General practitioners' retirement plans and what influences them

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• General Practice
• Medical Workforce Studies

Background:

• Many general practitioners (GPs) aged 55 and over are approaching retirement age.
• Understanding their retirement intentions is crucial for workforce planning.
• Existing data on older GPs' retirement plans is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the retirement attitudes and plans of GPs aged 55+.
• To identify factors influencing their retirement decisions.
• To explore preferences regarding retirement policies and age.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 197 general practitioners aged 55 and over.
• Analysis of retirement plans, including '24-hour retirement' and clean breaks.
• Exploration of factors like job satisfaction and health.
• Qualitative insights from GPs aged 65+.

Main Results:

• Few GPs planned early retirement; 40% planned a clean break.
• Nearly half opted for '24-hour retirement' despite pension eligibility.
• Job satisfaction and health were key factors influencing retirement timing.
• Majority opposed formal retirement policies, compulsory ages, or extra controls.
• Half expressed apprehension about retirement, with some desiring to continue practice.

Conclusions:

• Older GPs often prefer gradual or continued practice over early retirement.
• Retirement timing is influenced by personal factors rather than policy.
• There is a need to study the self-assessment of competence in older GPs, especially those in single-handed practice, given potential concerns about medical practice quality.