Premises update July 2017
This month’s update include advice on:
- London policy for accessing financial support for service charges and premises running costs
- How to plan a premises relocation
- Lease negotiations
- Transitional funding arrangements
- Current charges including historical subsidies
London policy for financial assistance with service charges and premises running costs
NHS England London region and London Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have developed a policy for accessing financial support for service charges and premises running costs. Please contact our GP support team on gpsupport@lmc.org.uk for more information.
Please note, there is a gateway with eligibility criteria including: full disclosure of income and expenditure on an open book and annual basis; production of an action plan to demonstrate how you will optimise your income and reduce expenditure over the next 12 months.
Premises relocation approval from NHS England
Practices should be aware that before planning to relocate their premises or agree a new lease, they need to seek approval from NHS England. Failure to do so contravenes NHS England regulations and may jeopardise your CCG/NHS England agreeing future investment and notional rent payments.
Our GP support team can give advice to practices on how to manage this process, pitfalls to avoid, or support that may be available if a practice is in difficulties through failing to follow proper procedure. They can be contacted on gpsupport@lmc.org.uk.
Lease negotiations
It is vital that you do not sign any lease or Heads of Terms (including those purporting to be based on the national template GP lease negotiated between the BMA and NHS Property Services) unless and until you fully understand and are comfortable with your potential liabilities. To this regard appropriate due diligence as to your potential liabilities should be carried out. Please contact gpsupport@lmc.org.uk for advice when you receive your invitation letter. This will not replace the need to obtain your own independent legal advice on your individual circumstances.
Please note:
- NHSPS has advised that GP tenants can liaise direct with them rather than Montagu Evans
enants in multi-occupancy premises may wish to consider engaging a single solicitor as a group - Tenants can also act as a group regardless of whether they are in the same premises and commission a single solicitor to achieve economy of scale in costs.
Transitional funding
Such arrangements should only be entered into where you are entirely satisfied that when the transitional period ends you are not inadvertently left having to meet increased costs without the benefit of increased funding. In the view of the BMA and LLMCs, transitional arrangements should be avoided. More permanent solutions which align a practice’s funding to their costs are needed.
Current charges
In respect of current charges, practices should only make payments to the extent that they are both satisfied as to the legal basis upon which they are payable and their accuracy. If you used to receive a PCT subsidy on your costs you will need to discuss this with your current commissioner and provide evidence.
Last updated : 18 Jul 2017The M Word issue 6 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest personal briefing for practices on NHS reforms (16 Dec 2011)
I have 3 updates for you: The Health and Social Care Bill, 1 year on GP Primary Medical...The M Word issue 5 - Dr Michelle Drage's latest personal briefing for practices on NHS reforms (10 Oct 2011)
Here's the latest update on what has and what has not been going on over the last few weeks, and what is likely to happen over the Autumn. I...The M Word issue 4 - Dr Drage's briefing on the NHS reforms (15 Jun 2011)
The Day After... The Politics The Real World Michelle’s 3 step guide (definitely not a toolkit) to QIPP and GRIP Dr Michelle Drage FRCGPCEO Londonwide...The M Word issue 3 - Dr Michelle Drage's briefing on NHS reforms (07 Jun 2011)
I thought I’d share three of my more serious thoughts to do with Providing General Practice and NOT commissioning (mostly!) The new transitional management landscape in London Our...GPC news June 2011 (01 Jun 2011)
Download latest edition of GPC news here.The M Word issue 2 - Dr Michelle Drage's personal briefing for practices on NHS reforms (14 Apr 2011)
In issue 1 I set out to make some sense of the language and jargon of the new NHS world and give you some not-so-subliminal messages about what we...The M Word issue 1 (10 Apr 2011)
Dr Michelle Drage's personal briefing for practices on NHS reforms. This is the first in my personal series of briefings which will provide commentary and updates on key issues facing...GPC news October 2009 (01 Oct 2009)
Download the latest edition of GPC news here.Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.