he remarked, underscoring his hope that a walkout could be averted.
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, make up nearly half of Scotland’s medical workforce. They include doctors fresh out of training as well as those with over a decade of experience. Historically, Scotland has been the only UK nation to avoid NHS strikes, unlike England where resident doctors have recently staged several walkouts resulting in the cancellation of thousands of operations and procedures. While a strike planned for summer 2023 in Scotland was called off after a last-minute deal, doctors now accuse the Scottish government of reneging on a previous pledge to restore their pay to 2008 levels. The latest strike ballot saw a turnout of 58% among 5,185 eligible doctors, with an overwhelming 92% voting in favor.
The current pay offer from the Scottish government, extending over two years, proposes a 4.25% raise in 2025/26 followed by 3.75% in 2026/27. This is the same deal accepted earlier this year by other NHS staff, including nurses and paramedics. However, BMA Scotland contends that these increases are the lowest in the UK and fall short of recommendations made by the independent pay review body. Under the offer, the basic salary for a newly qualified doctor would rise from £34,500 to £37,345 in 2026/27, while doctors with ten years’ experience would see their pay increase from £71,549 to £77,387. Additional payments are provided for night shifts, weekends, and extended hours, which are common in the demanding roles resident doctors fulfill.
Dr Lucas O’Donnell, deputy chair of BMA Scotland’s resident doctors committee, criticized the government’s proposal, saying it undermines the deal reached in 2023. He pointed out that doctors’ pay has lagged behind inflation for the past 15 years and cited the current starting hourly rate of £17.40, which the BMA wants raised to £20.90. Highlighting the challenging responsibilities resident doctors bear—including responding first to critical emergencies—he stressed that the proposed hourly rate is far from excessive. Dr O’Donnell lamented the loss of many colleagues to countries like Australia and Canada and underscored the union’s desire to uphold the original agreement that prevented strikes. Neil Gray responded by saying he had not yet seen the hourly rate figures but would consider them during talks. However, he rejected the assertion that the new offer breaches the previous deal, insisting that substantial progress has been made. Gray also noted the need to balance fairness and affordability while prioritizing improvements to NHS waiting times, which he warned would be jeopardized if strikes proceed
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