Nurses and other NHS staff in Scotland have been offered an 8% pay rise as part of a new two-year pay deal proposal from the country’s government.
If accepted by unions, the offer will see Agenda for Change staff receive a 4.25% increase for 2025-26 and a rise of 3.75% for 2026-27.
“It has taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions to get to this point”
Colin Poolman
However, it also includes an “inflation guarantee”, which will ensure the increase in pay each year is a minimum of one percentage point higher than average Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation.
The offer, worth more than £700m over the two-year period, is the result of talks between health trade unions, employers and the Scottish Government.
In contrast to the process in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the government in Scotland has opted in recent years to bypass the NHS Pay Review Body and, instead, negotiate directly with unions and employers.
The 2025-26 deal in Scotland is late, having been due at the start of the financial year on 1 April.
Nurses in the other UK countries are facing even longer delays as they continue to wait for their pay deals.
Scottish unions will now consider the pay offer and decide whether to accept or reject it.
Colin Poolman
Colin Poolman, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said nursing staff were “rightly frustrated” about the delay.
“It has taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions to get to this point and yet again the Scottish Government’s failure to commence discussions earlier means the April pay anniversary has been missed,” he said.
“Nursing staff are rightly frustrated that the Scottish Government has kept them waiting while the cost of living continues to increase.
“Our pay claim, submitted in January, called for an offer that reflects increases in living costs and begins to address the historic erosion of pay,” he said.
“RCN Scotland board members are considering the Scottish Government’s offer in detail,” said Mr Poolman.
He added that fair pay was “vital” to recruiting and retaining enough nursing staff for the health service.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said direct negotiations had delivered a “serious wage offer” for NHS staff in Scotland.
“This is a strong two-year pay offer”
Neil Gray
She said the governments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should follow suit and ditch the NHS Pay Review Body process.
“Ministers should take a leaf out of the Scottish Government’s book and get moving with this year’s NHS pay rise,” she added.
Unison’s Scottish health committee will meet on Friday to consider the offer.
Nurses in Scotland are already the best paid in the UK and the latest offer could push them further ahead of their counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The government in Westminster has previously told the NHS Pay Review Body that a 2.8% pay increase is all it can afford for Agenda for Change staff in England for 2025-26.
Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said: “This is a strong two-year pay offer that has been agreed following constructive engagement with trade union representatives.
Neil Gray
“It is guaranteed to remain above CPI inflation, which gives added reassurance to staff, and will ensure Scotland’s nurses, midwives and NHS staff have the best pay in the UK.”
He expressed hope that the offer would be accepted by unions following consultation with their members.
