Sir, At first sight it would appear sensible to raise the retirement age of NHS doctors to 65 (report, January 11). It would increase the number of doctors within the health service and retain their expertise and experience, as well as reducing the pensions bill.

However, with regard to surgeons, the public expect much more than they once did. They would like consultant surgeons’ results to be publicly available and are clamouring for those with suboptimal results to stop operating. Meanwhile in many specialties surgical techniques are becoming ever more demanding.

All surgeons must reach a peak after which the quality of their work will decline. Are we to expect them to take early retirement and a reduced pension, or to struggle on to 65? There are almost no alternative suitable posts in the NHS that such experienced surgeons could go to, nor are there sufficient specialists in post to allow an older surgeon to take a back seat.

At the time of the Bristol inquiry into the high mortality for paediatric heart surgery, the past, present and future presidents of the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons contacted Frank Dobson, then Health Secretary, and subsequently met to discuss the problem of the surgeon who peaks before the official retirement age and the financial implications of early retirement. No answer was forthcoming, only a suggestion that we should monitor surgeons more closely.

It must be possible for a surgeon, or any other doctor, to say: “I am no longer as good as I was” and stop practising without that doctor incurring a financial penalty for honesty for the rest of his or her life.

Yours faithfully,
J. DUSSEK,
(President, the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland, 1998-2000),
Tebolds,
The Street,
Plaxtol,
Sevenoaks,
Kent TN15 0QJ.
January 11.

From Mr Paul Thorpe, FRCS

Sir, Now that more than a million staff of the National Health Service are to see the last benefit of public sector working, their pension, changed to suit the Government’s desire to cut the pension bill (report, January 10), are we to see Members of Parliament accept similar changes to their own generous arrangements?

I remain yours,
PAUL THORPE,
(Consultant Spinal Surgeon),
Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust,
Musgrove Park Hospital,
Taunton TA1 5DA.
January 11.

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