The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said pay was a “political choice” and accused the Scottish Government of failing to “properly value those working in health and social care over the last decade”

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has insisted the Scottish Government does not have “any more money.”

He said a contingency plan was in place to deal with the industrial action but warned that a strike in the health service over winter could be “catastrophic.” 

The first walk-outs could happen in the run-up to Christmas and could go on until next May.

Nurses in most parts of the rest of UK have also voted to take industrial action. 

It is the first time in the RCN’s 106-year history that it has balloted members across the UK.

Last month, NHS staff in Scotland were offered a flat rate uplift in their salaries of £2,205 each – equivalent to an average pay rise of 7%, or 11% for the lowest paid. 

The previous NHS pay offer was 5%. 

The RCN said that despite the increased officer it would still represent a real terms pay cut for registered nurses.

The union had pushed for an offer of at least 5% above inflation.

They said the Scottish Government offer “represented yet another real-terms pay cut after a 16% real-terms cut over the last decade.”

Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: “NHS pay is a political choice and for Scottish Government ministers to suggest to nursing staff that fair pay should come at the expense of key services is insulting both to our members and the people of Scotland, who recognise that these services are already understaffed and rely on the goodwill of nursing staff to keep going. 

“The Scottish Government needs to face up to the reality that their failure to focus on workforce planning and to properly value those working in health and social care over the last decade is the root cause of the staffing crisis we face.

“The result of our strike ballot is a wake-up call that must not be ignored.” 

Speaking before the strike was confirmed, Mr Yousaf said he was “naturally disappointed that a record pay deal” had been rejected. 

During a visit to Wishaw General Hospital on Wednesday morning, the minister said: “I’m naturally disappointed that a record pay deal seems like it has been rejected by the RCN. But I respect the mandate of trade unions and membership organisations when they consult with their members. 

“So the government will listen, we’ll keep dialogue open. I’ve always thought the route out of this, the way to avert strike, is through dialogue. 

“But I also have to be absolutely clear, we don’t have any more money beyond what we’ve already put on the table. 

“So the plea really is to the UK government, whose economic mismanagement has made us have such high inflationary pressures on the health service, to put their hand in their pocket, and give us more money.”

The minister said there were “contingency plans” in place. 

“We’re obviously discussing that and have been discussing that for many, many weeks and months now with health board colleagues, but the one message I can tell you from every single chair and chief executive up and down the country is they want to avoid strike action because there’s simply no doubt whatsoever, that a strike, even however much we plan, whatever contingency we put in place, a strike in our health service in the midst of winter will be catastrophic.

“So everybody wants to avoid it.”

News of the strike comes as pressure mounts on the beleaguered Health Secretary.

Last week performance times in Scotland’s A&Es fell to a new record low, with almost two in five  patients waiting too long for treatment.

Figures from Public Health Scotland show just 63.1% of people attending A&E last week were seen within the official four-hour target, down from 65% the previous week.

It is the lowest figure since comparable records began in February 2015.

The previous record low was 63.6% of patients seen on time in the week to September 11.

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said the strike was the “result of incompetence on a historic scale from the SNP.”

She added: “For 15 years, the SNP government has failed to tackle the staffing crisis and now patient safety is being compromised and lives are being lost as a result.

“The blame for this industrial action rests squarely with the SNP government who have failed our hardworking health workers, our patients and our NHS for a decade and a half.

“Humza Yousaf has been deaf to the concerns of nurses and has failed to act to prevent this crisis. His incompetence is plumbing new depths.

“Nicola Sturgeon must do the right thing and sack this sorry excuse of a health secretary now.”

Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr Sandesh Gulhane said he was “deeply concerned for the health and welfare of patients over these strike days.”

He said: “The Scottish public will be dismayed and deeply worried to hear that our vital NHS nurses feel they have no option but to go on strike.  

“People across the UK are struggling with the global cost-of-living crisis, but it’s clear that nurses in Scotland feel disrespected and ignored by Humza Yousaf – not surprising after the Health Secretary shockingly dismissed a nurse who challenged him last month as ‘patronising’.

“Years of failed SNP workforce planning have piled the pressure on our heroic nursing staff and, with more than 6,000 nursing vacancies in Scotland right now, they are understandably at breaking point.

“With our NHS already on the brink of collapse and winter looming, I am deeply concerned for the health and welfare of patients over these strike days.

“It’s clear that lives could be on the line as a result of this action and the fault lies squarely at the feet of Humza Yousaf and the SNP.

“If the Health Secretary can’t get a grip of this situation, then Nicola Sturgeon must urgently intervene and ensure our nurses get the support they deserve in time to avert these dangerous strikes.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader accused the “pig-headed” Scottish Government of turning a “blind eye” to conditions in the NHS.

“These strikes will be hugely disruptive for patients, but nurses can only be pushed so far. Rather than distract themselves with a billion-pound bureaucratic takeover of social care, the government must overhaul pay and conditions to put an end to this sorry mess,” he said.

South of the border, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen called on the Chancellor to use next week’s budget to bump up NHS staff pay in the rest of the UK.

He said: “Anger has become action – our members are saying enough is enough. The voice of nursing in the UK is strong and I will make sure it is heard.

“Our members will no longer tolerate a financial knife-edge at home and a raw deal at work.  

“Ministers must look in the mirror and ask how long they will put nursing staff through this.

“While we plan our strike action, next week’s Budget is the UK government’s opportunity to signal a new direction with serious investment. Across the country, politicians have the power to stop this now and at any point.   

“This action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses. Standards are falling too low and we have strong public backing for our campaign to raise them.

“This winter, we are asking the public to show nursing staff you are with us.” 

UK Government health secretary Steve Barclay said it was “disappointing some RCN members voted for industrial action.”

WITHOUT first-hand experience it’s hard to appreciate how it feels to have a stroke. If someone can walk and talk after their stroke, then they might be judged to have made a good recovery. But the hidden impacts can be huge. A stroke causes damage in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. As a result, our emotions, personality and behaviour can all be affected, with devastating consequences.

Overnight, a partner becomes a carer. A breadwinner is at risk of losing their job. Basic life skills, like making a sandwich or using a phone, have to be re-learnt. People’s lives are turned upside down. Imagine how it feels to cope with such sudden and dramatic change.

Psychological care after a stroke is just as important as physical recovery, and can hugely influence how well someone recovers, the extent to which they regain their independence and the need they have for ongoing care and support. Yet there is an unacceptable lack of support for those struggling to come to terms with the effects of their stroke. That’s what stroke survivors keep telling us. It’s what those working in stroke services tell us too.

We work closely with NHS staff, and applaud the tireless shift they put in to support people recovering from stroke. But the system they have to operate in does not give psychological care its due space.

Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a practical, cost-effective way to improve psychological care after a stroke, that has strong backing across the stroke community.

The Scottish Stroke Psychology Forum has developed a national model of psychological care in stroke services. It focuses on awareness raising and training so that all the staff engaging with a stroke patient can look out for emotional well-being, backed up by referral processes for when escalation to specialists is needed. It’s about involving stroke teams at every level to identify and support people with psychological issues after a stroke.

This model was endorsed by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke, which brings together the leading clinicians, academics and charities in the field. It was included in the new vision document for stroke published by the Scottish Government. A commitment to delivering on it must now be included in the forthcoming Stroke Improvement Plan, and implemented by every health board in Scotland.

Getting the right support to people affected by stroke is a good thing in itself. But better outcomes for stroke survivors also reduces the need for ongoing support, and delivers the savings our health and social care services so badly need.

At a time of financial crisis, and growing demand for services, we have to prioritise changes that will make the system work better, and reduce ongoing costs. So this is exactly the time when every health board in Scotland should commit to giving psychological care after stroke the attention it deserves.

Doctors discovered Cole Park had a brain tumour in March of this year, after which he underwent major brain surgery and intensive courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He spent several months in the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre with his mum, Michelle Barrie, who says the staff became like family as visiting was restricted due to Covid.

Now she and Cole’s aunt, Lisa Park, will run the Glasgow Santa Dash to raise money for the Beatson – and they plan to push the six-year-old in his wheelchair if he’s well enough.

Michelle, who shaved off her hair in sympathy with her son, said: “Lisa and I want to run the Santa Dash to raise sponsorship for Beatson Cancer Charity in recognition of everything the hospital has done for Cole.

“I can’t praise the surgeons and staff at the Beatson highly enough. Everyone is amazing. They kept me going when I was struggling on a bad day and became like family.

Cole shows off the design of the new reusable Santa Dash T-shirts ahead of the charity fun run (Image: Supplied)

“Every Friday, Cole got to drive a wee police car into his radiotherapy sessions and he loved that. And they gave me vouchers for the café while I waited for him to finish his treatment. When he was discharged from hospital, the staff threw him a wee party. He misses them all so much.”

Cole, who is now continuing his treatment at home, visited Glasgow Green along with his mum and aunt to inspect the course and meet the charity’s mascot Bella the Bee.

The family fun run will take place for the first time in three years on Sunday December 11th with a route around Glasgow Green and reusable T-shirts for runners.

Cole showed off the t-shirts, which are more environmentally-friendly than the previous single-use Santa suits.

They feature a belt and button design on the front and are included in the run’s registration fee of £15 for adults and £5 for young people under the age of 16 years.

Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren, said: “The Santa Dash is such a happy uplifting event which raises funds for good causes in the run up to Christmas. Everyone, like Cole’s mum, will want to raise funds for a charity which is close to their own heart. And for the first time in three years, everyone can physically get together to take part in the festive run while showing their support for charities doing amazing work.

“I’m really looking forward to the big day and encourage anyone who is interested in taking part to register as soon as possible as places are filling up fast!”

Anyone keen to raise sponsorship for Beatson Cancer Charity can do so via their JustGiving page

Almost a quarter of those from the poorest areas (24%) said they didn’t drink alcohol, compared to 12% in the most affluent areas.

Men and women living in the least deprived parts of the country were also more likely to report drinking more than 14 units per week in 2021 – 29% compared with 20% in the poorest areas.

However, of those who reported ‘hazardous’ drinking, levels were highest in the most deprived areas.

Overall, the prevalence of harmful drinking was highest among those aged between 45 and 74 and was around twice as high among men, while women aged 55-64 reported the heaviest consumption.

The Scottish Government’s annual health survey notes that existing inequalities mean that the burden of alcohol-related mortality is greatest among those living in the most deprived areas.

In 2021 1,245 people died from alcohol-specific causes in Scotland, the highest number of deaths since 2008.

READ MORE: Average Scot still consuming equivalent of two bottles of wine each week as intake stalls 

Covid restrictions continued to affect alcohol sales in pubs, clubs and restaurants with 85% sold in supermarkets and off-licenses.

The number of people reporting harmful drinking has declined steadily since 2003 – from 34 per cent to 23.

A total of 4,557 adults and 1,600 children took part in the survey, which also interviewed Scots about physical activity, diet, weight, general health and Covid vaccine uptake.

This year, interviews were carried out over the phone rather than in person due to the pandemic and experts say this would have had an impact on responses.

Public health expert Professor Linda Bauld, said there was an “implausibly” large drop in smoking reported, from 17% in 2019 to 11% last year.

Dr David Walsh, public health programme manager at Glasgow Centre for Population Health, said self-reported consumption data was notoriously unreliable.

He said there had always been a paradox around alcohol consumption versus harm.

He said: “Consumption has always been recorded as greater among ‘higher’ socioeconomic positions but harm is worse among the poorest.

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“Various things are at play: partly what epidemiologists refer to as effect modifiers i.e. the effect of the same amount of alcohol on health is made worse by other factors [such as] poverty and associated stressors.

“The way alcohol is consumed and the type of drinks differs across social groups and price matters. Some of the falls in alcohol deaths in recent times have been shown to be associated with declining income following the recession.

“Price is also why Mininum Unit Pricing (MUP) was brought in, because it’s effective.”

Alcohol Focus Scotland called for further restrictions “on the aggressive marketing of alcohol”.

Alison Douglas, chief executive, said: “This should be backed by further investment in support and treatment services to ensure anyone who needs help can the right support when they need it.”

The survey also found that mental wellbeing amongst adults has declined in the past year.

The average Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) score was significantly lower in 2021 than in 2019 (48.6 and 49.8 respectively).

This followed a decade in which levels had remained fairly constant.
Five per cent of adults reported having Long Covid and the most common symptom was tiredness.

Almost one in ten adults (9%) said they were worried that they would run out of food due to lack of money or resources during the previous 12 months.

Rates of smoking continued to be much higher in the most deprived areas (24%) compared to the least deprived areas (5%) and 30% said they were “living with obesity” while 67% was classified as overweight.

Professor Linda Bauld, chair of public health in The Usher Institute at Edinburgh University, said: “The results of the 2021 Scottish Health Survey are important and it’s testament to the team at ScotCen that the survey managed to run in 2021 during the pandemic.

“However, the shift to an entirely telephone-based survey will have had an impact on responses to some questions.

READ MORE: Has minimum pricing failed or been derailed by Covid?

“For example, there is an implausibly large drop in smoking reported (from 17% of adults in 2019 to 11% in 2021) that is unlikely to be real.

“A similar but less dramatic drop was found in England during the pandemic in the Annual Population Survey.

“It will be important to compare these types of changes through time and with other surveys to get a fuller picture.”

A spokeswoman for Public Health Scotland said: “It’s well understood that surveys relying on self-report will tend to underestimate consumption at a population level, for a variety of reasons, including accuracy of recall and under-representation of those drinking at harmful and hazardous levels.

“Surveys provide valuable information on who within the population is drinking at what levels.

“Sales data does provide a more accurate picture of consumption at a population level but can only provide an average figure.”