[Totally OT comment]
It is really sad that retirement from the NHS is a relief thather than a somewhat sad end to a long fulfilling and happy career...
Being in a clinical NHS Post allows me to retire at 55, which is now close enough I can count it in days. I'm several rungs down the ladder from JoE and spent the first 10 years of my Nursing career in the Navy, so my pension is consequently a lot smaller. We live fairly modestly, bikes and motorhome excepted, and our mortgage was paid of 8 years ago, with the mortgage money then diverted into savings. I'm reasonably confident that £11k a year, plus my wife's income and me working some bank Nursing shifts will be enough to get by.
To expand on what Hellymedic has said, I've worked full time as a Nurse since I left school. It's an exciting and challenging job, and at times very rewarding. I really enjoy working with Student Nurses and seeing/helping them set out on the same journey I started 38 years ago. At the same time it's physically and mentally exhausting on the front line, especially when NHS Management talk about work life balance but don't really have a clue (I worked Mon-Fri on Xmas week while all my cycling Buddies were out doing the Rapha 500).
If the pressure was just a bit less I'd consider another 5 years, giving my time a skill to an NHS that sure as hell could use it, but as things stand I think I would end up burnt out. I do feel for younger colleagues, and indeed those in other occupations who don't have the option of early retirement.
To come back to JoE's opening question, my lump sum plus savings will give us around £95K which we need to make work for us as best we can. I realise some of it will need to be held in reserve for things like car replacement and house repairs, but otherwise I haven't got a clue other than invest cautiously and hope for modest interest rates.