Junior medical doctors in Scotland droop strikes following revised pay deal

Jul 07, 2023 at 5:09 PM
Junior medical doctors in Scotland droop strikes following revised pay deal

Junior medical doctors in Scotland have known as off strikes deliberate for subsequent week after their union agreed an improved pay provide from the federal government.

Members of BMA Scotland were poised to launch three days of industrial action on 12-15 July after they rejected an preliminary provide of a 14.5% enhance over two years.

The Scottish authorities then got here again with a revised provide of a 12.4% pay enhance for junior medical doctors and medical doctors in coaching for 2023/24, alongside a pay rise of 4.5% awarded in 2022/23 – amounting to a cumulative enhance of 17.5% over two years.

BMA Scotland stated its Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC) in the present day agreed unanimously that it could advocate members settle for the provide in a consultative vote within the coming weeks.

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First Minister Humza Yousaf stated he was “grateful” to the BMA for partaking with the federal government and agreeing to droop strike motion.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA’s Scottish junior physician committee, stated: “This has been an intense interval of negotiation with the Scottish authorities.

“At this stage, our negotiating team feel they have reached the limit of what can be achieved this year and do not think strike action would result in a materially improved offer.

“As a outcome, now we have agreed to droop subsequent week’s strikes and put this provide to our members.

“This offer commits the government to working with doctors to restore our pay and prevent pay erosion from occurring in the future.

“This is an unprecedented shift from the Scottish authorities, which is a recognition of the massive decline in real-terms pay that medical doctors have skilled over the previous 15 years, and the massive quantity of labor wanted to undo the harm this has triggered to the NHS.”

He added: “By agreeing to handle the way in which our pay has been lower, and setting out a transparent mechanism for doing so, the federal government is making a severe, welcome dedication to making sure that pay for junior medical doctors in Scotland is restored to a good degree.”

Scotland’s Health Secretary Michael Matheson said he hoped the “funding and the numerous commitments now we have given round pay and contract reform will present junior medical doctors how a lot we worth them, and that we’re decided to make sure that Scotland is the place for junior medical doctors to work and prepare”.

He said some patients may already have been contacted to say their treatment had been cancelled but added: “We are working arduous with well being boards to verify appointments that may go forward do, and that any others are rescheduled as quickly as potential.”

Meanwhile, in England, the row between junior medical doctors and the federal government reveals no signal of a decision, after the BMA introduced there could be a five-day walkout between 7am on Thursday 13 July and 7am on Tuesday 18 July.

Thousands of appointments and pre-planned operations are set to be disrupted as extra senior medical doctors fill in and emergency and important care is prioritised.