News
Further pensions contributions hike is unjustified, BMA says (added 12/12/11)
For immediate release, Thursday 8 December, 2011
Commenting on today’s (Thursday 8 December, 2011) Department of Health
announcement on NHS pension contributions, Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of
Council at the BMA, said:
“The NHS pension is already under a major attack, despite being overhauled only
three years ago and delivering billions to the Treasury. The majority of staff
would be even worse off under this change.
“It is inconceivable that the government can claim to have come up with this
idea ‘having listened to staff’. Thousands of doctors and medical students,
along with other NHS workers, responded to consultation urging the government
against further contribution increases. The announcement of an even steeper hike
will intensify the anger they are already feeling.
"There is already a system of tiered contributions in the NHS pension scheme,
with the highest paid staff paying most. Doctors contribute up to 8.5% of their
pay for their pensions - among the highest in the public sector. That figure
could be as high as 14.5% by 2014. There is no justification for this,
particularly when the final salary pension is to be replaced with a career
average scheme.
“The government claims to want to reach a solution via dialogue. If that’s the
case it’s ridiculous that it can announce a proposal like this without raising
it in negotiations.”
