10,000 Scots doctors could take part in first industrial action since 1975

Doctors have voted in favour of industrial action for the first time in 40 years in a pension dispute.

Around 10,000 GPs, consultants, junior doctors and specialist doctors, and others in Scotland could now take part in the industrial action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed on Wednesday doctors had backed the move after being balloted over changes to pensions.

Doctors will take the industrial action on June 21 the BMA confirmed on Wednesday. They will provide urgent and emergency care but will postpone non-urgent cases.

Six separate ballots were held for GPs, consultants, junior doctors, staff associates and specialist doctors and occupational and community health doctors. GPs voted by 13,837 to 3,687 to take action short of a strike and by 11,062 to 6,426 in favour of strikes.

The last time doctors took industrial action was in 1975, when consultants suspended goodwill activities and worked to contract over a contractual dispute, and junior doctors worked to a 40-hour week because of dissatisfaction with the progress of contract negotiations.

The BMA argues that higher paid NHS staff already pay proportionately more for their pensions than most other public sector workers, a disparity which it said increased in April when their contributions went up, and which is set to rise again.

By 2014, some doctors will see deductions of 14.5% from their pay for their pensions, compared with 7.35% for senior civil servants on similar salaries, to receive similar pensions, said the BMA.

Doctors currently at the start of their careers would be hardest hit, having to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds extra - double what they would have paid - in lifetime pensions contributions, according to the association.

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