WIDESPREAD NHS strikes could soon spread to Scotland after GMB members rejected SNP ministers’ latest pay offer yesterday.

Two-thirds of respondents to the health union’s ballot voted against the deal, which amounted to a below-inflation average of 7.5 per cent for most workers. 

The proposal — worth 11.3 per cent for the lowest earners — was accepted by Unite and Unison earlier this week after Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf claimed it was his “best and final offer.”

But GMB said the the rejection “reflects our members’ views and the realities of this offer,” before urging the Glasgow Pollok MSP to meet with the union before Christmas.

It has a mandate for walkouts across several health boards and the ambulance service, with close to 10,000 staff now poised to down tools. 

The result coincided with the Royal College of Nursing’s first ever national strike, with tens of thousands of workers downing tools across many hospitals and health trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway slammed Holyrood’s pay offer as “still below inflation for the vast majority of staff,” arguing: “It doesn’t go far enough to confront the understaffing crisis affecting front-line services either.

“The Scottish government has contrasted its approach on trade union engagement with that of the UK government, so we are now asking [Mr Yousaf] to practise what he preaches by meeting our members.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie backed the call, saying: “These workers have been let down and undervalued by this SNP government for far too long.”

In a statement, Mr Yousaf claimed he is “disappointed” but that he expected to meet GMB before the festive period.