Plans set out to amend NHS pension rules to retain more experienced NHS clinicians and remove barriers to staff returning from retirement
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 backlogs.
Building on actions set out in Our Plan for Patients in September, the government has today 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.
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 aren’t 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.
Health and Social Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:
The consultation will be open for 8 weeks and reforms are expected to be implemented in late spring 2023. Major reforms being proposed include:
Minister of Health, Will Quince, said:
The plans form part of the government’s commitment to build a stronger health service for the long term and follows the Autumn Statement announcement of up to £8 billion for health and social care in 2024/25. This is on top of previous record funding, and plans to publish a comprehensive workforce plan - due next year - alongside delivering 50,000 more nurses by 2024.
There are over 34,170 more doctors and over 44,820 more nurses working in the NHS since 2010 - a record number of staff. This is as well as 4,000 new trainee doctors accepting GP training placements – hitting the government’s target for GP specialty trainee recruitment for the fifth year running.
With more than 21,000 more primary care staff supporting patients – including nurses and pharmacists – since September 2019 the government is on track to meet its target of 26,000 additional staff by March 2024.
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