From the BMA in Scotland today, absent the views of Dr Iain Findlay whom I’m guessing the Scottish resident doctors have never heard of:
Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end-of-year pay uplift for this year and 9.4 per cent for 2026-27. SRDC chair Chris Smith (pictured above) welcomed the proposed deal, which amounts to £149m for the two years.
‘From day one of this dispute, we’ve been clear that strike action was a last resort, so we are pleased that after a period of intense negotiations we have agreed an offer which we believe now faithfully delivers on the deal we made with the Scottish Government nearly three years ago. The ultimate verdict on whether that is the case now lies with our members, but we will be recommending they accept. Our view is the substantial investment proposed continues the progress made to reverse the pay erosion resident doctors have suffered since 2008…..Ultimately, this offer is a vote of confidence in, and a signal of the vital importance of, resident doctors. It is an investment in the future of the NHS workforce and will be good for doctors, but also for patients, as we seek to recruit and retain the workforce both for today and the future. It is, in our view, a strong step on the way to achieving our shared ambition with the Scottish Government, of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’
https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/resident-doctors-suspend-strikes
Where is ‘It is, in our view, a strong step on the way to achieving our shared ambition with the Scottish Government, of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’ in the BBC Scotland reporting? It’s not.
How is UK Labour handling the same disputes in England? Around 50 days of strikes.
How are they trying to settle the dispute? From Sky News and the Independent in December 2025.
Wes Streeting accuses BMA of behaving like ‘moaning minnies’
Streeting accuses doctors’ union of trying to ‘wreck’ NHS recovery
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Contrast the upbeat tone of the statement made by BMA Scotland with regard to the negotiations and the deal with that of the BBC Scotland report, which in the second paragraph emphasises a claim made early in the negotiations and does not appear in the BMA statement. It is all very low key using, selectively, the lowest percentage figures.
It omits any mention of the shared ambition for NHS Scotland. It is a sour embittered piece.
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Thanks Doctors. Thanks Scottish Gov.
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