Dr Iain Kennedy, Chair of BMA Scotland, said:

“The politics of Michael Matheson’s decision to resign and the report into his iPad use, when it is published, are for others to comment on, but we have found our dealings with Mr Matheson to be largely constructive, despite some really challenging times and areas where we haven’t made the progress we would have liked. Indeed, it is no secret we haven’t always agreed – and there undoubtably and worryingly remains much to do to put our health service on a sustainable footing and make all doctors feel truly valued.

“But we have also made some important progress, not least the commitment made to full pay restoration for our junior doctors. It will now be down to Neil Gray as the new Health Secretary to build on that and finally deliver on solving the unprecedented crisis we face in doctor recruitment and retention in Scotland. We welcome Mr Gray to the post and given the huge and urgent challenges our NHS and social care system faces, BMA Scotland looks forward to rapidly engaging with him. In the meantime, we wish Mr Matheson well for the future.”