Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

‘Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide me with the following information.

1 How many NHS general dental services providers or performers retired in each year from 2018/19 to 2023/24?

2 How many NHS general dental services providers or performers retired before their state retirement age each year from 2018/19 to 2023/24?

Please break down the figures by age (55 to 60, 60 to 65, 65 to 67) and the reason for retirement (Age Retirement, Voluntary Early Retirement or Ill Health Retirement).’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 24 October 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information is attached.

Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

Fewer than five

Please be aware that we’ve decided not to release the exact number of some of the awards, as the numbers are fewer than 5. This is because the members could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

it is not fair to disclose claimant personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.

these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the claimant.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of Patient confidentiality

Please note that the identification of members is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A member who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information.

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

NHS Pensions

Whilst the figures indicate the numbers of staff who claimed their NHS pension in a specific pension year, they do not necessarily indicate the number who actually retired.  This is because some of them will have returned to the NHS after claiming their NHS pension,. The NHSBSA does not hold data in respect of the number of staff who retire from non-pensionable posts, or those who retire and don’t claim their pension.

Figures are based on awards claimed with a payable date within the respective scheme year. Members are counted once in each respective scheme year in which they have an award payable.

Age brackets are based on age at payable date.

Normal Pension Age (NPA) is determined by the scheme being claimed; age 60 in the 1995 scheme, age 65 in the 2008, and the members individual State Pension Age in the 2015 scheme.

The type of award is split into Age, Actuarially Reduced Early Retirement (ARER) and Ill Health as requested. An additional column ‘Other’ is provided to capture remaining award types.

Dentists are defined as any member with any dental service (officer or practitioner). They may have other non-dentist service and may not have claimed their award while working in a dental role.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing, the data please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data, please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.