Memo to the BMA

The headlines read: 'Doctors to ballot for pensions strike action'.

As with local authority and NHS or even Civil Service pensions, there is no way the country can sustain a scheme which does not take enough in contributions to meet the cost of the benefits. That said, current contributions are meeting the cost of those already retired, and are not in any way related to the cost of providing benefits to the contributor. That is what is wrong with the current system and arguing over who pays what today is fiddling while Rome burns.

I support the BMA'S approach to the Government's NHS reforms but on this you are out of step. The government has made an unreasonable set of proposals to try and prop up the system for a few more more years and you have tried to persuade them to water it down. This is another way of saying 'subsidise doctors pensions'.

None of this should be up for discussion. There should be no subsidy of anyone's pensions, and ideally everyone would have a good enough pension that the state pension would be nothing more than a safety net. This would save a fortune and help to rebalance the books of our country. It is one of the key recommendations of the Unofficial Big Society Green Paper (www.bigsocietygreenpaper.org)

It would be very good therefore if the BMA, and any other similarly-threatened bodies, could alter their opposition to changes to a more strategic stance. Let's not have a stand off over who chips in how much to the black hole, let's have an open discussion about how we ring-fence and the fund that black hole, and what better system we create going forwards. That would be something worth striking over and in that it would improve pensions for everyone it would gain widespread popular support. It could also galvanise a group of similar representative bodies and unions which might just be enough to get Dave to take notice. I am happy to help with the detail if you wish.