Goodwill in medical profession is ‘severely strained’

Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said 2012 – which saw doctors vote on strike action over pension changes – had been a challenging period for the NHS.

And he warned that the government must work to regain trust amongst the medical 
profession. He said: “Doctors‘ decision to even consider taking industrial action reflects badly on any government.

“Scottish ministers must recognise that the dispute over pensions has severely damaged trust amongst the medical 
profession.

“Continued attacks on doctors’ terms and conditions have had a serious impact on workforce morale as doctors face a further year of pay freezes and increases to their pension contributions at the same time as meeting rising demand for services with a shrinking 
workforce.

“There is only so much goodwill in the profession and at the moment it is severely strained. If Scottish ministers wish to continue the journey towards a quality NHS, responsive to patients’ needs, they will soon have to re-engage with the medical profession it has treated so badly in 2012.”

But he praised the government for its efforts to introduce a minimum price on alcohol.