Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform.
The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end-of-year pay uplift for this year and 9.4 per cent for 2026-27.
SRDC chair Chris Smith (pictured above) welcomed the proposed deal, which amounts to £149m for the two years.
‘From day one of this dispute, we’ve been clear that strike action was a last resort, so we are pleased that after a period of intense negotiations we have agreed an offer which we believe now faithfully delivers on the deal we made with the Scottish Government nearly three years ago.
‘The ultimate verdict on whether that is the case now lies with our members, but we will be recommending they accept.
‘Our view is the substantial investment proposed continues the progress made to reverse the pay erosion resident doctors have suffered since 2008.’
Future investment
Essentially, the proposed deal would move all resident doctors up the pay scale and it would affect doctors differently depending on where they are on the scale. This means increases will vary between 8.56 per cent and 12.65 per cent this year and 8.04 per cent and 12.1 per cent next.
Dr Smith added: ‘Coming in the shape of new funding into our contract means that, if accepted, this deal embeds improvements for doctors for the future. It will provide much-needed impetus into delivering a new contract for resident doctors that was a key part of the deal agreed with the Scottish Government in 2023.
‘Ultimately, this offer is a vote of confidence in, and a signal of the vital importance of, resident doctors. It is an investment in the future of the NHS workforce and will be good for doctors, but also for patients, as we seek to recruit and retain the workforce both for today and the future. It is, in our view, a strong step on the way to achieving our shared ambition with the Scottish Government, of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’
Strikes were due to take place between Tuesday 13 January and Saturday 18 January – it would have been the first time that resident doctors in Scotland had taken strike action, unlike in the other three UK countries.
The vote on the proposed deal is expected to open in the weeks ahead.