Minister ‘hopeful’ strike by junior doctors in Scotland can be avoided

Talks aimed at preventing a strike by junior doctors in Scotland ran late into Tuesday night, with the Scottish Government’s care minister saying afterwards she is “hopeful” industrial action can be avoided.

Maree Todd said “strong contingency plans” have been put in place across the country in case junior doctors do walk out next week, but she insisted her Government is “working really hard to prevent such action”.

Her comments came as she warned that people may have to pay “a little bit more for the NHS” going forward.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on the 75th anniversary of the formation of the NHS, she added: “What we have in Scotland is more staff, so we have a high number of staff per head of population, and we also have better paid staff.

“Everyone who works in the NHS in Scotland earns more money than their counterparts in the rest of the UK.”

Scotland is so far the only part of the UK to have avoid strike action by NHS staff during the cost-of-living crisis, and First Minister Humza Yousaf has promised the “biggest ever pay uplift” in an effort to avert the three-day walkout by junior doctors starting on July 12.

His pledge came after a 14.5% increase, described at the time as the “best and final offer”, spread across two years was previously rejected by 71% of junior doctors.

Talks on Tuesday involving the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland, Health Secretary Michael Matheson and Scottish Government officials continued late into the night, Ms Todd, the minister for social care and mental wellbeing, said.

She said: “We’re working really hard and have been since the moment strike was considered, we have been working really hard and really closely with the junior doctors to try and avert strike action in Scotland.

“We have managed thus far, despite the challenging times we are all in, to avoid strike action in Scotland.

“I know talks between the junior doctors and the cab sec (cabinet secretary) and Government officials went on late into the night last night.

“I am not aware they resolved anything, but they are working really hard to avert strike action, because everybody knows the impact that would have.”

She said that if the strike goes ahead, there will be an impact on patient care despite the contingency plans, with outpatient appointments and planned surgeries cancelled to try to “manage the situation”.

But she added: “I am still hopeful given the talks went on late into the night last night, I am still hopeful we might be able to avoid strike action entirely.”