Locum GPs call for pensions admin overhaul

The National Association of Sessional General Practitioners estimates that there are around 17,000 locum general practitioners in the UK.

It’s time to modernise the way we contribute to our superannuation

Liz McCulloch, East Sussex Local Medical Committee

Modernise locum GP pension arrangements

Capita was appointed as a subcontractor by NHS England in September 2015 to undertake several functions regarding GPs, including NHS pensions record-keeping at local level.

Locum GPs are complaining that there has been a distinct lack of communication and information when it comes to paying in pension contributions and making enquiries. 

Richard Fieldhouse, chairman of the NASGP, said that the system for locum GPs contributing to a pension has always been overly complicated.

However, since Capita was appointed for pensions administration, it is “a black hole”, he said. Many GPs “can’t cope” with the uncertainty and stress of not receiving receipts for their payments.

Liz McCulloch, sessional GP in Brighton and Hove and deputy chair of the East Sussex Local Medical Committee, said that, for the last two years, sessional GP colleagues have reported ongoing challenges in obtaining annual reports and receipts for their pension contributions, “which has been particularly frustrating for them when trying to complete their annual tax return”.

Some locum GPs have experienced problems with cheques not being processed for more than six months, McCulloch added.

She said: "I believe it’s time to modernise the way we contribute to our superannuation, transitioning from paper forms to a digital system, enabling general practitioners to track payments, review pension forecasts and get an overview of their pensions.”

This discontent is not limited to the south east. At the British Medical Association’s annual Local Medical Committee conference, Gloucestershire GPs claimed that the current NHS pension arrangements for locum GPs are “inefficient and waste a significant amount of NHS administrative resource”.

Similarly, Derbyshire doctors condemned the “shoddy arrangements” made to outsource back office functions of the NHS to private contractors, including the administration of sessional doctor pension payments.

Concern and confusion

Fieldhouse said: “We need to make it really easy and enjoyable for people to go and do locum sessions.” But on top of increasing pressure on NHS resources, “the difficulty in getting paid and then the difficulty in paying your pension… is too much hassle”.

Rachel Duncan, a portfolio GP based in the south east, has experienced some of these problems first-hand.

“Claiming NHS pension for locum work has been becoming increasingly difficult over the last few years and more so over the last few months,” said Duncan.

She noted that the process used to be done via a locally based primary care support service “and we had a named and very helpful administrator who was very responsive if any problems arose”.

The service has now moved elsewhere, to Capita’s local pension administration office. Duncan said that she sends her payments via cheque, but the timeframe in which the cheques are cashed is very varied. “This causes me concern as you have 10 weeks to make a pension contribution,” she added.

She added that locum GPs no longer receive a receipt, so those who pay via BACS “have no idea if their forms and contributions have actually been processed”.

“Many of my colleagues have tried time and time again to contact people at the pensions office to discuss this issue and have not been successful,” Duncan said.

When certain issues arise, Duncan is afraid that any lengthy attempts at corresponding would mean that she would breach the 10-week deadline for contributions.

Paula McDonald, part-time and locum GP, coordinates an informal educational group for GP locums. She described “various members expressing puzzlement, distress and anger at the ongoing difficulties with trying to get their work pensioned”.  

The NHS Business Services Authority, the centralised administrator for the NHS Pension Scheme, said that it has been “in regular dialogue” with NHS England and Capita since 2016 about ensuring the adherence to correct process for local pension administration.

While there have been concerns about the flow of freelance locum GP NHSPS contributions, “they have been reaching their destination”, said the NHSBSA.

Under NHSPS regulations, it is not stipulated that a freelance GP locum is entitled to a receipt when they have sent their contribution to NHS England. But the NHSBSA said it has advised NHS England that it is “good practice to notify a freelance GP locum when they have received the GP’s scheme contributions”.

It added that, where a freelance GP locum has completed their pension forms within the 10-week window, their NHSPS rights will not be compromised, “even though they may be experiencing problems with NHS England and Capita”.

A Capita spokesperson said: “We are working closely with NHS England to transform and standardise processes for payments and pensions from an inherited system that was highly localised, non-standardised and inconsistent."

Capita said that it had made improvements, including a centralised system for processing cheques within seven days of receipt, email receipts for BACS payments and new contact emails specifically for pensions and payments.