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There was standing room only in my hospital’s big lecture theatre for a recent seminar about retirement from the NHS. I recognised many staff, now in their 50s and 60s, who I’ve worked alongside for a quarter of a century. It was palpably sad to see the NHS potentially losing so many experienced, wise people who know how things work and hold the collective memory of an organisation. The event felt like a surreal group lifestyle clinic with colleagues,1 and I sensed a cohort limping through their workload, hoping to reduce some heavy financial burdens and get a chance to breathe.