You will have seen recent reports about the effects the current pension arrangements are having on secondary care waiting lists. Read the BMA statement. BMA council chair Chaand Nagpaul has written to the prime minister saying: ‘Current Government policy is driving doctors out of the workforce. The BMA has been working tirelessly to alert HM Treasury and the wider Government to the reality of losing large swathes of expertise from the NHS’s most experienced doctors at a time when the over-stretched service needs it most. Without the good will of doctors to cover waiting lists and rota gaps as well as extra sessions in GP surgeries, patients will suffer.’ Read the full letter here.

We met with secretary of state for health and social care, Matt Hancock, this week to discuss the changes that must be made to address this situation.

We have also this week written to Conservative leadership candidates Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson urging them to make reform of the current pension taxation rules a priority to avoid patient care deteriorating further. The letters point out that doctors having to reduce their hours or retire from the NHS early will only exacerbate poor levels of patient care and reduced staffing levels. Read the full letters here.

The BMA are also taking legal action against the Government over the 2015 changes to the NHS pension scheme. Read the BMA press release.