Claiming for the work the practice carries out is not always straightforward and it’s easy to miss a payment. Deborah Wood, Vice Chairman of the Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants, offers this checklist to help managers keep on track. 1 Know your sources of income The way in which GP practices are paid is…

Are you still undertaking the payroll or book keeping yourself to save a few pounds of outsourcing costs? AISMA accountant Michael Ogilvie* explains why this can be a false economy. In our experience, some practice managers explain that doing the payroll and book keeping themselves gives them some respite from the pressure of managing a…

The practice’s finances can be seen as a chore that takes practice managers away from the more important tasks of running the surgery and making sure that there are enough GPs and nurses to see patients. Specialist medical accountant David Lockitt explains that when managed efficiently, finance work can be an invaluable tool in helping…

Things are moving fast – some would say too fast – in establishing primary care networks.  Amidst all the speculation and comment in the rush to get the networks set up, it is essential that practices understand what they are signing up to. Specialist medical accountant Bob Senior explains what to watch out for. Don’t…

There has been considerable press exposure surrounding the NHS pension in recent weeks, including the increase in the employer’s pension rate, the possible 50/50 partial scheme, the ongoing administration issues, and the ‘Separate Cash Payment’ scheme. Many of the potential changes in the pension scheme relate to, or are aimed at, alleviating the Annual Allowance…

Completing a new partnership agreement or updating an existing one might feel like a never-ending exercise, but it’s a vital legal document which GP practices must keep up to date. Specialist medical accountant Colin Haw knows all too well what can happen if there’s no agreement in place, or if the agreement fails to keep…

‘Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.’ Robin Sharma More specialist medical accountancy firms are now able to provide a much broader service offering that includes, in some instances, assisting GP practices with managing change. As one of these lucky change consultants, here are my favourite tips to…