If your nest egg is tied up in the NHS Pensions Agency, you may not be happy to discover that it managed a 5.6 per cent cut in the efficiency with which it used its resources last year, and that it is still only half way through reviewing the cases of people who may be entitled to rejoin after being mis-sold private pensions.

Oh well,40,000 down and only another 60,000 to go.

Not that it is entirely the fault of this curious little outpost of NHS officialdom, based mid-way between the bright lights of Blackpool and Morecambe in the Lancashire seaside town of Fleetwood. If only the insurance industry had been quicker in identifying its victims, the figures could have looked so different.

That, at least, is the excuse given in the agency's annual report - which goes on to blame GPs and trusts for failing to come up with pension contributions on time 'despite rigorous attempts by the agency to pursue late payers'. And while the number of satisfied customers is below target, at least it's better than last year.

As chief executive Alec Cowan says in his last annual report, these are 'exciting' times for the pensions agency.

Modernisation is at hand, there are plans to provide 'epensions services', and even ambitions to meet industry standards. But it will mean a private 'partner' taking over more than half the agency's work.

It would be nice to say that you could go online and review the current state of your NHS pension arrangements by visiting this website, perhaps even adjust those AVCs or change the beneficiary of your death-in-service option. Maybe one day, but it all looks a long way off.

In reality, the main audience for the site are employers, and although even they can't do much beyond download the odd document, there is a fairly well frequented discussion forum in which people address real issues. I wonder whether it's possible to register as Robert Maxwell.