Retiring requires planning

So what is your ideal retirement age? Dr Benjamin Holdsworth on planning the right time to leave.

The latest version of the NHS Pension Scheme could keep those of us with health service appointments toiling until age 68.

We often hear that 60 is the new 50 and 70 is the new 60, but how many doctors are prepared to stay on? And is the NHS creating an environment where older consultants can thrive?

According to GMC data, there are currently 19,749 doctors aged 60 and above, who are registered and licensed to practise in the UK.

Statistics from the NHS Working Longer Review (WLR) in 2013 – when most retirees were part of the 1995 pension scheme – revealed that the average age of retirement for medical practitioners was 62 for men and 61 for women. Many had stayed on beyond the required 60 but were not prepared to make it to 65.