Your pension 

You are currently on the brown route. You are transferring from a job in an NHS organisation to a job in a GP practice or primary care contract holder. If this does not apply to you, you need to go back to the to the transfer page and choose another route. 

What do we mean by pensions?

All staff employed in the NHS have the right to be members of the NHS Pension Scheme. Other staff not employed by the NHS but delivering NHS services have the right to access a good quality pension scheme.

Pensions under the NHS Pension Scheme includes the retirement pension and early payment of pension on grounds of ill health.

If you are compulsorily transferred from the NHS to another organisation providing health care services to the NHS you can in certain limited circumstances continue with your membership of the NHS Pension Scheme. Your continued membership depends on the nature of the new employer organisation, and the circumstances of the transfer from NHS to non-NHS employment . The advice below will tell you what applies in your case.

From 1 April 2008, the NHS Pension Scheme has two sections the 1995 section and new arrangements staff who joined on or after 1 April 2008, described as the 2008 section.

All staff currently in the 1995 Section will be offered the choice to remain in the 1995 section or to transfer to the 2008 section. Given the scale of the exercise, the Pensions Choice Exercise (PCE) will be delivered in phases between July 2009 and 31 March 2012. The PCE will be delivered regionally, beginning in January 2010 in the South West and moving up the country to the North East and finishing in Wales.

Each SHA region will see two periods of Choice activity with staff aged 50 and over offered Choice during 2010/2011 and staff aged 49 and younger during 2011/2012. For efficiency reasons, all staff in smaller organisations, e.g. General Medical Practices, will receive their Choice during 2010 aligned to their SHA region.

Further advice

Download a copy of ‘ What happens to my pension?’ for further advice.

How will my pension be affected?

If you are compulsorily transferred to an organisation which has a GMS/PMS contract (usually GP surgeries) with a primary care trust for the provision of services and which meets the NHS Pension Scheme employing authority conditions, unless you are a shareholder in the organisation, you will be treated as 'practice staff'.

Both shareholders and 'practice staff' are able to retain their membership of the main NHS Pension Scheme (the final salary scheme, including family and ill health benefits). If you are considered to be 'practice staff' (ie you are not a shareholder) you will not have access to the separate but related NHS injury benefit and early retirement compensation schemes.

It is the responsibility of the contractor to arrange for these benefits to be provided for you separately. In contrast, salaried GPs are not deemed to be practice staff for pension purposes, and therefore have access to the same pension benefits as self-employed GPs.

Legislation, policies, practices and supporting documents that may apply to you  in relation to your pension

Click here to download a table summarising the key policies and legislation that may apply to you when you transfer.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list but is meant as a general guide to the various legislation and policies that apply in your case. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Next step

Continue on the brown route to see how your transfer will affect staff engagement.

Go back to the start of the brown route.

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