Junior doctors across Scotland are preparing for a strike ballot after the British Medical Association (BMA) accused the Scottish Government of “shamefully reneging” on a previous pay agreement.
BMA Scotland said the proposed pay rise for 2025/26 would be the lowest in the UK and fell short of the recommendation made by the independent pay review body.
Health Secretary Neil Gray expressed disappointment over the union’s decision, insisting the offer was “fair, affordable, and equitable.”
Junior doctors had been on the verge of striking in the summer of 2023, but action was suspended after a new pay deal was reached. Under that agreement, the Scottish Government pledged to make “credible progress” on pay over the following three financial years.
Dr Chris Smith, chair of the BMA’s Scottish Resident Doctor Committee (SRDC), said: “This agreement was the only thing that prevented strike action by resident doctors in Scotland in 2023 and we remain the UK’s only resident doctors not to have gone on strike since it was agreed. But that will be forced to change if our agreed deal is ignored.”
He added that junior doctors were seeking a “negotiated settlement” but stressed that a “real improvement” was essential, noting that members were now 17% worse off than in 2008.
“It is completely unacceptable and it is clear that this is a far cry from the credible progress on the path to pay restoration that we were promised,” Dr Smith said.
The SRDC is now seeking permission from the BMA’s UK Council to proceed with a strike ballot. If approved, a formal timeline will be announced.
Neil Gray said junior doctors had been offered a 4.25% rise for 2025/26, followed by a further 3.75% increase for 2026/27. He noted that this mirrored the deal accepted by nurses and other NHS staff earlier in the year, reflecting the government’s commitment to valuing healthcare workers.
“I also thought we had a shared ambition to reform and renew NHS Scotland, focusing on fundamentally improving service delivery,” he said.
Gray acknowledged challenges affecting morale and working conditions within the NHS, warning that strike action could “put the progress we have made on these issues at risk.”
He also disputed the BMA’s interpretation of the 2023 pay agreement and urged the union to reconsider its position.
