BMA Scottish resident doctors committee (SRDC) entered into formal industrial dispute with the Scottish Government to protect the 2023 agreement on resident doctor pay restoration and contract reform. SRDC are now in preparation to ballot resident doctors in Scotland on industrial action.
BMA SRDC have now announced the dates of strike ballot of BMA Scottish resident doctor members opening on Friday 14th November 2025 and closing noon Friday 19th December 2025.
To ensure your ballot is received by 19th Dec, please post by 15th December at the latest.
Read the latest update from SRDC chair, Dr Chris Smith
Read previous update on SRDC decision to ballot resident doctors from Dr Chris Smith
Scottish Government’s offer is an attempt to break the deal
Negotiations on resident doctor pay this year with the Scottish Government have not resulted in a pay offer for resident doctors in Scotland that makes credible progress on the path to pay restoration.
The final pay offer from the Scottish Government for Resident doctors in Scotland, constitutes 4.25% for 2025/26 and 3.75% for 2026/27.
- will make no further credible progress towards pay restoration to the conclusion of the 2023 deal.
- would be the lowest pay uplift of all resident doctors, across the UK so far, for 2025/26;
- less than the DDRB recommendation for 2025/26
The offer this year is likely to be less than RPI inflation, which means that it would have constituted a real terms pay cut.
Resident doctors are still 17% worse off than their peers were in 2008 – this offer would only make things worse and not make the credible progress that Scottish Government stated commitment to Scottish resident doctors, as per the agreement back in 2023.
Background to the dispute
2023 agreement on resident doctor pay restoration and contract reform
The Pay and contract agreement of 2023, between the SRDC and Scottish Government, stated recognition of the significant erosion of pay for Resident doctors since 2008/09 and the shared aim to resolve the significant pay erosion Scottish Resident doctors have experienced since 2008, with commitment to further talks in each financial year with the aim of agreeing an uplift that is substantial enough in real terms to make credible progress on the path towards pay restoration.
To address and resolve the significant pay erosion of Resident doctors in Scotland, the multifaceted 2023 agreement set a framework with interlinked components of:
- a pay uplift of 12.4% for 2023/24
- in-year pay uplifts for 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27; a guaranteed minimum uplift of inflation for these years, as a floor, with commitment to further talks in each financial year with the aim of agreeing an uplift that is substantial enough in real terms to make credible progress on the path towards pay restoration.
- agreement to enter full contract negotiations with implementation by April 2026; and
- to agree a new Pay Review mechanism which, coupled with contract reform, to enable us to reach a mutually agreeable path to achieve pay restoration and prevent erosion recurring in the future.
2024/25 negotiated pay offer
The pay and contract agreement SRDC reached with the Scottish Government for 2023/24 included direct pay negotiations each year for 2024/25-2026/27. Up until the 2024/5 negotiated pay offer, direct pay negotiations had proven to be a viable path towards pay restoration, as per the 2023 agreement.
Last year, pay negotiations for 2024/25 delivered a cumulative 11% pay uplift for Scottish Resident doctors. In a consultative vote, eligible BMA Resident doctor members voted 98.2% to accept the pay deal, with a turnout of 61.4%.
The pay deal reached for 2024/5 delivered a further step towards restoring Resident doctor pay, building on the previous 12.4% pay uplift achieved in 2023/24 which had already begun to reverse the trend of pay erosion.
Combined, the above inflation pay uplifts for 2023/24 and 2024/25 almost halved pay erosion since 2008/09 and set a trajectory towards FPR. For FY doctors and StRs respectively, however, pay erosion remains at -17% and -17.4% when compared to 2008/09. This means that significant progress is still required in the remaining two years of the 2023 agreement, to resolve the pay erosion.
2025/26: Continuing the campaign to pay restoration
SRDC entered into pay negotiations with the Scottish Government earlier this year in continuing good faith, and as per the framework agreement of 2023 (above), to resolve the significant remaining pay erosion.
Instead of meeting that commitment of that framework agreement, this year the Scottish Government offered resident doctors in Scotland an uplift that would have been the lowest uplift of all resident doctors in the UK, and less than was recommended for residents by Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration Review Body (DDRB). The offer this year is likely to be less than RPI inflation, which means that it would have constituted a real terms pay cut.
Resident doctors are still 17% worse off than their peers were in 2008 – this offer would only make things worse and not make the credible progress that Scottish Government stated commitment to Scottish resident doctors, as per the agreement back in 2023.
How we’re responding
BMA SRDC met on 7 October 2025, at it's first meeting of the session, to consider the written communications and pay offer to Scottish resident doctors, from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
The decision was taken with a resolution passed to enter into a formal industrial dispute with the Scottish Government to protect the 2023 agreement on resident doctor pay restoration and contract reform.
SRDC have sought BMA UK Council support for a ballot of Resident Doctors in Scotland on industrial action as a last resort to protect the SG/SRDC 2023 agreement and deliver pay restoration.
What you can do
Make sure your details are up to date
It’s vital that we have up-to-date details for Scottish resident doctors, to ensure that you stay informed and crucially that you get your ballot paper in the post when the ballot opens, and that you can vote.
Staying connected helps us stay organised and maintain the leverage required to secure a positive outcome.
Get involved
There a number of ways that you can get involved to show support. You do not have to be an activist - this is everyone's fight.
WhatsApp groups
Get direct and instant communications from BMA reps.
To help keep you up to date, reps across Scotland have set up and will run Whatsapp groups to keep you in touch with their work throughout this crucial time.
You can sign up to your brand new 2025 WhatsApp groups at the links here:
North 2025 Strike Group
West 2025 Strike Group:
South and East 2025 Strike Group:
Become a Pay Activist
Get more involved to support our efforts and unite the profession by becoming a Pay Activist.
What you’ll do:
- Be the voice of your colleagues and champion Pay campaign
- Support BMA campaign activities, speak to members by Ward Walking
- Encourage doctors to join the BMA and increase our collective strength
Webinars
Webinars are being planned to inform, engage and support you to join the campaign. If you cannot attend an event in person, watch the recording so you don't miss out.
Pay webinar dates:
- Thursday 13 November 2025 18:30 - 19:15
- Wednesday 19 November 2025 18:30 - 19:15
Social media
Follow us on social media and share whenever and wherever you can. We need your help to spread the word.
Campaign resources
Download campaign materials to share on social media and in your communal work and rest areas.
- Poster 1 - Pay activist sign-up form QR code
- Poster 2 - SRDC update your details graphic
- Poster 3 - Pay offer graph
- Poster 4 - Ballot timeline with dates
If you can't print your own materials, you can request printed campaign materials by post
What you can do
Non BMA members
- You must be a BMA member to vote in ballots. The final date to join is 4 December, to be included in the ballot
- We need your input more than ever - join now
BMA members
- Make sure your BMA membership details are up to date - including your postal address and place of work and post your vote before 15 December, at the latest
- Become a BMA activist - register your interest
- Sign up to be a Pay Activist - sign up now
