More than half of GPs in England are unable to plan future work due to missing vital information about their pensions, a Freedom of Information request by the BMA has found.
An FOI to NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) revealed that 18,575 GPs in England had missing NHS Pensions records. The figure represents 56% of GPs who should have had their records fully updated to 2022/23.
NHS Pensions are legally obliged to provide GPs in England with an annual benefit statement for their pension.
BMA pensions committee deputy chair and GP pensions lead Dr Krishan Aggarwal said: “The fact that more than half of GPs in England are missing pension data is a scandal. At a time when patients need more GPs working in practices, it is absurd that GPs are unable to make informed decisions about their work commitments and may be prevented from offering themselves up for more sessions.”
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “I can understand that in an organisation as big as the NHS, a few dozen staff may well have incomplete pension records, and that this would be something that would be rectified urgently. But more than 50%?
“We’re talking here about the livelihoods of thousands of GPs, many who’ve dedicated their lives to going above and beyond the call of duty to care for patients. The Government and NHS England do indeed need to get a grip on this and put measures into place to ensure GPs can access up-to-date pension information as a matter of priority.”