Retirement intentions of consultant psychiatrists

Abstract

Aims and method: Through a postal survey we sought to determine the current retirement intentions of consultant psychiatrists working in Scotland. Consultants were asked their likely date of retirement, whether they might return as a locum and what might induce them to retire later. Results: Full data were returned by 180 consultants. The mean planned age at retirement was 58.0 years. Women intended to retire significantly earlier than men. Most respondents could be persuaded to retire later through changes in services, conditions or job content; only 7% regarded their proposed retirement date as immutable. Clinical implications: Early retirement among consultants is likely to contribute to an even more seriously understaffed service. It is necessary to seek national and individual changes to the factors that give rise to early retirement in psychiatry.