JEANE Freeman has urged the Chancellor to deliver a “permanent solution” to an unintended pension problem that has led many NHS consultants to cut their hours and increased pressure on wards.

The SNP Health Secretary asked Sajid Javid to overhaul a recent UK government pension rule which has meant extra tax liabilities for senior NHS staff working longer hours.

Described by the British Medical Association as creating “punitive pensions bills”, the change has led to many consultants cutting back on their work or even retiring early.

As a stop-gap measure, the Scottish Government introduced a temporary policy in December allowing staff to get their employer pension contributions paid to them as part of their basic pay.

However this ends on March 31.

In a letter to the Chancelleor, Ms Freeman urged him to use next month’s budget to put a permanent solution in place across the UK.

She said “decisive action” was required “to ensure that pensions taxation rules no longer undermine delivery of frontline health services for the people of Scotland and other UK nations.

“The rules… continue to have a serious impact on NHS service delivery and staff, with clinicians across the NHS having to make unanticipated changes to their working commitments to avoid large and unexpected tax charges related to pension savings.

“These impact on the ability to deliver and maintain frontline services, and on the sense of value of our staff.”

She said that if Mr Javid failed to act, the Scottish Government would continue to mitigate the harmful impact of the pension rules on NHS Scotland if necessary.

But she said it was “clear that a permanent solution is urgently required, and can only be offered by your Department.

“It is incumbent upon you to take the opportunity of the March Budget to fully and finally remedy the situation, and allow our NHS staff to get on with delivering care without fear of the consequences.”

Graeme Eunson, chairman of the BMA’s consultants’ committee, said Ms Freeman was “absolutely right” to point out it was incumbent on the Chancellor to remedy the problem in the UK budget in March.

He said: “It is an inescapable fact that doctors across Scotland are having to decline extra work due to massive and often unexpected tax bills. This letter shows that reality has really hit home with our politicians and underscores the absolute necessity for tax reform, with removal of Annual Allowance when it comes to defined benefit schemes such as the NHS pension scheme.”