Doctors threaten industrial action on pensions

The British Medical Association in Scotland said the profession wanted to send a “strong message” to both the UK and Scottish Governments about the depth of feeling over proposed changes that doctors argue will see them contributing more and working for longer into old age.

The BMA yesterday said it would begin consulting its members in the new year over the possibility of industrial action, which could see the cancellation of procedures such as outpatient surgery.

However, the BMA said it was unlikely doctors, who have not taken industrial action since 1975, would agree to an all-out strike similar to that by other public sector workers in November.

Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said it planned to take a “snapshot of opinion” early in 2012 by sending questionnaires to members, including asking whether they were ready to take industrial action.

He said: “In over 40 years of being a member of the BMA, I have not seen doctors so angry. It’s a measure of that anger that they are even considering this very drastic step.

“In terms of the form of industrial action, I very much doubt it would be strike action, but there are many things that one can do which fall short of strike action.

“It’s not something that doctors contemplate lightly or easily, but it sends a very strong message to the governments at Holyrood and Westminster.”

He added the cancellation of any clinical work was likely to be those procedures scheduled to take place at weekends, but stressed this was just one option.

The doctors’ threat last night was criticised by the body representing patients in Scotland while Labour laid the blame on the Scottish Government.

Dr Jean Turner, chief executive of the Scotland Patients’ Association, said doctors were unlikely to find much sympathy should they take industrial action.

She said: “I don’t believe doctors will ever strike, and I understand where they’re coming from, but it’s not wise to consider any form of industrial action at the current time while people are fighting to keep their jobs or losing their jobs.

“Nobody will understand or be sympathetic to doctors complaining.”

However, Jackie Baillie, Labour’s shadow health spokeswoman, said: “I absolutely understand where doctors are coming from and all NHS workers for that matter. The NHS have already made changes to their pension scheme. The UK Government use pensions as part of their cost-cutting, which is too deep and too fast.

“It does not surprise me that doctors are considering industrial action and the Scottish Government does have some responsibility here. For the Scottish Government to sit on its hands and say it’s nothing to do with them is not acceptable.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “While we do not support industrial action, we have made abundantly clear our principled opposition to UK Government policy to increase employee contributions at a time when public sector workers face pay freezes, significant increases in national insurance contributions, higher VAT, rising inflation and fuel costs.

“The UK Government’s position is also clear – if the Scottish Government does not implement the increase in pension contributions, then they will cut the Scottish Budget by over £100 million in 2012-13 alone. This would have a knock-on effect on Scottish public services.”

The threat of action comes after a survey of GPs early in December before the latest offer from the UK Government on pensions. That poll found most in favour of industrial action.

This summer, doctors at the BMA annual conference in Cardiff signalled they would consider industrial action in the row over changes to their pensions if the UK Government did not listen to their concerns.

Delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for the BMA to ballot doctors on “all forms of industrial action” if the UK Government went ahead and replaced their final salary scheme with career-average pensions.

The BMA has warned further changes to medical workers’ terms and conditions could risk “compassion fatigue”.

It said budget cuts and pressures on health boards to make savings meant doctors had less time with patients, risking their goodwill being taken to its limit.

Research by the BMA also claimed a junior doctor aged 25 today would, if they qualified as a consultant and retired at 68, have to pay almost £200,000 more in contributions under the new proposals.

Millions of public sector workers took part in the biggest strike in a generation on November 30 over changes to their pensions.

The strike included the first walkout by Scotland’s teachers since 1986, and there have been threats of more action to come.

Earlier this month, hopes of averting a fresh round of strikes were raised after an initial agreement on health workers’ pensions was reached.

Health union Unison said it would put the UK Government’s “final offer” to its executive in January, with the hope that other unions may also clinch deals.

However, doctors are still at odds with the proposals, which they claim will see them paying more and working until 68.

In a statement in the Commons this month, UK Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said a “heads of agreement” deal had been reached on the new pension arrangements for health workers in 2015. However, the deal is still subject to union talks in the new year.

The largest civil service union, the PCS, has said it will oppose attempts to make its members “pay more and work longer for less”, with its leader threatening the possibility of further strike action in the new year.