Pay rise awarded to Scotland's doctors and dentists

Something to smile about? Dentists will see the pay rise in September salaries

Scotland's doctors and dentists are to be given a 2.5% pay rise.

The Scottish government announced that the above-inflation rise - which will be backdated to April - will be paid from next month.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the increase will help NHS Scotland "remain an attractive employment option" for medical and dental staff.

Doctors' organisation BMA Scotland called the 2.5% boost "a reasonable start".

Ms Freeman said: "It's the continued hard work and dedication of staff which makes our NHS the treasured institution it is and this uplift demonstrates that we fully value all our staff and the important contribution they make.

"It's crucial we continue to not only recruit and build our future NHS workforce, but also retain expertise."

She added: "This announcement means junior doctors working on typical rotas in Scotland can be up to £6,000 a year better off than their English equivalents, and our specialty doctors, associate specialist doctors and consultants will remain the best paid in the UK.

"This will help ensure that NHS Scotland remains an attractive employment option for medical and dental staff."

The Scottish government said that the pay rise meant that compared to NHS England, a specialty doctor would be £800 to £1,500 better paid, an associate specialist doctor would be between £750 and £1,100 better paid and a consultant could expect to be £2,150 to £2,800 better off.

'Real-term cuts'

Last month, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced a 2.5% pay increase for hospital doctors and dentists in England, in line with the recommendation by the independent pay review body for these sectors.

Doctors' organisation BMA Scotland had urged the Scottish government to award consultants a pay increase in line with this deal, warning that a lower award would be the "last straw" for the senior doctors and would hit NHS services.

The aim of the rise is to make Scotland an "attractive employment option"

BMA Scotland chairman Lewis Morrison said the announcement was "hopefully a first step" to addressing the impact of "years of real-term cuts" in doctors' pay.

He said: "The fact that the Scottish government has listened to the BMA and this year broken with public-sector pay policy and met the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration's general pay uplift recommendation of 2.5% for all doctors demonstrates greater and encouraging recognition of their huge contribution to frontline care."

However, he criticised ministers for failing to listen to the pay body's call for an additional 1% for some specially-trained doctors.

Mr Morrison added: "We regard a 2.5% uplift as just a reasonable start and certainly not a cause for celebration.

"It is only just higher than the CPI measure of inflation and measured against RPI - which is currently at 2.8% - it remains a real-terms pay cut."