No more funding available for resident doctors’ pay, says Gray

Health Secretary Neil Gray has again insisted there is no more cash to fund increased pay for resident doctors as they consider taking strike action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) in Scotland is balloting resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, on industrial action, after accusing Holyrood ministers of reneging on a commitment on pay.

The ballot, which closes on December 19, comes as resident doctors south of the border are considering a new deal put to them by Health Secretary Wes Streeting in a bid to prevent strikes in hospitals in England next week.

Mr Gray said the Scottish Government is now considering the details of the offer made by Mr Streeting.

But he was clear “there is no more funding available for the pay offer”, although he added his “door remains open” to meet with the BMA on the matter.

The BMA claims the Scottish Government’s pay deal is the “lowest uplift of all resident doctors in the UK”, and is less than was recommended by an independent pay review body.

But Mr Gray insisted: “Resident doctors in Scotland have received a 4.25% pay uplift this year – as part of a two-year deal – the same as accepted by nurses and other NHS staff.

“This means by 2027, they will have had a cumulative pay rise of 35% in four years, and while I have been clear that there is no more funding available for the pay offer, my door remains open to meet with the BMA Scottish resident doctors committee.”

The UK Government’s offer includes increased speciality training posts over the next three years, along with funding of mandatory examination and Royal College membership fees for resident doctors.

Mr Gray continued: “The UK Government has outlined its intention to prioritise UK medical graduates for training places. We welcome this, in principle, knowing it is an issue of concern to resident doctors in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, having created almost 850 additional core and speciality training posts in Scotland since 2014.”