Doctor strikes will undermine waiting times progress – Swinney

Resident doctor strikes would “undermine” Government progress on cutting waiting times, John Swinney has said.

BMA Scotland announced earlier this month 92% of those who voted backed strike action, with walkouts planned for the morning of January 13 to January 17.

Talks are ongoing between the Government and the union, with Mr Swinney saying negotiators are operating “in good faith”, but the First Minister warned strikes could see patients waiting longer.

The First Minister has said he aims to end all waits of more than one year by March – despite figures showing 78,000 waits of more than 52 weeks still ongoing at the end of November.

Waiting times have been consistently improving in recent months, but the health service will likely struggle to meet the March deadline, with potential strikes making that aim even harder to achieve.

“We have further discussions taking place today with the resident doctors, the Government enters those discussions in good faith,” he told the Press Association on Monday.

“We signed up to an agreement in 2023 which the Government has honoured, by 2027 resident doctors pay will have increased by 35%, which fulfils the Government commitment to that agreement.

“I want us to make progress, obviously, if we have disruption as a consequence of a resident doctors dispute that will undermine the welcome progress we are making in improving the National Health Service and reducing long waits which is now happening on a sustained basis.

“I want to avoid industrial action, because it will disrupt our plans and our progress and the Government enters the discussions in good faith to try to achieve that objective.”

Dr Chris Smith, the chairman of the Scottish resident doctor committee, said: “We are continuing to have talks with the Scottish Government.

“Further negotiations are planned, which is crucial as we need considerable and urgent progress if we are to avoid strikes which resident doctors in Scotland voted for overwhelmingly in the ballot that closed before Christmas.”