Resident doctors across Scotland have been balloted for strike action following claims that the Scottish Government has reneged on a key pay agreement signed in 2023. The BMA Scotland’s Resident Doctors Committee (SRDC) confirmed that it had formally entered industrial dispute procedures after negotiations over pay stalled, with no new credible offers tabled by ministers.
In 2023, resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, reached a breakthrough deal with the Scottish Government, promising “credible progress” towards pay restoration across three financial years. However, union leaders allege the government has now U-turned on these commitments, leaving professionals without the agreed level of pay uplift or a new negotiation mechanism. The SRDC’s chair, Dr Chris Smith, stated that the agreement had effectively prevented strikes thus far, but the committee now feels compelled to ballot members to protect the integrity of the deal.
The ballot opened on 14 November 2025 and will run until noon on 19 December. If resident doctors vote in favour, Scotland could see its first coordinated strike action among this group, impacting planned operations, clinics, and GP services. The Health Secretary, Neil Gray, has insisted that incremental pay rises amounting to an 8.5% increase backdated to April 2024, plus a further 2.3% from October 2024, have been offered, making significant progress against pay erosion. Despite this, the BMA argues the government’s approach lacks credibility, especially given the underlying issue of long-term pay erosion and working conditions.
Resident doctors play a vital role in sustaining NHS Scotland, both in acute and routine care. The ongoing pay dispute, combined with recruitment and retention challenges, risks exacerbating pressures in a health service already described by some as “on its knees”. Record numbers of junior doctors have recently taken up posts in Scotland, following the previous year’s pay deal, but the profession is warning of possible losses to other countries and sectors if these disputes remain unresolved.
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Speaking to BBC Scotland, Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA’s Scottish resident doctor committee, said: “Doctors have been shocked that the Scottish government seem to be intent on throwing away the progress made in restoring our pay over the last two years and are clear they will stand up to protect the deal which was agreed in good faith by both sides.”
The ballot follows years of frustration over what unions describe as unacceptable pay erosion for doctors since 2008. Political commentators have noted patient anxiety over increased waiting times if strike action proceeds, with opposition parties laying blame on years of government inaction.
The BMA Scotland continues to call for urgent renewed negotiations and has invited ministers to engage at any time to avoid industrial action. With ballots underway, the health sector now faces a critical period in both industrial relations and patient care care provision.
