NHS MEDICAL and dental staff in Scotland will receive a 2.8% pay rise, the Health Secretary has announced.

Jeane Freeman said the above inflation pay rise, backdated to April 1 2020, will ensure senior medical staff in Scotland "continue to be the best paid in the UK".

The move was announced after Chancellor Rishi Sunak said public-sector workers south of the Border who have been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic will receive a pay rise.

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Doctors, teachers and police officers in England are among the almost 900,000 workers who will benefit, with teachers and doctors receiving the largest increases at 3.1% and 2.8% respectively, according to the Treasury.

Freeman paid tribute to the "hard work and dedication" of NHS staff.

She said: "The continued hard work and dedication of staff makes our NHS the treasured institution it is and ensures that the people of Scotland continue to receive world-class healthcare.

"This uplift demonstrates that we fully value all our medical and dental staff and the important contribution they make."

The Health Secretary added: "It's crucial that we continue to not only recruit and build our future NHS workforce but also retain expertise within NHS Scotland.

"This announcement means that our senior medical staff will continue to be the best paid in the UK.

"This will help to ensure that NHS Scotland remains an attractive employment option for medical and dental staff."