The government has launched a consultation on changes to the NHS Pension Scheme, to retain experienced NHS clinicians and remove the barriers to staff returning from retirement, such as the 20,000 former NHS staff who returned to support the NHS at the height of the pandemic.
All NHS staff, including senior doctors, will benefit from proposed plans to fix pension rules, supporting them to remain in work for longer and boosting the workforce as the NHS continues to take action to tackle the COVID-19 backlogs.
Commenting, Richard Fuller MP said:
The generous NHS Pension Scheme is one of the best in the country, but it's not working as it should for everyone.
That is why the government has launched this consultation so clinicians do not feel they have to take early retirement, staff can return to support the NHS without penalties and senior clinicians do not face an unnecessary tax burden due to rising inflation.
Ensuring NHS clinicians can stay in the workforce longer and come out of retirement easily will help our plan to tackle backlogs in the NHS and get wait times down for everyone.
The proposals include introducing flexibilities to allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended. This will allow staff to claim a portion or all of their pension benefits but continue working and contributing to their pension.
The proposals also fix the unintended impacts of inflation, so senior clinicians are not taxed more than is necessary. These measures will enable skilled and experienced staff to continue to contribute to the NHS up to and beyond retirement age.
This means more clinicians to provide appointments, ease winter pressures and deliver care to patients, as well the retention of crucial knowledge and experience to ensure patients are receiving first class care.
The consultation is open until 30 January 2023 and reforms are expected to be implemented in late spring 2023.
To find out more and respond to the consultation, please visit this page.
