NHS Superannuation Changes – NHS pension scheme

It seems that with the final dismantling of pcts, the mechanism for
involvement in the NHS pension scheme will change for GP locums from next
April.
Currently, we pay the tiered employee contribution and the pct adds the
employer contribution.
The government proposal is that the employing practices will now be
responsible for the latter. The money for this will be added to the global
sum.

I am worried that practices will not be keen on this and won't like the
extra cost/administration involved.This may be a big cost for practices who
use locums a lot. It may be difficult for locums to remain competitive and
remain in pension scheme.

I am interested what other colleagues think...

6 Replies to “NHS Superannuation Changes – NHS pension scheme”

1. Posted to us by a GP Partner in B&H:

   The DOH will not actually increase the global sum to cover this payment. It will be for practices to fund this out of already stretched funds. I think it likely that a practice will pay a locum a fee which the locum can elect to pay NHS pension if they wish. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A PAY CUT FOR LOCUMS.

   This is exactly the pernicious maggotry that this government excels at: demand more, pay less, devolve responsibility for essential services that do not have the resources nor inclination to manage them.

2. GPnetworks is very interested to know of we can do anything to help

3. Will this also represent a pay cut for salaried GPs who also have the employees contribution paid by the PCT? Have the BMA said anything on this?

4. It won’t affect salaried GPs, their employer’s contribution is paid by the practice anyway.

5. I this something that the BMA can do wometing about?

6. I am a bit disappointed with the response to this thread I started! I know GP Networks is used by a variety of locums, at differing stages of their working lives. However, this would be a big change, possibly excluding locums from the pension scheme. Although the benefits of the scheme aren’t as good as they used to be, it is doubtful whether other ways of saving for retirement could do better.
   The government is able to impose these changes, but there is a mandatory 3/12 negotiation period that is now ongoing. The BMA have sole negotiating rights for GPs, but I am not sure whether freelance practitioners are their main priority.
   i wonder whether, as a large group of freelance GPs, we would be willing to lobby BMA and government on these specific changes?