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Scottish BMA halts pensions negotiations

Scottish GPs will be subjected to the pensions reforms being put through by the UK Government after BMA Scotland confirmed it had ended separate negotiations with the devolved government.

The Scottish Government had said it opposed the UK Government’s pensions reforms, but the BMA accused it on backtracking on this position and proposing few changes to the UK deal in practice.

Dr Alan Robertson, who is chair of the BMA Pensions Committee and member of Scottish Council, said: ‘The BMA, along with the other health trade unions in Scotland have decided not to continue with the Scottish level talks on NHS pensions.

‘At a meeting this week it was agreed that there was little point in pursuing separate Scottish negotiations on changes in light of the Scottish Government’s inability to negotiate on any significant detail of the reform proposals. Tinkering around the edges will do little to mitigate the most damaging elements of the UK-wide pension reforms.’