Nearly 1,500 doctors, including GPs, have decided to take partial retirement in the past 10 months, new NHS data has revealed.
According to data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by specialist financial services mutual Wesleyan, 10,139 NHS Pension Scheme members have applied for partial retirement since the rules were changed last year.
Of these, 1,452 are doctors, meaning an average of 145 medical professionals have applied every month. Wesleyan could not provide the exact number of affected GPs.
Last October, partial retirement was introduced for NHSPS members aged 55 and over in an effort to retain more doctors.
This means that members are able to partially retire, claiming up to 100% of their benefits (under the 1995 pension regulations) while continuing to work and accrue further pension (under the 2015 regulations).
For GPs, this means that on reaching minimum pension age, which is currently 55, they will become eligible but a 10% reduction in commitment is required.
This measure was already available to staff in the 2008 and 2015 ‘sections’ of the NHSPS but was extended to members of the 1995 ‘section’ last year.
Wesleyan Financial Services’ head of medical Alec Collie said: ‘For context, 3,277 doctors fully retired in 2023. So, to see more than two-fifths of this number taking advantage of the partial retirement option in the last 10 months is significant.
‘It seems this rule change is helping to keep the most experienced clinicians in the NHS benefitting patients and colleagues alike. It also helps clinicians manage burn-out at a time of real workload pressure and enables them to pursue fulfilling portfolio careers.’
However, he added that there can be ‘some hurdles’ preventing doctors from taking full advantage of the option.
He added: ‘We still need to see a cultural shift in surgeries and hospitals where partial retirement becomes more normalised and better supported.
‘The rules around it can also be complex and the financial implications of taking partial retirement must be thought through.
‘Anyone considering this pathway should first consider how they’re going to cover any immediate income shortfall, for example, and review their retirement plan to ensure it still meets their needs.’
Earlier this year, NHSBSA data revealed that more than 2,000 GPs failed to claim their NHS pension payments in time.
And the BMA has claimed that thousands of GPs in England are experiencing significant issues with their pension records due to ‘maladministration’ by Capita.
