Pay rise offered to specialist medics ‘some way short’, warns BMA Scotland
A pay offer from the Scottish Government for some specialist medics is “some way short” of wage rises given to other doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) has claimed.
The Government announced speciality and associate specialist doctors (SAS) have been offered a 6% pay rise, with more than £7.2 million set aside for the deal which Health Secretary Neil Gray said will ensure the medics “stay competitively paid”.
But BMA Scotland said it is “considerably less” than rises offered to consultants and residents in the NHS, saying they had both had “double-digit” increases.
As a result, Dr Sine Steele, the chairwoman of BMA Scotland’s Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty Doctor Committee, said it cannot recommend members accept it
Doctors are now being asked to take part in a consultative vote, which is due to open on Monday January 13 and close on January 27.
Dr Steele said the committee has “agreed that the offer does not meet all our negotiating aims”.
She added: “Despite our best efforts, this is not an offer that we can recommend our members support.”
She said the committee is concerned “we have been offered a pay award that is some way short of that which has been provided to colleagues – with both residents and consultants getting double-digit uplifts”.
Dr Steele added: “To be clear, they are fully deserving of their reward, but so are we.”
Mr Gray said the 6% pay rise had been offered “after weeks of positive talks with BMA Scotland”.
The Health Secretary added: “It builds on the contract reform and investment we made in 2022 and aims to make sure speciality and specialist doctors stay competitively paid. I hope it will be accepted.
“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking SAS doctors for their commitment and patience.
“They are vital to NHS Scotland and we will continue to support them, with our draft Budget outlining our plans to invest a record £21 billion in health and social care in 2025-26.”
