Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA resident doctors committee, said: “The result of this ballot shows that resident doctors in Scotland are united in anger over the Scottish government breaking the deal they agreed over pay just two years ago.
“This is not where we wanted to be. However, we have sent a message loud and clear – the government cannot brazenly renege on its commitments without expecting to be held to account.
“Instead of negotiating with resident doctors to make credible progress towards pay restoration, as they agreed to do, they have imposed a pay uplift that is the lowest average award received by resident doctors anywhere in the UK.”
He said the deal the Scottish government agreed to in 2023 was the only reason strike action had been avoided.
“It was working for doctors and the health service,” he said. “By turning their backs on this deal, the Scottish government is forcing a dispute and knowingly putting the NHS in Scotland at risk of disruptive strike action.”