Junior doctors offered 14.5% pay rise in Scotland

Junior doctors across Scotland have been offered a 14.5% pay rise over the two-year period 2022-24, following negotiations with BMA Scotland.

The new offer comes after junior doctors voted to strike for 72 hours in what would be their first national walkout over pay.

The Scottish government says the new offer represents a £61.3 million investment in junior doctor pay - the largest in 20 years and the best offer in the UK.

It said that, if accepted, the new and final offer will be a pay raise of 6.5% in 2023/24, as well as an additional 3% towards an already agreed 4.5% uplift in 2022/23.

This amounts to a cumulative increase of 14.5% over two years and matches the recent pay award accepted by nurses and other NHS workers in 2023, it said.

Scotland's Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: "After weeks of intense negotiations I'm delighted our government and BMA Scotland have come to an agreement on pay which they will now put to their members.

"Recognising the incredible work that junior doctors do, we have offered a fair and progressive rise which will mean a pay increase of 14.5% over two years - the best offer on the table in the UK.

"We have taken their concerns regarding pay, and the need to modernise pay bargaining more broadly, extremely seriously.

"It's now up to junior doctors to reflect on this final offer, and I hope they will accept."

Scottish Junior Doctor committee chairman Dr Chris Smith said the negotiations were done in "good faith" and the offer will be put to union members.

However, he said: "To be clear this is not a deal we have agreed, and we have not accepted any offer.

"However, the offer that has been made is without doubt an improvement on the 4.5% awarded last year, and the improved offer for 2022/23 would represent a slowdown in doctors' pay erosion which has accelerated up to this point after 15 years of real-terms decline."

Mr Smith added that the offer "reflects the best that the Scottish Government will offer after this series of negotiations".

He said: "This is why it is essential our members decide our next steps."

If the offer is rejected, "several different options" would be back on the table, he said, including strike action.

He also welcomed the commitment to establish a junior doctor pay bargaining review taskforce which will have a remit to deliver a new system that prevents pay erosion.

Junior doctors south of the border recently walked out over pay.

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