Thousands of healthcare staff, including almost 1,500 GPs and hospital doctors, have applied to partially retire following a change in NHS pension rules last year, data has revealed.
According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Wesleyan Financial Services, a total of 10,139 NHS Pension Scheme members, clinical and non-clinical, have applied for partial retirement in the past 10 months.
The move has been triggered by changes made from 1 October 2023 – when regulations that allow pension scheme members aged 55 or more to take some or all of their retirement benefits on one or two occasions, but still continue to work for the NHS, were extended.
This measure had already been available to staff in the 2008 and 2015 ‘sections’ of the NHS pension scheme but only updated to include members of the 1995 ‘section’ last year.
The new rule was introduced to encourage experienced staff, who might otherwise choose to retire fully, to stay working in the NHS for longer.
The FOI data provided to Wesleyan by the NHS Business Services Authority has shown that of the 10,139 NHS staff that have applied for partial retirement, 1,452 are doctors meaning an average of 145 medical professionals a month have made a request.
Alec Collie, head of medical at Wesleyan Financial Services, said that with 3,277 doctors fully retiring in 2023, the fact that more than two fifths of this number have been seeking out partial retirement options in the past 10 months is ‘significant’.
He said: ‘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 burnout at a time of real workload pressure and enables them to pursue fulfilling portfolio careers.’
Mr Collie warned there are still hurdles preventing doctors opting for partial retirement, adding that there needed to be a ‘culture shift’ in GP practices and hospitals, so this more flexible route ‘becomes more normalised and better supported’.
He also advised that: ‘The rules around it can 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.’
