Nurses in Scotland are to take strike action in early 2023 after members of the Royal College of Nursing "overwhelmingly" rejected the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government.
A total of 82 per cent of members balloted voting against accepting the offer which would have seen the average salary rise by around 7.5 per cent.
RCN Scotland said it will continue planning for strike action in NHS Scotland employers and, early in the new year, will announce dates for strike action.
Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: "It was the right thing to ask our members whether to accept or reject this offer.
"It directly affects their lives and each eligible member needed to be given the chance to have their say. And the result could not be clearer – we have forcefully rejected what the Scottish government said is its ‘best and final’ offer.
“Make no mistake - we do not want to go on strike. Years of being undervalued and understaffed have left us feeling we have no alternative because enough is enough. The ball is in Scottish government’s court if strike action is going to be avoided.
“Members can be reassured that planning for strike action will be thorough. The safety of patients and of our members are paramount and we will be working hard to ensure that while any strike action is disruptive, it does not put patients or our members at risk.
“I would urge members to make sure their membership details with the RCN are fully up to date, including place of employment and name of employer. That way you will be able to continue to receive important updates from the RCN."
The Royal College of Midwives also announced its members had rejected the offer, with almost two thirds (65%) having voted against the deal which it claimed would see many midwives "actually worse off in real terms".
It has also been rejected by staff in the GMB trade union - although it has been accepted by workers in both Unite and Unison.
Labour's Jackie Baillie has called for Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to resign over his handling of the NHS.
She said: "This is an historic development which throws light on the scale of the crisis in our NHS. The incompetent and haphazard approach of Humza Yousaf and this SNP Government is so serious that it has squandered the opportunity to avoid these strikes and forced the RCN to take industrial action for the first time in its history.
"Under the SNP, Scotland’s heroic nursing staff have been pushed to breaking point. We are already in the midst of a full-blown winter crisis, with lives being risked on a daily basis. It’s time that Humza Yousaf does the right thing and resigns."
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