Resident Doctors in Scotland Accept Pay Deal, Averting Strikes
•February 12, 2026
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Why It Matters
Avoiding a doctors' strike safeguards patient care and demonstrates Scotland’s ability to resolve NHS pay disputes, setting a benchmark for workforce stability across the UK.
Key Takeaways
- •97.1% approved pay deal with 62.4% turnout
- •Deal offers 4.25% raise 2025‑26, 3.75% 2026‑27
- •£133 million investment includes contractual reform
- •Strike threat removed, preserving NHS operations
- •Pay uplift averages 9.9% and 9.4%
Pulse Analysis
Scotland’s resident doctors faced mounting pressure as pay negotiations stalled, threatening the first NHS strike in the nation. While England and Wales grappled with junior‑doctor walkouts, the Scottish government intensified talks with the British Medical Association, leveraging a broader public‑sector pay framework that had already secured agreements for nurses and ancillary staff. By securing a decisive 97.1% vote, the settlement not only diffused immediate industrial action but also reinforced the political capital of Health Secretary Neil Gray, who positioned Scotland as a model for constructive labour dialogue.
The agreement delivers a 4.25% salary uplift for 2025‑26 and 3.75% for 2026‑27, translating to an average end‑of‑year increase of roughly 9.9% and 9.4% respectively when combined with contractual reforms. A £133 million investment underpins these reforms, enabling doctors to progress to the next pay point and providing a lump‑sum top‑band payment for those already at the ceiling. This financial boost aims to improve recruitment and retention, addressing chronic staffing shortages that have strained waiting‑time targets and patient outcomes across the Scottish NHS.
Beyond the immediate fiscal impact, the deal signals a strategic shift in how devolved administrations may approach NHS funding. By averting disruption, Scotland preserves elective surgery schedules and emergency care capacity, reinforcing public confidence. The settlement also offers a template for other UK regions confronting similar labour pressures, suggesting that early, data‑driven negotiations paired with targeted investment can pre‑empt costly industrial action while advancing long‑term workforce sustainability.
Resident doctors in Scotland accept pay deal, averting strikes
Resident doctors in Scotland have voted in favour of a revised pay offer from the Scottish government, averting the threat of strike action.
An online consultative vote saw 97.1 % vote in favour of the pay settlement, with a turnout of 62.4 %.
The British Medical Association confirmed that its members have accepted an offer of 4.25 % in 2025‑26 and 3.75 % in 2026‑27, a deal that matches one recently accepted by nurses and other healthcare staff.
Scotland’s health secretary Neil Gray said:
“I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with resident doctors over pay and contractual reform.
I’m grateful to the BMA for the intensive and constructive talks we held to reach this agreement and for confirmation that any threat of industrial action is now fully lifted, avoiding any cancelled operations or disruption to care.”
The pay deal includes additional investment in contractual reform over the same period, providing a total combined investment of £133 million.
Gray added:
“With Scotland remaining the only part of the UK to avoid pay‑related strike action in the NHS, I am now determined that we will continue to make progress in cutting waiting times and ensuring people get quality care.”
Dr Chris Smith, chair of the BMA Scottish resident doctors committee, said:
“Resident doctors have accepted a deal that is another step forward on our journey towards pay restoration and crucially embeds improvements for doctors for the future. It represents an investment in the future of the NHS workforce and is positive for doctors and for patients, as we seek to recruit and retain the workforce both for today and for years to come.
The deal negotiated by the Scottish Resident Doctors Committee (SRDC) will move all resident doctors in Scotland up the pay scale and is the equivalent of an average end‑of‑year pay uplift for 2025‑26 of 9.9 % and for 2026‑27 of 9.4 %.”
Proposed strike action by resident doctors, formerly junior doctors, that had been postponed by the BMA on 9 January, will now be cancelled.
The deal allows resident doctors and resident dentists to move to the next point on their pay journey from 1 December 2025. Anyone at the top of their respective pay scale who cannot benefit from a pay‑point increase will receive the equivalent value in a one‑off consolidated payment to enable further progress on contract reform.
Author: Rob Moss – business journalist with more than 25 years’ experience, editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He specialises in labour‑market economics, gender diversity and family‑friendly working.
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