Apologies for the delay, but we have been held up getting permission to share the consultation report on the restructuring of the BMA released for your consideration.
Please at least read the last section on retired members (page 9) if nothing else. We do need your thoughts about what you would like to see for retired units going forward. Remember there are some 11-12,000 of us across the UK. No idea or question is inappropriate so please let us have your thoughts and suggestions.
We need to consider what issues you / we need support with. One of the most important needs we all have is to stay active and learn to cope without the stimulation of work. What would you like help with? Do you want help finding golfing partners? Are your interests music etc and looking for those to play with? Let us know.
Also, as we move from healthcare provider to healthcare user, there are challenges in the patient role some of which are unique to us. We can perhaps benefit from shared experiences. We will be exploring this going forward.
You may have seen some BMA retirement seminars which Chase de Vere offered. Please do consider availing yourselves of these opportunities, the one I attended recently offered worthwhile insight into inheritance, pensions, annuities, trusts, long-term care costs etc. We will let you know when the next sessions are planned.
Finally, you may be aware of some seriously inappropriate and offensive material about retired and long-serving members recently, particularly perhaps in relation to the recent elections to division seats for the annual representative meeting and related to the group known as Doctors Vote or DV. I have been challenging this and will continue to do so at UK council and with the chief officers. I wish I could report more success, but I will continue to do everything I can to ensure we are not side-lined into non-existence. We may need to come together to assert our rights going forward.
We soon have the retired members conference which I will be attending on 14 March and hope to meet at least some of you there.
Peter Curry
BMA retired members committee chair