Surgeons respond to Chancellor's Budget

In response to the Budget delivered today by the Chancellor, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, the Royal College of Surgeons of England Vice President, Mr Tim Mitchell said:

“The increased limit on the annual pension allowance and abolishing the lifetime pension allowance announced today is a very welcome step for surgeons who currently face difficult decisions around pensions, tax and retirement.

“We have been urging the government to act fast to resolve this issue. Many experienced surgeons have felt they have no option but to reduce their operating hours or retire early due to the pensions’ tax issue, and this is at a time when we have a record 7.21 million people on the NHS waiting list.

“We hope these changes will ensure that many surgeons won’t have to make the tough decisions of reducing their hours or retiring early, versus staying in employment. This is especially at a time when we want to retain them in the workforce, to treat patients, and to train the surgeons of the future.

“We look forward to seeing the promised NHS workforce plan soon.   This needs to include projections for the number of doctors and nurses needed in the future and for it to be fully funded.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their career. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.
2. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6052/6055; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.