THE number of NHS doctors retiring early has more than trebled since 2008, figures show.

It has gone from 401 to 1,358 in 2020/21 — with many citing pressure due to Covid as the cause.

Average retirement age fell from 61 to 59 in the period — but the overall number of doctors employed by the NHS jumped 35,000 to 176,000.

Almost half NHS trusts have seen staff leave early, a separate poll by NHS Providers revealed.

Saffron Cordery, its deputy chief executive, said “burnout” and the impact of the pandemic were among the reasons.

She said NHS staff were “incredibly tired”.

Dr Vishal Sharma, of the British Medical Association, said more than half GPs plan to retire before age 60 due to a “punitive” pension taxation system — and Covid had “made things worse”.

Source: Read Full Article