GP Retirement

Retiring Partners Checklist

We are often asked who needs to be notified when a Partner retires from the Practice. 

Please see the following new checklist for you to download, with thanks to Wessex LMCs. 

If a GP wishes to remain on the Medical Performers List, the following must be considered;

• If returning to work in the NHS you are limited to working 16hrs per week for one month after the retirement date.
• Agreement from all partners regarding the terms of returning to the partnership. It is essential that issues such as working hours, voting rights and premises are agreed.  Up to date Partnership Agreement BMA         
• The LMC also offers expertise guidance regarding Partnership Agreements from Abigail Askew. 
• The returning partner needs to make sure the agreement includes that they receive both elements of the superannuation payments on return (employees and employers)
• It is a contractual right under GMS
• Contact your ICB at the earliest opportunity and continue dialogue throughout the whole process
• The retiring GP may wish to remain on the performers list in order to undertake locum work, rather than remain a Partner

Working After Retirement

The effect of returning to NHS work (including a Direction Body) after retirement depends on which Section of the NHS Scheme you are a member and what your last day of pensionable employment was. For example the 1995 scheme differs from the 2008 scheme. For more details see:

PCSE Retirement Guide (adobe.com)

Re-employment | NHSBSA

Retire and Return | PCSE (england.nhs.uk)

In all cases your pension will not be affected if you return to NHS work before age 60/65 as a result of compulsory transfer of a non-NHS post.

All Medical Practitioner Scheme members must:

• Retire from their NHS Contracts for not less than 24 hours
• Must not work more than 16 hours per week in the first month after retirement
• For Type 1 Medical Practitioners (that is, General Practitioners who are partners or who work single handed) this means that they must resign from any involvement in a GMS contract, PMS agreement, or APMS Contract.  Such GPs cannot undertake any NHS work, including locum, OOHs, or salaried employment, for at least 24 hours.
• Type 2 Practitioners (that is, salaried General Practitioners) must also resign from their NHS contract of employment with their practice. Locum Practitioners must have no involvement in NHS work for at least 24 hours.

Practitioner scheme members who have a concurrent part-time NHS pensionable Officer post [such as hospital or GPwSI appointments] are not required to resign that post for 24 hours if it involves working for less than 16 hours per week. They must, however, cease paying pension contributions related to that post. This continuing work also counts towards the maximum 16 hours per week that may be undertaken in the first month following retirement, as does any NHS locum work.

If the 16 hour per week rule  is exceeded pension payments will be stopped and a member may have to repay any pension benefits that have already been received.

Subsequent to the first month, there are no restrictions on the number of hours that may be worked in NHS re-employment. These rules apply to all Practitioner Scheme members who qualify for the normal age pension, voluntary early retirement pension, and [with some caveats] ill-health pension.

Of note, GPs do not have to apply to be removed from the Performers List in order to take 24-hour retirement.  The Performers List provides eligibility to undertake all forms of NHS primary medical care and therefore the LMC recommends GPs only resign from the List if they are certain that they will not wish to do such work in the future.

Ill Health Retirement

There are various options for Retirement through ill health depending on your circumstances and which Pension Scheme you are a member of;

Tier 1

You are unable, through ill health, to work in your present job and your condition is permanent, you may be able to retire early and take your pension benefits without actuarial reduction. 

Tier 2

In addition to the above, you are unable to do any regular employment of a similar duration to your current duties you may be able to retire early and take your pension benefits without actuarial reduction and with enhancement.