§ Lord MacKenzie of Culkeinasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are plans to raise the retirement age in the National Health Service to 65; and whether consultations have taken place with the professions and staff organisations. [HL3532]
§ Lord Warner:There is no nationally determined retirement age for nurses and other non-medical staff. Hospital, public health and community doctors employed under existing terms and conditions of service are required to retire at age 65, although there is provision for an employing authority to extend employment in a locum capacity beyond 65. For consultants working under the 2003 consultant contract there is no age restriction to practise and the requirement that existing general practitioners (general medical services) cannot act as principals after age 70 was removed from 1 April 2004. There is no age restriction on doctors in the personal medical services.
The Government have said that they intend to proceed with the proposal to move to a normal pension age of 65 in the public services, through reviews of the public service pension schemes and in consultation with employers and employee representatives.
The NHS Confederation has been asked by the Department of Health to lead a review of the NHS pension scheme on behalf of National Health Service employers and in conjunction with the Department of Health, the NHS Pensions Agency and the National Assembly for Wales.