Locum GPs cannot check their pension payments are being made correctly because they do not receive receipts when they make contributions, the GPC has warned, in a situation the committee has labelled a 'fiasco'.
The issue affects all locum GPs enrolled onto the NHS pension scheme, who must send their contributions to Capita on a monthly basis.
Writing in a blog on the BMA website entitled Capita and the NHS pension fiasco, deputy GPC sessional subcommittee chair Dr Krishan Aggarwal warned that this was the ‘biggest concern’ facing sessional GPs.
NHS pension
Before Capita took over, the scheme varied across the country with some locums receiving monthly receipts, others annual statements and others nothing at all.
The GPC allayed concerns that locums could have lost out on the unrecorded payments, with Capita ‘assuring’ the subcommittee that this was not the case – assuming all associated forms had been filled in correctly.
‘This is probably the biggest concern I hear from sessional GPs,’ said Dr Aggarwal. ‘It seems illogical that we pay money in to a pension scheme each month and do not receive any form of receipt that the correct amount has been entered for the correct month.
‘Considering the chaos that has occurred over the past year, we have advised Capita that members would need assurances that pension contributions have been added correctly to their pension record and to increase their confidence in Capita.’
Capita confirmed to GPonline that it was working on implementing an acknowledgment system.
Primary care support
Dr Aggarwal added: ‘We have asked for monthly receipts and an annual summary to determine that the contributions have been added correctly. Capita are considering this request and we will continue to press them for this as it’s an immediate, important issue that needs resolving.
‘Capita have taken some positive steps in that they have updated the BACs reference process and their website to reflect the changes. But more still needs to be done to restore the confidence of GPs in this matter.’
A Capita spokeswoman said: ‘Under the previous localised payment arrangements, acknowledgements for pension payments were provided on an ad hoc basis.
‘One of the key improvements that PCSE [Primary Care Support England, run by Capita] is introducing will be the acknowledgment of receipt of all pension payments for all GPs.’
NHS England, Capita and the GPC sessional subcommittee are due to meet again ‘to pick up the on-going issues’ within the next two weeks.
