Thousands of Scottish doctors will go on strike on Thursday and still be paid for the privilege.
”GPs as independent contractors are paid differently and their contracting arrangements will not be affected by the industrial action.”
At least 65 operations have been cancelled in Fife because of the strike.
A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said: ”Patients who have been invited to attend appointments scheduled for that day should continue to attend as normal unless they have been contacted by us and informed otherwise.”
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: ”Our message to patients is that if you are due to come in on Thursday for any procedure or appointment, please attend unless we have contacted you. These postponements and changes to people’s appointments are extremely regrettable for us but patient safety is at the forefront of this decision.
”We understand that patients will be upset at not having their procedure or appointment but we need to ensure that there are safe medical staffing levels before any procedure goes ahead.
”In some areas, we are simply not able to provide the guarantee that the doctor scheduled to carry out the procedure will be available for work on Thursday.”
Around 40% of the UK’s doctors will strike, including around 10,000 in Scotland.
Scottish medics are taking part in the strike even though the pension plans will only affect their colleagues in England and Wales. The BMA expects similar changes to be introduced in Scotland if they are successfully brought in south of the border.
An open letter written by BMA chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum, and printed as an advert in today’s Courier, states: ”Doctors accept the need to play their part in improving public finances. We don’t expect better pensions or preferential treatment, just fair treatment.”
The UK Government wants to raise the retirement age from 65 to 68 and increase pension contributions to 14.5%, which the BMA says is twice that of any other public sector worker.
Although patients face a day of confusion and frustration as members of the profession take industrial action for the first time in nearly 40 years, many doctors will still be paid as they will be providing emergency care.
Doctors and consultants who are members of the British Medical Association are taking action in a dispute over plans to raise doctors’ retirement age and make them pay more for their pensions.
Unlike other public sector strikes, there will be no picket lines. GPs and hospital staff will be in their workplaces but only to carry out essential duties or where emergency medical aid is needed. Accident and emergency, maternity and intensive care units will all be unaffected.
Despite their reduced duties, each health board will decide whether doctors should receive their pay, or part of it, for providing emergency cover.
Although GPs are technically self-employed and so will not be docked pay, hospital staff are regarded as employees. However, some will still receive a percentage of their pay for the duties they will have to carry out for the time they have to work.Have you had treatment postponed because of the strike? If so, please contact us on 01382 575130 or email news@thecourier.co.ukA BMA Scotland spokeswoman said: ”Guidance says if you take industrial action you will forgo a day’s pay but it is up to employers to decide what to do … It is not something we have been negotiating or demanding.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside confirmed staff would still be paid but only for ”hours worked” in case of any emergencies.
NHS Fife director of human resources Rona King said hospital staff would face an ”appropriate deduction” from their pay for striking.
She said: ”Doctors employed by NHS Fife are the same as all other staff and if they do not fulfil the requirements of their contract of employment during industrial action they will face the appropriate deduction from their pay.”
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