Fair deal for juniors’ travel expenses

15 January 2010

A NEW deal has been struck over travel and relocation expenses for junior doctors in Scotland.

Years of negotiations between NHS Scotland and the BMA’s Scottish Junior Doctors Committee have finally ended in agreement. Health minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP intervened in the talks and agreed that the expenses should apply equally to all junior doctors as they are moved around various work placements across the country.

Chair of the Scottish JDC Dr Gordon Lehany said: “This has been a long and drawn out process and I am pleased that the cabinet secretary has recognised the fairness of entitling junior doctors in all grades to claim for the travel and relocation costs that they incur during their rotations across Scotland.”

Ms Sturgeon said the new agreement should apply “fairly to all doctors in training in Scotland” and “should be based on equity of treatment to all doctors in training whilst making the most efficient use of public sector finance.” She said she hoped the new deal would be in place “as quickly as possible.”