The UK Doctors and Life After Medicine survey polled almost 800 doctors between March and July 2025.

It found that most respondents planned to retire in their 60s, with 32% aiming for their early 60s and 24% for their late 60s. About 1 in 7 doctors hoped to retire in their 50s, while a similar proportion planned to continue into their 70s.

Of those planning to leave before state pension age, 59% cited burnout as the main driver. Experts told Medscape News UK this was a significant finding.

Financial security also played a role. Just 35% said they had saved enough to retire comfortably, while 37% admitted they had not.

Burnout and Workforce Strain

Dr Amit Kochhar, associate specialist in ear, nose, and throat surgery and chair of the British Medical Association representative body, told Medscape News UK: “To see 59% of doctors respond to this survey by saying burnout is a reason for retiring in their early 60s is troubling. 

“With an NHS workforce that is already struggling under severe strain of understaffing, we can’t afford to afford to lose these experienced professionals simply because the job no longer feels worth it. If a doctor wants to keep working, the NHS should be doing everything possible to keep them.”

He noted that more doctors are leaving for “largely preventable reasons” such as workload, pay, health concerns, and work-life balance. 

A recent survey by the General Medical Council found that one third of doctors struggled with their weekly workload, and 63% regularly worked beyond rostered hours. 

“It’s this that our workforce planning needs to tackle if we’re to keep essential talent in the health service,” Kochhar said.

‘Relentless’ Pressures in the NHS

Helen Fernandes, co-chair of the Doctors’ Association UK and a consultant neurosurgeon, said the burnout findings were unsurprising.

“Working in the NHS is relentless,” she told Medscape News UK. Successive governments, she added, have tried to save the service through workforce cuts or repeated reorganisations, usually “to something that has been seen and done before.” She warned this has created a disconnect between frontline doctors and senior decision-makers, describing it as part of the “current political undermining of the NHS and the staff that work in it.”

Fernandes added that many doctors continue working beyond retirement age, often due to financial or status-related pressures rather than personal choice.

“For most doctors, I cannot see how working into the late 60s or 70s is compatible with the intensive nature of hospital and general practice work,” she said.

Financial Concerns 

Ella Patel, associate financial planner with Fidelius Medical, an independent financial advisory firm that partners with the BMA, said many doctors intend to retire between age 58 and 65, particularly those in the 1995 pension scheme.

“The drivers for early departure vary significantly by specialty,” she said. For instance, GP partners were more likely than other doctors to cite burnout.

Most doctors expect their retirement income to come from NHS and state pensions, supplemented by personal savings, with just 34% holding a private pension. Patel said NHS pensions allowance rules have limited doctors’ ability to make private contributions, with many instead relying on cash savings or property. 

“From my experience, most doctors are more comfortable holding cash or investing in property, and much of my work involves encouraging them to consider diversifying beyond these areas,” she said.

However, a large part of doctors’ concern about retirement finances, and the beliefs shown in the survey that they may run out of money, stems from a lack of understanding of how the NHS scheme works, she said. The recent introduction of pension flexibilities means that “some of those who once intended to stop completely at 60 are now choosing to continue working in some capacity.”

Nevertheless, the findings accorded with her experience that “many doctors feel they cannot afford to retire earlier.” she said.

Dr Sheena Meredith is an established medical writer, editor, and consultant in healthcare communications, with extensive experience writing for medical professionals and the general public. She is qualified in medicine and in law and medical ethics.