BMA warns 1% pay rise will 'do nothing' to solve NHS recruitment problems
Doctors' leaders have warned a 1% pay rise will cause "widespread disappointment and anger'' among the profession and will "do nothing'' to tackle recruitment problems.
The British Medical Association (BMA) made the comments after the Scottish Government capped wage increases in the NHS at 1%, with nurses also critical of the rise.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) claimed that since 2010, nurses had seen their pay decrease by about 14% in real terms.
With the latest figures showing inflation at 2.3%, both organisations raised concerns about the growing gap between wages and the cost of living.
Dr Peter Bennie, chair of the BMA in Scotland, said: "The announcement that yet again the pay of doctors in Scotland will go up by just 1% while the rate of inflation is at 2.3% means that once again doctors' pay will decline in real terms.
NHS statistics released in March showed 377 consultant posts were vacant - with almost half of these positions having been unfilled for at least six months.
"At a time when doctors' workloads are increasing like never before, there will be widespread disappointment and anger at the decision to continue this approach.''
Simon Barker, chair of BMA Scotland's consultants committee, said the Scottish Government had ignored independent advice to increase distinction awards and other parts of consultant pay deals for the second year in a row.
He stated: "The lack of discretionary point uplift and ongoing distinction award freeze give exactly the wrong message to a consultant workforce that has been delivering more and more, year on year, from an already inadequate budget.
"Most recent figures confirm a worsening problem, with almost 7% of consultant posts in Scotland unfilled, with nearly half of these empty for more than six months.
"We will never recruit and retain the specialists that our health service needs if we fail to recognise and reward their efforts.''
RCN associate director Norman Provan said: "Since 2010, there has been a real-term fall in nursing pay of around 14%.
"As a result of today's announcement, the gap between nurses' pay and the cost of living will grow ever wider.
"This means that their pay will fall even further behind and will pile the pressure on an already overstretched workforce.
"Once again, the Scottish Government has missed an opportunity to close the gap between nurses' pay and inflation, and nurses will continue to bear the brunt of austerity measures in the NHS in Scotland.''