This site is intended for health professionals only


Scottish GPs call for 20% pay rise

By Christian Duffin

Calls have been made for Scottish doctors to receive a pay rise of more than 20% – to bring their earnings in line with those in the rest of the UK.

GPs will debate this issue at the BMA's Scottish Local Medical Committee conference in Clydebank next week, following the submission of agenda items by Grampian LMC.

One agenda item states: ‘That this conference is horrified by the increasing disparity in GP income between Scotland and England'

The other reads: ‘That this conference believes that GP remuneration in Scotland should match GP remuneration in the other three countries of the United Kingdom and consultant income.'

The conference will also consider calls for the introduction of Scotland's own form of GP commissioning, distinct from the market-led reforms being championed by the coalition Government for the UK.

LMCs in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland have put forward motions challenging the Scottish Government for effectively wasting huge sums on the out-of-hours service NHS24.

The agenda also contains proposals to shelve plans for revalidation for GPs because of the economic crisis.

Lanarkshire LMC and Ayrshire and Arran LMC are proposing that doctors fight any plans to increase GPs' retirement age to 65.

Scottish GPs will debate pay and other issues at the LMC conference