Everything you need to know about the NHS pension scheme

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By Andy Pow

From tiered contributions to tax relief, this is a straightforward guide to one of the most valuable, and most misunderstood, parts of your NHS compensation.

All doctors working for an NHS organisation will be eligible to become members of the NHS pension scheme.

There are many benefits to participation, but there are also a few downsides to consider. As this remains a key part of a doctor’s overall NHS compensation package, these are the things you need to know about. Let’s start by looking at the benefits.

Employee and employer contributions

As an active member of the NHS pension scheme, you will personally pay an employee contribution. This is based on a tiered rate linked to your annualised pay. The amounts vary per country, and the tiers are adjusted every year to account for inflation.

In England, for example, the tiered rates are: