Editorials
NHS pensions crisis
BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4952 (Published 22 August 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;366:l4952Linked opinion
Paul Youngs: Pension tax reform needs to be swift to tackle doctors’ sense of injustice
Linked feature
The fight to end the pension tax trap continues
Linked news
Pension crisis: trusts take matters in their own hands
Re: NHS pensions crisis
Dear Editor,
Antony Goldstone and David Bailey are correct to highlight the serious adverse effects that the Pensions crisis may have on frontline NHS services.
Paediatric Intensive Care is a relatively small speciality. 30 regional units and retrieval services provide vital services for critically ill children across the UK. We conducted a snap survey of Consultant colleagues. Of those respondents who have been affected by the tax changes, 88% are considering reducing their programmed activities and 71% taking early retirement. 30% respondents anticipate that, as a consequence of reducing programmed activities, it may be necessary to reduce the number of beds in their units.
We feel it is important to highlight the potentially disastrous unintended impact that the pensions changes may have on the provision of national services for critically ill children and young people in the NHS, and call for the Johnson government to tackle the root cause of the crisis – namely, the tapered annual allowance.
Competing interests: No competing interests