Health secretary is “still misleading public” about doctors’ pensions and pay, says BMA

The BMA has accused England’s secretary of state for health and social care, Steve Barclay, of continuing to mislead the public about doctors’ pensions and the independence of the pay review process in an attempt to discredit consultants who are taking industrial action this week.As consultants began a 48 hour strike on 19 September,1 Barclay repeated the claim that consultants receive an annual pension of £78 000 when they retire at 65, despite the BMA highlighting data showing that on average they receive 40% less than this.Last month Barclay claimed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that when consultants retire at 65 they receive a “tax-free pension of £73 000 a year.” The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was subsequently forced to correct the record because consultants’ pension benefits are not tax free. But the department is now regularly citing an increased annual pension figure of £78 000,…
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