The Government has announced plans to extend emergency pension measures to stop an NHS talent drain of thousands of the most experienced nurses, following pressure from Telegraph Money. 

A fresh wave of departures of senior health workers has been looming as thousands 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 would be forced back into retirement on March 25 if rules suspended during the pandemic came back into force, figures from a Freedom of Information request confirmed last month. 

However, the Department of Health and Social Care has published a proposal to extend the deadline for an additional seven months, until October 31. This has been drafted into the legislation. It follows repeated warnings from the NHS and trade unions of staff shortages and that older staff were still required. 

Graham Crossley, of wealth manager Quilter, who submitted the Freedom of Information request and has been campaigning for the extension, said: “Doctors and nurses could be forced out of the NHS at a critical time if these rules were not extended so it is laudable that the Government has read and acted on these warnings.”