Humza Yousaf pledges 'biggest ever pay uplift' to avoid crippling junior doctors strike

Junior doctors are set to strike in Scotland for three days next week with tens of thousands of appointments potentially cancelled

First Minister Humza Yousaf meets patient Paul MacIntosh during a visit to NHS Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS.

Humza Yousaf has pledged junior doctors will be offered the “biggest ever pay uplift” in an attempt to avert “major disruption” caused by planned strike action - just weeks after unions were told by the health secretary there was no new money.

The offer comes as the largest medical union in Scotland hinted that strike action could spread to other professions following a separate “massively disappointing” offer made to senior medical and dental staff.

The First Minister and health secretary Michael Matheson previously offered the BMA, which is representing junior doctors in the pay dispute, a “best and final deal” of a 14.5 per cent pay increase over two years.

However, the BMA contends that junior doctors have faced pay erosion of around 25 per cent over recent years. They are set to walk out between July 12 and 15 in what would be a crippling strike.

Mr Yousaf announced he would make a new offer to the BMA as he marked the 75th anniversary of the NHS during a visit to Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, near Falkirk.

He did not reveal the details of the offer, but said he planned to meet with the BMA on Tuesday.

“I’m prepared to offer junior doctors the biggest ever uplift seen in the history of devolution,” Mr Yousaf told journalists, “and if accepted, it would put thousands of pounds into the pockets of our junior doctors and they will be worth every single penny.”

Mr Yousaf said the offer could include going above and beyond a one-year pay rise, or reforming contracts and working conditions.

“There isn’t, I’m afraid, money down the back of the sofa, I think people know that given the difficult financial constraints that the Government is operating under,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Yousaf chaired a resilience meeting with senior ministers and health bosses to plan contingencies in the event of the expected strikes. During April’s four-day junior doctors strike in England, there were 195,000 cancelled appointments.

Mr Matheson has previously said a junior doctors strike would cause “significant disruption” and has warned all 14 of Scotland’s regional health boards to draw up contingency plans for industrial action.

Mr Yousaf told journalists the walkouts could be “hugely significant”, resulting in “potentially tens of thousands of patients being affected and having their procedures cancelled”.

And asked if he was confident that junior doctors would accept an improved offer, he said: “I think it’s 50/50 if I’m being honest.

“I don’t think it’s a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. I think it’s going to be a challenging negotiation given where we know the BMA are and what we’re able to afford.

“But I do believe the BMA, absolutely, when they say they want to do everything they can to avoid industrial action.”

Following the resilience meeting, Dr Chris Smith, chair of the BMA’s Scottish junior doctors committee, said: “Junior doctors in Scotland have consistently and strongly made clear that the pay offers made so far by the Scottish Government are not yet sufficient to demonstrate a commitment to reverse the years of pay erosion we have suffered, which has seen pay reduced by 28.5 per cent since 2008.

“No-one can seriously argue a junior doctor today is worth that much less than a counterpart 15 years ago. Indeed, our members rejected the Scottish Government’s latest offer decisively.

“Unless we act now and invest in the future of the workforce, we will go on losing doctors to places they are valued properly, compromising the care we can provide to the people of Scotland now and in the future.”

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Sandesh Gulhane, said the health service “can ill-afford strikes” on top of its issues.

“Our shattered junior doctors are paying for years of dire workforce planning by the SNP – and they clearly feel undervalued by Humza Yousaf and Co.

“Any new deal must address not just their pay, but the poor working conditions junior doctors face every day.”

Separately, the Scottish Government confirmed senior NHS staff will be given a six per cent pay increase following negotiations with the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body.

The pay deal, which will be backdated to April 1 2023, will see a consultant at the bottom of the pay scale see a rise of £5,488 and £7,292 for those at the top.

Mr Matheson said the offer “demonstrates the value we have for all our senior medical and dental staff” and the “invaluable contribution” they make.

However, BMA Scotland chair Dr Iain Kennedy called the offer “massively disappointing”, and hinted strike action could spread to other NHS Scotland professions.

“As a result, we will now urgently consult all our BMA Scotland members to understand the strength of feeling which I am sure this award will cause,” said Dr Kennedy.

“It will then be down to each individual part of the profession, from consultants, staff and associate specialist doctors, and GPs to decide next steps.

“Be in no doubt though, that the Scottish Government is now on warning and that no part of the medical profession is likely to view this pay award as anywhere near good enough.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Scotland’s doctors are being failed by this SNP government”.

“Scotland’s doctors and their union are clear – this pay award will not deliver fair pay for doctors across the NHS,” she said.

“The situation is now critical – Humza Yousaf and Michael Matheson must act now to deliver for doctors before the people of Scotland pay the price of SNP incompetence.”