Resident Doctors Industrial Action
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the talks with British Medical Association representatives regarding the planned resident doctors strike due to begin next week. (S6T-02820)
Presiding Officer, happy new year to you, to colleagues and to other staff.
I held further constructive discussions with the BMA resident doctors committee yesterday, and I have just left further discussions in order to attend to parliamentary responsibilities this afternoon. Those discussions are on-going, and we hope to agree a resolution to avoid industrial action, which is in no one’s interests—least of all those of patients.
I declare my interests as a practising national health service general practitioner and a BMA member.
November was the worst on record for four-hour accident and emergency waits, the 62-day cancer treatment target has not been met in more than a decade, and Scots struggle even to get an appointment with their local GP. When the SNP is confronted with failures of its own making, it tries to doctor the figures in its favour. Its utter incompetence has left staff picking up the pieces but, with an almost unprecedented flu season under way, it feels irresponsible for resident doctors to strike next week, and I encourage them to think again.
It is critical that the Scottish Government stops those strikes happening. If they go ahead, the needless loss of life will rest squarely on the shoulders of Neil Gray and John Swinney. If Neil Gray capitulates to the demands, where in the budget will he get the money from? What other offers are being made that are not monetary?
There are a few areas to unpick in Sandesh Gulhane’s question. First, the NHS is demonstrably turning a corner. We can see that in the waiting times data that has been published today, which shows that, for the sixth month in a row, waiting times of more than a year have reduced, and reduced substantially. That is down to the efforts of staff and the investment that the Government has given for a focus on that.
On where we are in negotiations, it is important to respect the confidentiality of those discussions. However, I note that, on the one hand, Sandesh Gulhane tells me to resolve the matter and, on the other, he tells me not to capitulate. This is where the art of negotiation and compromise come in, so that we find a way through that is suitable for patients and resident doctors and is affordable and fair across public sector pay policy.
I notice that Neil Gray did not answer the question.
The SNP Government has lost the trust of public sector workers, as is demonstrated by the fudged deal with nurses. The Royal College of Nursing has accused Neil Gray of reneging on his promises, so how can anyone possibly trust the word of this cabinet secretary? The broken trust in him is going to directly impact patients such as William McLaughlin, who wrote to me about seeing 12 ambulances parked outside A and E with patients in them and who described University hospital Wishaw as being “under siege”. That is the reality of the SNP’s incompetence.
The SNP has repeatedly taken credit for Scotland avoiding NHS strikes so far. If the strikes go ahead, will Neil Gray accept responsibility for this failure and resign?
I recognise the pressures that exist in our health and social care services at this time of year. That is why I visited Monklands hospital on Christmas eve to thank staff for the incredible efforts that they are deploying. That is why the First Minister had engagements at Glasgow Royal infirmary and the Royal hospital for children in Glasgow, to ensure that we were confident and assured as to the work that is being done across NHS boards to respond to the winter pressures in the system.
I recognise the challenges that Sandesh Gulhane set out in relation to University hospital Wishaw. I understand them, and that is why we are working with boards to take a whole-system response that ensures that we are alleviating pressure.
I will not comment or provide a narration on the on-going negotiations with resident doctors. I want to respect the confidentiality of those negotiations, but I am seeking to find compromise with our resident doctor colleagues. I respect their right to strike and their right to ballot their members—of course I do—but I agree with Sandesh Gulhane that industrial action will not be in anyone’s interest and will cause substantial disruption. I have ensured that our boards are as prepared as they possibly can be for such industrial action, should it take place next week.
I welcome the fact that resident doctors’ pay in Scotland will have increased by 35 per cent by 2027 under the current pay offer. I thank everyone who works in our health service for everything that they do, and especially for everything that they did in the recent festive period. Does the cabinet secretary agree that industrial action will probably not be the best way to benefit anyone? How could such action impact on patient care and working conditions for other NHS staff?
I thank Emma Harper for putting on record the pay offer that has been on the table for some time, which confirms the fact that the Government has respected the 2023 pay deal when it comes to the making of substantial progress on pay restoration. Increasing pay as the pay award would do over the coming two years would involve a cumulative pay increase of 35 per cent to resident doctors, which is substantial progress in getting to pay restoration.
I reiterate to Emma Harper, as I did to Sandesh Gulhane, that industrial action will bring no benefit to anyone, least of all our patients. NHS boards are planning for strike action and seeking to ensure that any disruption is minimal, but strike action will lead to some appointments being cancelled, as staff have to protect acute and urgent care. I ask the BMA, as I have repeatedly done, to reconsider, so that we can collectively continue to improve our patients’ experience.
I, too, wish everybody in the Parliament a happy new year, and I say as gently as I can to the health secretary that former SNP health secretary Alex Neil was scathing in his comments about the Government’s turning a corner on the NHS, describing that claim as “rubbish”.
The resident doctors’ strike is scheduled to start in one week—on 13 January. However, in one of Scotland’s largest health boards—NHS Lothian—staff are still waiting to hear what contingency arrangements will be put in place. What arrangements are being made to ensure that patients can still access healthcare in the event that the strikes go ahead?
From the moment that the ballot for industrial action was called, we have been working to ensure that our boards are as prepared as possible, and we have contingency arrangements in place. Some elements require to be finalised but, from meeting employer representatives—I did that as part of discussions earlier this afternoon—I understand that those preparations are well advanced.
As I have pointed out to our resident doctor colleagues, there is no avoiding the fact that there will be disruption should the industrial action go ahead next week, which has the potential to bring about harm. I know that they do not wish that to happen, as I certainly do not, and I am doing everything possible, through compromise and negotiation, to find a route that avoids industrial action next week.
Snow and Cold Weather (Impact)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the recent snow and cold weather in Scotland. (S6T-02825)
Presiding Officer, I begin by wishing you and colleagues a happy new year.
The Scottish Government resilience room—SGoRR—has been active since Friday 2 January, and our liaison officers have been working alongside front-line responders, local authorities and other partners to support their work. Ministers have been fully engaged in addressing the impacts of the heavy snowfall on transport, healthcare and social care, along with education, and in preparations for the current amber and yellow warnings that are in place for snow and ice. A further ministerial SGoRR will take place later this afternoon.
Extensive information has been shared with the public by relevant partners throughout the period. I commend staff across our front-line agencies, as well as voluntary organisations and members of the public who have stepped forward to support their communities. I urge anyone in an affected area to follow the advice on staying safe.
The snow has had the anticipated impact across the country. Aberdeenshire Council, Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council announced that schools would remain closed today, after hundreds of nationwide closures yesterday and widespread travel disruption. What is the Government’s advice to communities across Scotland, including in my constituency, on how they should stay safe and ensure that they are prepared for such weather?
I recognise and acknowledge the significance of the impact across north-east Scotland and the Highlands and Islands. The Scottish Government’s Ready Scotland website contains a host of information on how people can prepare and work together to help others when we face conditions such as those that we are experiencing this week in those parts of Scotland. It includes advice on trusted sources of information, what materials to have at home, how to get additional support or help—especially from utility companies and local authorities, if needed—and how to stay safe in the extreme weather that has been experienced in those areas of Scotland.
The early days of 2026 have seen heavy snowfall across parts of the country, and we should think of the contribution of those who work night and day in the worst of the weather to clear our roads and lay grit—whether that is BEAR Scotland on trunk roads or our local authority workers.
I join the First Minister in acknowledging and thanking those folks for their contributions. Will he join me in thanking all the volunteers who are out there, whether that be someone chapping on a door to make sure that their next-door neighbour is okay or someone digging out their little wee bit of the pathway?
I associate myself entirely with Jackie Dunbar’s comments. Our front-line workers have worked extremely hard to ensure that services and access could be restored as quickly as possible. The latest updates are that good progress has been made on the restoration of the transport network. The trunk road network is all functioning. There is still some clearing being undertaken on the rail network, with particularly acute challenges in the far north and on the Kyle line.
I pay tribute to everybody who has made their contribution. We have been greatly assisted by members of the farming community and others in rural Scotland who have used their own equipment to help to clear routes and assist the public authorities in their efforts. I pay the warmest tribute to everybody who has made a contribution to do so.
The community response to the weather—today it was declared a major incident—has been admirable and extraordinary, unlike the Government’s absence, inaction and lack of communication, which have been appalling. Will Andrew Bowie MP’s call for immediate mobilisation of all resources be agreed to? What discussions has the First Minister had with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council to offer Scottish Government help in the face of brutal cuts that have limited council resources?
There has been full engagement with public authorities on all these issues, as there is on every occasion. There has also been very active communication on the issue by ministers and those who act on our behalf. There was a change to the weather warnings very late last night by the Met Office, and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport communicated about that very late last night to ensure that members of the public were aware of the escalation to an amber warning.
I assure Mr Kerr and Mr Bowie, who has written to me, that all resources are mobilised to help the situation. We are working closely with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council. If those authorities require any assistance, the Government will be happy to take forward that work. That is what our liaison officers are doing on a constant basis.
Moray has seen a significant volume of snow, and schools are closed for a second day. I say that as a parent of two boys who have been unable to get to school and nursery. What support will the First Minister and the Scottish Government provide if the situation goes on for a prolonged period and pupils cannot get into school to learn at the start of the new term?
The First Minister will be aware of the commitment that he gave in 2021 as education secretary, when he said:
“the SNP will roll out a new programme to deliver into the hands of every school child in Scotland a laptop, Chromebook or tablet to use in school and at home.”
Does the First Minister know how many children who are stranded and unable to get into school are using the laptops that he promised them, or was that a broken promise? Do they not have those laptops for learning from home?
As Mr Ross will know, local authorities are responsible for the delivery of education in their localities, and the whole process of online learning is properly and statutorily delivered by local authorities. I know that Moray Council will be attentive to the delivery of distance learning when such occasions occur. I am familiar with the mechanisms that I put in place as education secretary to create the e-Sgoil, which is a digital learning platform that provides assistance to individuals in such circumstances and on many other occasions to enhance their educational contribution. All those resources are available to pupils the length and breadth of the country.
CalMac Ferries (Repair and Maintenance Costs)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to address CalMac’s ferry repair and maintenance costs, in light of reports that these costs have doubled over the past two years. (S6T-02824)
Annual overhauls, regular maintenance and vessel repairs are required to achieve safety standards for carrying passengers and goods to and from our islands. In recent years, we have been investing additional sums to maintain fleet reliability and resilience, while we continue delivery of the 13 new vessels that are currently on order for CalMac routes.
As part of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service 3 contract arrangements, vessels will be subject to an increased programme of regular maintenance outwith the annual overhaul schedule in order to reduce unplanned disruption and overhaul overruns. CalMac is in the early stages of considering and delivering that revised approach, and it will be engaging with communities in the coming months and weeks.
It is reported that more than £260 million has been spent on repairs in the past 11 years. The bill was £50.1 million in 2024-25, compared with £25 million two years earlier. Does the cabinet secretary agree with campaigners that costs are out of control?
The member will be aware that annual overhauls are mandatory. There is a legally required period when every vessel must be taken off service for annual maintenance and overhaul. There are issues with inflation over that period, but the member will also be aware of the work on the MV Caledonian Isles continuing for a considerable amount of time, and funds for that will have particularly increased in the past year.
The costs and scope of the annual overhauls and the recertification of the vessels are planned well in advance, in line with statutory regulations. That sometimes includes complex work, which costs money—such as overhauling propulsion units or engines and sourcing spare parts to minimise disruption to lifeline services.
The issue is not just about repairs; it involves statutory annual overhauls. For the year that the member is referring to in particular, the MV Caledonian Isles will have been a substantial part of the picture, as there was an extended period of work on it following its annual overhaul.
The increase in costs is clearly a result of the ageing fleet and the failure of the Scottish Government to order new vessels over many years. Given the delays to the MV Glen Rosa and the two Turkish vessels that have been ordered coming into service, and given the number of vessels that keep being taken out of commission for repairs, how can CalMac realistically be expected to plan its annual deployment timetable with any degree of confidence?
Management across the fleet, particularly in periods of overhaul—which we are now in—can be quite complex. The member needs to differentiate between some maintenance costs and repairs. Some 50 per cent of repairs are completed within four hours—although that can still cause disruption. In maintaining our fleet, we want to be proactive with the new contract, ensuring that regular maintenance takes place not just at the time of annual overhaul but throughout the period. That would minimise disruption. The 13 new vessels coming into the fleet will address some of the issues that the member has, understandably, addressed.
Having a resilient CalMac fleet means ensuring that the new vessels are delivered on time. Despite the First Minister’s reassurance that the MV Glen Rosa would set sail before May’s election, we heard the dreadful news, before Christmas, that that lifeline vessel will not be delivered until the end of this year. The blame for this national scandal lies squarely with Scottish National Party ministers. Can the cabinet secretary outline what additional costs will be incurred by the delay and where the money will come from? What actions are ministers undertaking to ensure that the vessel is finally delivered?
The statement about the time period for the MV Glen Rosa was made to Parliament in the regular updates at the end of December 2025, and I refer the member to those.
The really important thing is the service that is provided to the people of Arran in particular. We are in our annual overhaul period, when vessels are out being repaired and having their annual maintenance and investment. I have been clear that, until such time as we have the Glen Rosa, I want there to be a two-harbour operation, involving both Troon and Ardrossan, with the caveat that we are in the annual winter overhaul period. That is important not just for the people of Arran but for the communities of Troon and Ardrossan.
I wish members a happy new year. I thank CalMac staff, who have kept islanders moving in very difficult conditions over the past few weeks. I note that the news about the MV Glen Rosa was snuck out to Parliament in what the cabinet secretary suggested was the usual way—that is, it was announced the minute we rose for recess, as has become a habit for the Scottish Government.
The reality is that there have been 6,000 technical cancellations on the Gourock to Dunoon route over the past few years. They were technical, not weather related. There have been nearly 800 such cancellations on the Arran route alone. There have been 16,000 technical cancellations in three years, due to vessels being out of action.
Will the Scottish Government look to extend and expand the compensation scheme, so that all coastal and island communities can benefit from it when they are out of pocket through no fault of their own?
There are a number of points in that question. I, too, extend my thanks to CalMac staff who, throughout the winter period, often deliver services in very difficult circumstances.
Technical cancellations are a very small percentage in comparison with the numbers of cancellations as a result of weather, which are by far the most substantial. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of vessel journeys, and the numbers that the member mentioned amount to about 4 per cent. Those technical cancellations have an impact, but we should remember that that is in the context of hundreds of thousands of journeys every year.
On the member’s other point, he may have missed that there is regular three-monthly reporting on vessel completions. I was previously a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, which set the timescale for when those reports would happen. They are always published quarterly, and the timing has been regular since my time on the committee, almost two and a half years ago. There is a regular drumbeat of reporting, which I think is appropriate, from those who are responsible for the delivery of those vessels.
Finally—if you can bear with me, Presiding Officer—I note that the member referred to financial support, which is the responsibility of Mairi Gougeon. It was announced at the end of last year that the £4.4 million islands business resilience fund has been extended to cover the communities on Mull, Islay, Coll, Colonsay and Jura. It was always our intention to extend that funding if possible, but, initially, it had to be focused on those who had experienced the most significant disruption, which is why the first tranche of funding went to the relevant islands.
I am very pleased that the SNP Government has taken the issue seriously and is delivering £4.4 million of business resilience to those communities.
That concludes topical question time.
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