DOCTORS have suspended plans to take further industrial action over changes to their pension scheme – but have not ruled out future disruption to patients.
At a meeting in Edinburgh, the British Medical Association (BMA) decided against another stoppage, despite demands from frontline medics to escalate their protest.
The move follows a day of action in June when doctors UK-wide boycotted non-urgent care – the first time the profession had taken industrial action for 37 years. More than 3600 patients in Scotland had their hospital appointments cancelled, including 450 operations, and 60% of GP surgeries shut.
The dispute concerns changes to pension arrangements, which would base entitlement on average career earnings rather than final salary and raise the retirement age to 68.
Talks are now on the cards with the UK Government, and have been ongoing in Scotland, but there is concern their scope may be limited.
BMA members voted in favour of taking further action last month but it is up to the BMA council to have the final say. The next stage of protest could see NHS staffing levels reduced to that of a typical bank holiday.
Explaining the council's decision, Dr Brian Keighley, chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said: "We've looked at the consequences, done some research and feel the price of raising the level of action is at the moment too dangerous for patient care."
Dr Mark Porter, the new chairman of the BMA council, said: "Doctors' anger with the Government for tearing up a pensions deal reached only four years ago will not just go away. We have not ruled out taking further industrial action in the future and we are committed to continuing to fight for a fairer deal in the longer term."
Dr Porter said last month's action had allowed thousands of doctors to send a clear message to the Government about how let down they felt, and the BMA would step up its campaigning, particularly about the move to link the pension age for NHS staff to the state pension age.
The Department of Health welcomed the suspension of action yesterday.
According to the department, under the current pension scheme a typical consultant retiring at age 60 will receive a pension of more than £48,000 a year for life and a tax-free lump sum of around £143,000.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We welcome the outcome that there will be no strike action at this time.
"In Scotland, we are working to agree a way forward."
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