Are we dealing with ‘ghosts’? Don’t you wish you could grab hold of someone at Capita and throttle them?! Records are not arriving and now payments not being made. As an ex-FPC manager, I could be proud of the work we did to keep general practice running. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful, and whilst…

11th August 2016 Dear Mrs May Firstly, may I congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister. I now wait with baited breath for Mrs Clinton to become President and we will have three strong women in power! (About time too!) I write to you in my capacity as a Practice Manager working in Primary…

By Sue Beaton Challenging times call for expert advice and having a reliable accountant who understands the roller-coaster world of general practice should reap rewards in the long term. Here are some tips on appointing a new accountant for your practice. Identify your reasons for change First ask yourself why you wish to change accountants. There…

There’s no getting away from the fact that GP practices are moving inexorably towards a more business-focused model. This development has corresponded with a greater emphasis on optimising costs, increasing output, placing a greater emphasis on staff and patient relations and, crucially, maximising revenue streams. Charge the going rate An easy way to ensure you’re…

At a time when general practice continues to be squeezed financially, practice managers are having to work harder and harder to maintain – let alone grow – profitability. The major issue for practice managers when it comes to practice profitability is that both income and expenditure are hard to control as there are so many…

When I started work in the NHS I was 16 years old and my take home pay was £23. I couldn’t join the NHS pension scheme until I was 18 when my pay would increase annually until I was 21. I began on the Clerical grade and over the next 25 years I would progress…

Since the introduction of the new GP Contract, practices have been moving inexorably towards a more business-focused model. This development has corresponded with a greater emphasis on optimising costs, increasing output, placing a greater emphasis on staff and patient relations and, crucially, maximising revenue streams. This situation is more acute than ever given the primary…