GPs and dentist retirals 2015-2023: FOI release

Information requested

1. The average age of GPs that have been retiring each year from 2015-2023.
2. How many GPs have retired before their state retirement age each year from 2015-2023.
3. How many people have retired from a GP role in each year from 2015-2023.
4. The average age that dentists have been retiring each year from 2015-2023.
5. How many dentists have retired before their state retirement age each year from 2015-2023.
6. How many people have retired from a dentist role in each year from 2015-2023.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in the attached spreadsheet. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Public Pensions Agency does not have some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

For questions 1, 2 and 3 we are unable to provide information for GPs only. This is because we don't explicitly class members as being a GP. Our records class GPs as 'practitioners'. 'Practitioners' includes but it is not limited to GPs. Other specialist medical practitioners, including surgeons and neurologists for example are also recorded under this category. We have therefore provided a response to questions 1-3 for 'practitioners', but caution that this includes but is not restricted to GPs only. This is therefore a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Public Pensions Agency does not have the information you have requested.

For questions 4, 5 and 6: we enclose all information requested.

Please note:

• People may be counted more that once if they have more than one pensioner status i.e. CARE and final salary, for example. If there are multiple employment records attached to a member, they may have more than one record showing as moving to pensioner. We look at employment level, so it is possible for some people to show up more than once.
• This information is based on the calendar years of a person's change to pensioner status on our system. Sometimes these changes have occurred retrospectively. Retrospective changes typically occur when we've not received all the information on time, or there are delays to actioning the retirement. In some cases, we process the retirement later on, but we still put the changes in to have occurred at the original requested retirement date.
• The information for 2023 includes anyone who, at the time of extracting the data from our system, had a retirement status in 2023. This includes November and December 2023 planned retirals. The November and December numbers will changes as more cases are processed, and previous 2023 months will change if any cases are being processed late. This information is therefore accurate at the time of issuing, but will change in future.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202300383009 - Information Released - Annex

File type

Excel document

File size

16.5 kB