22 November 2019
The NHS England have today confirmed a temporary quick fix to the pensions’ tax issue.
In response to this announcement, Dr Katherine Henderson, the President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said: “We welcome the NHS England’s actions which recognise the effect of current pensions legislation on NHS Staff.
“Currently, experienced staff who want to do additional work in busy departments are penalised with unpredictable tax bills that can be greater than their annual salary.
“Today’s announcement is of course only a short-term solution to an issue that is having an a very real impact on our already stretched staff. While it will help over this winter period, we would recommend that any incoming government urgently review the NHS pensions arrangements. Pensions legislation should be reviewed and simplified to avoid the current perverse incentives.
“We hope these measures will reassure staff and enable them to work normally this winter without triggering an uncertain tax bill.”
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have also put together a response which can be found here