Resident doctors in Scotland to go on strike for first time

Scotland’s resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay – the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers.

Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.

With 92% voting in favour, strike dates have been set for 07:00 on Tuesday 13 January to 07:00 on Saturday 17 January 2026.

However, BMA Scotland said it still believed a resolution could be found and called for the Scottish government to get back to the negotiating table and present a “credible offer”.

The Scottish government has been contacted for comment.

Resident doctors – who used to be called junior doctors – make up almost half of the medical workforce in Scotland.

They range from newly qualified doctors to those with up to 10 years experience.

Scotland had been the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

With 5,185 resident doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was 58% with a total of 3,008 votes cast.

A strike in the summer of 2023 was called off at the last minute after a deal was agreed.

As part of that, BMA Scotland said the government committed to making “credible progress” towards restoring pay to 2008 levels in each of the three following financial years.

A series of strikes by resident doctors in England has led to thousands of operations and procedures being cancelled.

An ongoing five-day walkout is causing further disruption and has been described as “dangerous and utterly irresponsible” by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Any strike in Scotland would be a major blow to the Scottish government’s promise to end long waits for procedures and appointments by March 2026 and would put even more pressure on an overstretched NHS in an election year.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA resident doctors committee, said: “The result of this ballot shows that resident doctors in Scotland are united in anger over the Scottish government breaking the deal they agreed over pay just two years ago.

“This is not where we wanted to be. However, we have sent a message loud and clear – the government cannot brazenly renege on its commitments without expecting to be held to account.

“Instead of negotiating with resident doctors to make credible progress towards pay restoration, as they agreed to do, they have imposed a pay uplift that is the lowest average award received by resident doctors anywhere in the UK.”

He said the deal the Scottish government agreed to in 2023 was the only reason strike action had been avoided.

“It was working for doctors and the health service,” he said. “By turning their backs on this deal, the Scottish government is forcing a dispute and knowingly putting the NHS in Scotland at risk of disruptive strike action.”

Dr Smith said there was still time to avoid strikes.

“BMA Scotland resident doctors remain committed to the deal when it is being upheld in its entirety,” he said.

“If we don’t take a stand now when the government have broken a commitment agreed to in good faith, they will take this as licence to do it again and again, including on issues such as contract negotiations and more training jobs for resident doctors as part of future medical workforce planning.

“This matters not just for doctors, but for patients and for the future of the entire NHS in Scotland, which relies on today’s resident doctors to stay here and become the GPs, specialist doctors and consultants of tomorrow.”

The two-year offer from the Scottish government was for a 4.25% increase in 2026/26 and 3.75% in 26/27.

It is the same offer that nurses, paramedics and other NHS workers accepted earlier this year.

BMA Scotland said it would have been the lowest in the UK and was less than was recommended by the independent pay review body.

The current offer would see the basic pay for a newly qualified doctor rise from £34,500 to £37,345 for 2026/27 and for a doctor with 10 years experience rise from £71,549 to £77,387.

Medics will often be expected to work night shifts, weekend or longer hours for which they will receive extra payments.