Scotland’s Practicing Doctors to Go on Strike
Scotland’s practicing doctors will go on strike in a row over pay – the first time NHS staff have staged a nationwide strike. The strike dates were set for Tuesday, January 13, 7:00 a.m. and Saturday, January 17, 2026, 7:00 a.m., after 92% voted in favor.
Reason for the Strike
The doctors’ union had accused the government of failing to keep its promise to restore wages to 2008 levels. The government had offered a 4.25% pay rise this year as part of a two-year contract, which will also be accepted by nurses and other NHS staff. However, the union said this was the lowest in the UK and below the recommendations of the independent pay watchdog.
Government’s Response
The Health Secretary said he was disappointed by the outcome and added that he had offered to meet the chairman of the doctors’ union on Monday. He stated that the government’s top priority was to improve waiting times, access to the NHS, and positive outcomes, and that industrial action would jeopardize all of this progress.
Impact of the Strike
The strike would be a major setback to the Scottish Government’s promise to end the long wait for processes and appointments by March 2026 and would put even more pressure on the overstretched NHS in an election year. Junior doctors make up almost half of the medical workforce in Scotland, ranging from newly qualified doctors to doctors with up to 10 years of experience.
Previous Agreement
A strike in the summer of 2023 was canceled at the last minute after a deal was agreed. As part of this, the government was committed to making “credible progress” in restoring wages to 2008 levels in each of the three following financial years. However, the union said the government had broken this deal, leading to the current strike action.
Union’s Demands
The union said there is still time to avoid strikes and called on the government to return to the negotiating table and put forward a “credible offer”. The union’s chairman said the government’s offer was not enough and that doctors were united in their anger that the government had broken its commitments.
Offer Details
The Scottish Government’s two-year offer included an increase of 4.25% in 2025/26 and 3.75% in 2026/27. The current offer would see the basic wage for a newly qualified doctor rise from £34,500 to £37,345 for 2026/27 and for a doctor with 10 years’ experience from £71,549 to £77,387.
