A new wave of departures of senior health workers is imminent as punitive pension rules add pressure to the already short-staffed NHS.

Thousands of the most experienced nurses will be punished for coming out of retirement to help in the fight against coronavirus, taking a cut to their pension if they continue to work.

In total, 7,470 health professionals could be forced back into retirement on March 25 when rules suspended during the pandemic come back into force, figures from a Freedom of Information request have confirmed. 

This comes amid mass staff shortages due to Covid isolation rules, which left nearly six million people waiting for care in England at the start of January. A report found there were 93,000 vacancies in the health service.

The Government said it would write to those affected but industry experts warned it was too late. Last week, Conservative MP Edward Argar said the situation was “under review” when questioned by the opposition.

Graham Crossley of wealth manager Quilter, who submitted the FoI, said it was “ludicrous” to penalise people for working, particularly as those affected are senior staff with decades of experience. 

“It’s absolutely daft. These are exactly the people you want caring for others during the pandemic,” he said.

Sarah Coates*, 55, a nurse from south-west London who has worked for the NHS for 37 years, was due to retire in June but returned to tackle Covid. 

She now fears she may be forced out unless she is willing to lose part of her pension. “I came back to help,” she said. “They’re acting like they don’t need us, but a lot of the Covid beds are run by retired nurses.”

Pension “abatement” applies to nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and mental health officers, who can retire at 55 without losing any of their pension. 

Their pension is reduced, however, if they continue to work and their pension and NHS earnings exceed their pre-retirement earnings. It was suspended as part of the Coronavirus Act 2020.