The 'strong' 2-year pay deal offered to 'rightly frustrated' NHS Scotland staff

The Scottish Government has offered an 8 per cent pay rise over two years to NHS staff.

Health Secretary Neil Gray set out plans for a 4.25 per cent increase in 2025/26 and a 3.75 per cent rise next year.

NHS England figures show 50,630 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at WWL facilities at the end of January – down slightly from 50,841 in December, and 54,481 in January 2024

The offer, which the Government said would cost around £701 million, will also be protected by an “inflation guarantee”, meaning pay increases will always be at least 1 per cent above the Consumer Price Index rate.

Unison has announced plans to ballot staff on the changes, with the union’s co-lead for health in Scotland Matt Mclaughlin saying: “The Government has said that this is its final offer.

“The union’s health committee will now take soundings from NHS staff and then meet to discuss next steps. Unison members always have the final say on their pay, so the union will put it to them in a consultative ballot as soon as that can be arranged.”

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland said its board was “considering” the offer “in detail”.

Director Colin Poolman said: “Our pay claim, submitted in January, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay. RCN Scotland board members are considering the Scottish Government’s offer in detail.

“Nursing staff are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care. Fair pay is vital to recruiting and retaining nursing staff, to filling the thousands of vacant nursing jobs and giving people the care they deserve.”

Mr Poolman hit out at the timetable for negotiations, claiming nurses are “rightly frustrated” the Government “kept them waiting”.

Claire Ronald, the senior negotiating officer in Scotland for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, said the deal was “the best that can be achieved”, adding it would now consult members.

Mr Gray described the deal as “strong”, saying it had come as a result of “constructive” talks with unions.

Health Secretary Neil Gray. Picture: Andrew Milligan

“It is guaranteed to remain above CPI inflation, which gives added reassurance to staff, and will ensure Scotland’s nurses, midwives and NHS staff have the best pay in the UK,” he said.

“This comes on the back of increased employer national insurance contributions following the UK government announcement in October 2024.

“It directly increases the overall cost of pay by an estimated £191m for Scotland’s NHS. I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hard-working healthcare staff for their continued hard work and commitment.

“The unions will now consult their members and I hope this offer will be accepted.”

GMB Scotland, one of the biggest unions in NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service, confirmed its members would be asked to vote on the pay offer.

Keir Greenaway, the union’s senior organiser in public services, said: “The offer has been received and the detailed terms are now with our members. Our NHS committee is also reviewing those terms and will meet within days to decide if this offer should be recommended to our members or not.”