Scottish Resident Doctors Set Historic Strike For January

Resident doctors in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action in a historic move that threatens to disrupt the country’s health service this winter. The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland announced that 92% of its resident doctor members who participated in the recent ballot supported walking out over pay, with a turnout of 58%. The strike is scheduled to begin at 7am on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and conclude at 7am on Saturday, January 17, 2026—unless a last-minute agreement can be reached.

This marks the first time a national strike by NHS resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—has been staged in Scotland. The BMA Scotland insists it still hopes for a negotiated resolution, but union leaders say the Scottish Government has broken promises made just two years ago regarding pay restoration.

Dr. Chris Smith, chair of the BMA’s Scottish Resident Doctor Committee, expressed the frustration felt by many: “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.” (BBC)

The dispute centers on a pay deal struck in 2023. At that time, Scotland managed to avoid the disruptive strikes seen elsewhere in the UK by agreeing to make “credible progress” toward restoring pay to 2008 levels. The BMA says that commitment has not been honored. “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,” Dr. Smith argued. (BBC)

Under the current government offer, resident doctors are set to receive a 4.25% pay increase for 2025/26, with a further 3.75% planned for the following financial year. The government points out that this is the same deal accepted by nurses, paramedics, and other NHS staff, and says it will amount to a cumulative 35% pay rise over four years by 2027. For a newly qualified doctor, the offer would see basic pay rise from £34,500 to £37,345 by 2026/27, while a doctor with 10 years’ experience would see their salary increase from £71,549 to £77,387. (BBC)

However, BMA Scotland argues that the offer is below inflation, erodes progress made in recent years, and fails to address the long-standing issue of pay erosion since 2008. “If they had kept to their commitment, and the trajectory towards pay restoration, this dispute could have been averted. And there is still time to avoid strikes – BMA Scotland resident doctors remain committed to the deal when it is being upheld in its entirety,” Dr. Smith said. (Sky News)

In November, Scottish resident doctors were told by ministers that the government “cannot go further” on pay, regardless of the threat of strike action. Health Secretary Neil Gray reiterated this stance, stating that further progress toward pay restoration is “not possible” at present. Nonetheless, Gray expressed disappointment at the vote and has offered to meet with the BMA Scotland chairman on Monday, December 22, 2025, in hopes of finding a resolution. “Our top priority for our patients and the workforce is to improve waiting times, access to the NHS and positive outcomes. Industrial action will put all that progress at risk,” Gray said. (BBC)

Resident doctors, who make up nearly half of Scotland’s medical workforce, range from those who have just qualified to those with up to 10 years’ experience. Their roles are critical to the functioning of hospitals and clinics across the country. The looming strike comes at a particularly challenging time, with winter pressures mounting and the NHS already stretched by record flu cases and long waiting lists for procedures and appointments. The Scottish Government has previously pledged to end these long waits by March 2026—a promise that now looks under threat.

The impact of similar strikes in England has been significant. Ongoing industrial action there has led to the cancellation of thousands of operations and procedures, with NHS leaders warning of a “huge strain on hospitals” and further delays to care. The current five-day walkout by English resident doctors, set to end at 7am on December 22, 2025, has been described as “dangerous and utterly irresponsible” by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has accused the BMA of a “shocking disregard for patient safety.” (Sky News, ITV News)

In Scotland, opposition politicians have voiced grave concerns about the consequences of a strike. Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr. Sandesh Gulhane warned, “If doctors down tools at the height of winter, the consequences will be catastrophic.” (STV News) The professional association for GPs has also criticized the government’s pay offer, saying it “throws away” progress made in restoring pay and could take decades to fully recover lost ground.

For their part, BMA Scotland insists that patient care for urgent and emergency services will be maintained during the strike, with health boards responsible for arranging staffing. A process of derogation is in place to allow for the recall of doctors if necessary to ensure safety. (STV News)

The roots of the dispute go back to what the BMA calls the “erosion” of funding and pay since 2008. The union says resident doctors are now 17% worse off in real terms than their peers were in 2008. The 2023 agreement was seen as a turning point, but the union claims that the current government’s stance reverses that progress. “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. (STV News)

The government maintains that its offer is fair and in line with other NHS staff. Still, the standoff has left Scotland on the brink of its first national doctors’ strike, with both sides under intense public and political pressure to find a way forward before January 13.

The next few weeks will be critical. If neither side backs down, Scotland’s NHS could face unprecedented disruption at a time when patients and staff can least afford it. The outcome of talks between the government and BMA Scotland could shape not only pay and working conditions for doctors but also the future of healthcare delivery across the country.

As the clock ticks down to the strike date, the eyes of both the public and the wider medical community are fixed firmly on Scotland—hoping for a resolution that keeps doctors at work and patients safe.