Nurses, midwives, and healthcare workers across Scotland have been offered an 8% pay rise over the next two years, as part of a new package unveiled by the Scottish Government.
Health Secretary Neil Gray announced the deal, which would see a 4.25% increase in 2025-26 followed by a 3.75% rise the following year. The offer includes an “inflation guarantee,” meaning pay would remain at least 1% above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) level.
Speaking to BBC News, Gray described the proposal as “strong,” highlighting that it was the product of “constructive” talks with unions. “It is guaranteed to remain above CPI inflation, which gives added reassurance to staff and will ensure Scotland’s nurses, midwives and NHS staff have the best pay in the UK,” he said. “I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their continued hard work and commitment.”
The offer, which is expected to cost around £701 million, comes as the UK Government considers a separate 2.8% increase for NHS staff south of the border. That figure, significantly lower than Scotland’s, has already drawn criticism from union representatives.
Unison, which represents a large number of NHS workers, confirmed it will put the Scottish Government’s proposal to members in a digital ballot. Matt Mclaughlin, the union’s co-lead for health in Scotland, told BBC News: “The government has said that this is its final offer. The union’s health committee will now take soundings from NHS staff and then meet to discuss next steps.”
RCN Scotland, which is also reviewing the offer, previously called for a “significant pay rise” in line with rising living costs. Colin Poolman, director of RCN Scotland, said in a comment to BBC News: “Our pay claim, submitted in January, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay.”
Other professional bodies, including the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, are also consulting members. Claire Ronald, senior negotiating officer for the CSP in Scotland, told BBC News the deal was “the best that can be achieved under current circumstances.”
Scotland is the first UK nation to formally table a pay offer for NHS staff in this round of negotiations. The deal affects approximately 170,000 NHS employees. Currently, Scottish NHS staff are paid more than their counterparts in England and Wales, with a newly-qualified Band 5 nurse earning just under £32,000, compared to around £30,000 elsewhere.
However, the funding of the deal could prove challenging. With no extra funding from Westminster to support the higher pay offer, Holyrood ministers may need to reallocate existing resources. Last year, similar public sector pay deals contributed to emergency budget cuts of £500 million.
BBC News reports that while this pay offer could strengthen recruitment and retention across NHS Scotland, it comes with financial risks, especially given the uncertainty around pay deals in the rest of the UK.
