A petition calling for the age at which NHS staff can draw their full pension to be reduced to 60 is gaining support, with concerns over extreme physical and mental burnout among the workforce.
The UK State Pension age is currently 66, rising gradually to 67 for both men and women between May 2026 and April 2028. More than 1.5 million NHS workers currently face retiring at the same time as the official pension age.
Petition passes 6,800 signatures
The petition, created by Kirstly Uttley on the parliament website, has been backed by 6,800 people. If it reaches 10,000 signatures, it will trigger a Department of Health official response, and at 100,000 it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate.
Uttley's petition states: "Reduce the retirement age for NHS staff pension scheme to 60. We are concerned NHS staff are facing extreme physical and mental burnout daily. High stress and long shifts can risk employee health and patient safety."
Staff and patient safety concerns
The petition argues that lowering the retirement age could prevent workforce exhaustion, attract younger professionals, prevent staff turnover, and support frontline workers. It also warns that having staff work until 65 or older is dangerous, risking employee health and compromising patient safety.
The normal pension age in the NHS Pension Scheme is 60 in the 1995 Section, 65 in the 2008 Section, and linked to State Pension age in the 2015 Scheme. This applies to ambulance staff as well.
Previous government response
A similar petition calling for ambulance workers to receive the same pension age as Police and Firefighters has closed. The Department of Health and Social Care responded, saying it does not expect NHS staff to necessarily work until the normal retirement age.
The department stated: "Reducing the normal pension age for ambulance staff would result in significant additional costs which would need to be met by scheme members, employers, taxpayers, or a combination of all three. There is a common misconception that NHS staff are expected or required to work to normal pension age, or that this is necessary to receive a good pension. Normal pension age is the age used to calculate unreduced NHS Pension Scheme benefits. The generosity and flexibilities of the NHS Pension Scheme mean that members have options to retire earlier than their normal pension age."
