Humza Yousaf has offered to send his health secretary to England to help mediate a deal between junior doctors and the UK Government.
The offer to send Michael Matheson to help Tory minister Steve Barclay comes after medics accepted a deal with the Scottish Government.
Last week, Junior doctors in Scotland this week accepted a record 12.4% pay increase for 2023/24 on top of 4.5% for 2022/23, plus increases in line with inflation until at least 2026/27.
READ MORE: NHS Scotland: Strikes off as junior doctors accept pay deal
The deal ensured Scotland’s health service is the only one in the UK with no strikes.
In England, doctors were offered a 6% rise plus £1,250, or around 8.8% per doctor.
However, they rejected the deal and have just finished their fifth round of industrial action.
In a letter to the UK Government, Mr Matheson said: “I appreciate that due to the intransigence of the UK Government on these matters relations with the BMA Junior Doctors committee are at an appallingly low level.
“I know that our opposite numbers in Wales have engaged with the BMA but face financial constraints brought about by the Barnett consequentials, and the failure of the UK Government to properly fund these pay deals in England.
“To help break the impasse, I would like to offer the services of myself and my officials to mediate new talks between the UK Government and the BMA Junior Doctors’ representatives.
“Given the low ebb of relations between the UK Government and the representatives of NHS England staff I believe such mediation may be necessary to bring these matters to a conclusion that benefits patients.
“The Scottish Government will be happy to host such talks either in Edinburgh or London.”
READ MORE: 'Utterly appalling': Scottish A&E performance hits three-month low
He said the first step in any negotiation would “be for the UK Government to return to the negotiating table without preconditions being placed on the BMA.”
Mr Matheson’s offer is unlikely to be accepted but follows on from Mr Barclay last week offering to allow Scottish patients on waiting lists to request care on the health service in England.
He also suggested Wales and Scotland had worse NHS delays than England in some areas, which both devolved administrations robustly disputed.
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