Doctors in Scotland to go on strike

Resident doctors successful Scotland person voted to spell connected onslaught successful January – arsenic their national called connected the devolved authorities to contiguous a "credible" wage offer.

The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland announced connected Friday that 92% of its members who voted successful the ballot were successful favour of the concern action. The turnout was 58%.

The strikes are scheduled to commencement astatine 7am connected Tuesday 13 January, and extremity astatine 7am connected Saturday 17 January – unless advancement is made successful wage talks.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing strike enactment by nonmigratory doctors successful England, which began connected Wednesday and volition past until Monday.

Chris Smith, seat of the BMA Scottish nonmigratory doctors committee, said its members were "united successful anger", and claimed the Scottish authorities had reneged connected a wage woody it agreed 2 years ago.

He said: "We are simply asking for the authorities to present connected what they antecedently promised, an connection which volition supply a meaningful, continued and crucially credible measurement connected the way towards addressing the wage erosion which nonmigratory doctors person suffered from since 2008.

"If they had kept to their commitment, and the trajectory towards wage restoration, this quality could person been averted.

"And determination is inactive clip to debar strikes – BMA Scotland nonmigratory doctors stay committed to the woody erstwhile it is being upheld successful its entirety."

In 2023, inferior doctors – arsenic nonmigratory doctors utilized to beryllium called – successful Scotland agreed to a caller wage deal, and to further talks successful each twelvemonth "to marque credible advancement connected the way towards wage restoration".

BMA Scotland said successful October that nonmigratory doctors were offered a 4.25% uplift for 2025/26, which it said broke the statement with the Scottish government.

Mr Smith said astatine the time: "We are already 17% worse disconnected than our peers were successful 2008 and this would person made that worse".

The Scottish wellness caput said connected Friday that helium was "disappointed" successful the vote, and offered to conscionable with Mr Smith for talks connected Monday.

Neil Gray said the 4.25% uplift was "part of a two-year deal" and was "the aforesaid arsenic accepted by nurses and different NHS staff".

"This means by 2027, we volition person delivered a cumulative wage emergence of 35% successful 4 years," helium added.

"Our apical precedence for our patients and the workforce is to amended waiting times, entree to the NHS and affirmative outcomes. Industrial enactment volition enactment each that advancement astatine risk."

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Meanwhile, nonmigratory doctors' strikes successful England are acceptable to participate their 4th day, aft the BMA said 83% of English members had rejected a caller proposal from the Labour government.

Sir Keir Starmer called the enactment "irresponsible", portion Health Secretary Wes Streeting accused the national of a "shocking disregard for diligent safety".

The BMA said the onslaught was "entirely avoidable" and has demanded a "credible offer" for English doctors to avert "real-terms wage cuts".

Sky News has contacted the Scottish authorities for comment.