British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland members have accepted and 12.4% pay increase for junior doctors and dentists in training for 2023–24.
The deal also includes a commitment to future years pay, contract and pay bargaining modernisation and it brings to an end the threat of industrial action.
Scottish 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.”
Chair of BMA’s Scottish Junior Doctor Committee (SJDC), Dr Chris Smith, 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.
“While we accept that this year’s 12.4% uplift makes only a small amount of real terms progress towards fully reversing the 28.5% pay cut we have received since 2008, it represents a start. It is a compromise achieved in our negotiations that reflects the record inflationary pressure on the Scottish budget this year which is dependent on a fixed grant from the UK Government, with only limited devolved tax, borrowing and reserve powers. In negotiations we were clear that a similar real terms percentage increase will not be acceptable during the next round of negotiations as inflation eases. We are clear that the Scottish Government should begin the necessary budgetary preparation for this immediately."
