ABSTRACT
Practitioners may ask the FHSA or Health Board to take account of superannuable income received from NHS employment. Unless a partnership requests otherwise, the FHSA or Health Board divides total superannuable income from general medical services equally between the partners. Practitioners have traditionally been able to retire for 24 hours and claim their pension and lump sum, having obtained the prior agreement of their partners and the FHSA or Health Board. Normal retirement age under the NHS pension scheme is 60; there is no obligation to retire at 60, and practitioners can continue to work and contribute to the scheme until the age of 70. Doctors working as general practitioner assistants under the retainer scheme are not eligible to join the NHS pension scheme because their employment equates to less than the equivalent of three months' full-time employment in any 12-month period, which is the minimum employment requirement for assistants.
