NHS employees who move to employment at a university are able to retain membership of the NHS Pension Scheme (NHSPS) where they meet the eligibility criteria* and their employer has a Medical Schools Direction agreement.
Alternatively, the individual could join the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) or could be enrolled in either Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) or Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) if they are employed at a post-92 university. Currently, across the UK, over half the clinical academics employed by universities are in the NHSPS, and over a third are in the USS. A very small number are in another scheme.
*The employee must have been eligible to enter into the NHSPS in the 12 months prior to starting with the HE institution and the employee must be working wholly or mainly for the medical school and can be covering duties that are administrative, professional, technical or clerical.
On this page we have compiled useful resources that will help you to better understand what options are available and what should be considered. MSC and CATF are unable to provide financial advice.
BMA
- Preparing for a new job as a medical academic
- The implications of moving between the university superannuation scheme and NHS pension scheme
- Direction status - NHS pensions for non-NHS organisation employees
- Contract checking service
NHS Employers
USS: www.uss.co.uk
NHS Business Authority: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-pensions