Industrial action in Scotland

Last updated: 5 November 2026

Fair pay for hospital dentists in Scotland

We are continuing our campaign for fair pay for hospital dentists. In recent years, that has seen us work with the BMA to negotiate pay deals with the Scottish Government.

Consultant and SAS hospital dentists: Formal dispute

We believe that Scottish Government has failed to enter meaningful discussions on pay restoration and the wellbeing priorities needed to support safe and sustainable working for consultant and SAS dentists.

As a result, the BDA Scottish Hospital Dentists Reference Group and the BDA Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services have agreed that, alongside the BMA, we are now formally in dispute with the Scottish Government over consultant and SAS pay and conditions. We have written to the Scottish Government to notify it of this formal dispute.

We have urged the Scottish Government to meet with the BMA as a matter of urgency and accept their offer to engage constructively to resolve the dispute.

Should we proceed to a ballot for industrial action, any action would need to be coordinated with the BMA. We will provide further information if and when that becomes necessary.

Industrial action ballot processes

Trade unions are required by law to ballot their members independently. Even though hospital dentists and doctors work on the same contracts, the BDA and BMA will need to conduct separate ballots.

Only those who are dual qualified and members of both the BDA and BMA will be balloted by both unions.

The BMA is currently conducting a ballot of their SAS and consultant doctor members, which closes on 7 December 2026.

What do I need to do?

Our campaign for fair pay for hospital dentists continues, and we may decide to ballot our hospital dentist consultant and SAS members in Scotland for industrial action; we’re therefore getting ballot ready.

It is vital to confirm your information and secure your voice now if you are a SAS, or consultant dentist in Scotland. To be able to include you in the ballot, we need to confirm:

• That you work on a SAS or consultant hospital contract

• What your job title is

• The name of your workplace and employer

• While you complete this vital information, we also want to know what you think about this pay dispute and potential industrial action.

If you have not confirmed the above details with us since September 2026, please email [email protected] so that we can help with this.

Currently we are not capturing data for dental academics whose employer is a university or another employer in higher education.

Do you have questions?

Please direct any queries to [email protected]