Was hoping to know if anyone on the forum has had any experience in getting medically retired with an nhs pension. I’ve been a nurse for 21 years and after i was diagnosed in 2013 I have continued to work with adjustments and can say I have been well looked after by my employers. I recently had a relapse and was off for 6 months but returned to work when things settled down but I am really struggling with my duties due to the fatigue and pain which isn’t subsiding and is a constant battle. Was wondering how i might go about it.
well I can’t answer that Bernie, but thought I keep your blog going so someone else might see it. Fatigue and pain are awful, I have this all the time and no longer work, chin up love and keep smiling.
I was given ill health retirement over 20 years ago. It was recommended by occupational health. Maybe talk to your line manager and make appointment occupational health. Procedures may have changed but mine was.straightforward.
Hope you get sorted maybe someone whose gone through this recently can give you more up to date information.
Hi, I went down the ill health retirement route back in 1999/20. I worked for the local council for 15 years.
I had ben on the sick for 8 months.
I imagine the NHS rules will be different, but I`m fairly sure you will need to go long term sick. Then you may be seen by a doctor of their choosing, to be assessed fit or not for work.
The fatigue thing is indescribable to those who dont suffer it. Hope things work out for you.
Thanks very much for your replies, I have great support from my occupational health lady who i’ve seen a few times and she advises that i need to be showing that i am trying to go back to work but it’s killing me physically and mentally and cant keep going sick as I could be dismissed through the sickness procedure. Think i’ll try the union as you say Whammel.
In order to access ill health retiral (esp these days) you need to demonstrate you are not able to work (at all, not just your own job usually if that makes sense). If off they wil look at redeployment reduced hours etc but it does tend to come after absence review, following long term sickness and via occ health as having a long term condition isnt qualification enough- sadly.
I manage staff in my current role and know that the hoop jumping can be significant, and if any treatment options remain then they arent keen in my organisation to progress it. Does make you wonder what does qualify …?
However, speak to union and also look at pension fine print etc too
I worked for local council and was dismissed on ill health a week ago after long term absence related to severe neurological symptoms (possible MS, undiagnosed as yet).
I hadn’t been working there long so access to pension wasn’t a big deal but I get the feeling that the wording is important, and retirement on ill health might give early access to pension as opposed to dismissal on the grounds of ill health which i got☹️
In all fairness I simply needed it stated that I would have been willing to work if it was feasible (which it wasn’t).
I got the impression that retirement on I’ll heath is decided by oc health, and is rarely put forward irrespective of any specialist evidence.
In my case my pension was a drop in the ocean, but if you’re time served, then ensure the outcome gives the early access to any pension rights that might be available.
I hope you sort things favourably, the last thing we need in our situation is to deal with red tape and watching our own back.
familiarise yourself with ‘the system’ - are there different levels of pension - how long do you have to be off sick before the question of retirement is considered etc.
And don’t assume that ‘management’ will look after your best interests.
Find the best ‘deal’ for you and become pro-active!
I took NHS ill health retirement bout 6 years ago… I had being redeployed to qualify but struggled. My advice for you is to go on long term sick(full pay for 6 months)… Take bout 4 months sick before u decide… Ur manager has a duty to refer u to ocv health after 2 months sick(prob varies I different trusts)… Occ health will b on ur side… So don’t worry… I received final year lump sum plus regular pension… U will b protected under DDA… Best thing I ever did… My husband said wI was ageing 5 yrs for every year I worked!.. I look back and think I was a fool over so many things… Dont be a hero and gud luck… V. Frightening experience for so many reasons but looking back needless worries but it takes time to know that u made the right decision for u.
I took NHS ill health retirement bout 6 years ago… I had being redeployed to qualify but struggled. My advice for you is to go on long term sick(full pay for 6 months)… Take bout 4 months sick before u decide… Ur manager has a duty to refer u to ocv health after 2 months sick(prob varies I different trusts)… Occ health will b on ur side… So don’t worry… I received final year lump sum plus regular pension… U will b protected under DDA… Best thing I ever did… My husband said wI was ageing 5 yrs for every year I worked!.. I look back and think I was a fool over so many things… Dont be a hero and gud luck… V. Frightening experience for so many reasons but looking back needless worries but it takes time to know that u made the right decision for u.
I cant offer any advise regarding ill health retirement in NHS but i picked up on the bit i have quoted of you below
“but it’s killing me physically and mentally and cant keep going sick as I could be dismissed through the sickness procedure” My (unqualified!) opinion is that it could be said that given your “protected characteristic” of “disability” under the equality act that it might be a perfectly “reasonable adjustment” for any disability linked sick leave to be discounted from any counting against any tolerance levels that may be stated in the organisations sickness and absence/discipline procedures?