Junior doctors in Scotland accept Scottish Government pay offer

The union said the result of its consultative vote saw 81.64% vote in favour of the offer, on a turnout of 71.24%. Credit: PA

Junior doctors in Scotland have voted conclusively to accept the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government, BMA Scotland has said.

The union said the result of its consultative vote saw 81.64% vote in favour of the offer, on a turnout of 71.24%.

This year, junior doctors in Scotland will receive a pay rise of 12.4% backdated to April.

For the following three financial years, the BMA's Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC) will now enter yearly negotiations with the Scottish Government that must "make credible progress" in real terms towards full pay restoration to 2008 levels.

Junior doctors have accepted the latest pay offer in Scotland. Credit: PA

The union said that following extensive discussion, SJDC agreed unanimously it would recommend members accept the offer as the best next step for Scottish doctors in the ongoing campaign for full pay restoration.

It comes after junior doctor members of HCSA Scotland, the union representing hospital doctors, on Tuesday voted to accept the Scottish Government pay deal.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA's Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC), said: "This offer moves us from a position where pay restoration was a strongly-held conviction within our profession to a shared goal that the Scottish Government has publicly committed to working with us to complete.

"Earlier this year, junior doctors in Scotland said enough is enough - they were clear that they will no longer stand aside and accept any more sub-inflationary pay awards year after year.

"The strong mandate for striking - with 97% of those who turned out in our ballot voting in favour of industrial action - speaks for itself.

"Key to this offer, that sets it apart from what is happening elsewhere in the UK, is that the Scottish Government recognises this reality and has agreed to ongoing negotiations towards full pay restoration to 2008 levels, with an unprecedented commitment to set inflation as the floor of the pay offer at each round of negotiation.

"This structure will maintain the momentum of our campaign in Scotland for full pay restoration over the next few months and into next year."

Junior doctors in England still have not reached a deal with the UK government. Credit: PA

Scotland's Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: "I am very pleased that BMA members have overwhelmingly voted to accept this record pay deal for junior doctors.

"This is the single biggest investment in junior doctor pay since devolution and maintains our commitment to make Scotland the best place in the UK for junior doctors to work and train.

"Due to the meaningful engagement we have had with trade unions, we have avoided any industrial action in Scotland - the only part of the UK to avoid NHS strikes.

"We will now implement this pay uplift and will work with BMA to take forward the other aspects of the deal including contract and pay bargaining reform."

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