Premises update June 2018

LMC support with premises issues

NHS England/CCGs have a duty to consult with LMCs over issues that impact general practice, including premises/estates issues. Londonwide LMCs has set up a GP Premises Liaison Group with Surrey & Sussex LMCs and Barking & Havering LMCs to meet regularly with NHS England London Region, Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and NHS Property Services (NHSPS) to discuss strategic, policy and operational issues.  We are aware that there are ongoing issues where practices need individual support and we have agreed with NHS England London/CCGs, CHP and NHSPS that they should encourage any practice in need of support to contact GP support for confidential assistance and advice before they take action. They may also confidentially highlight to GP support outside of these meetings where a practice may need urgent individual assistance; this may result in you receiving a call from one of our GP Support team.

London policy for financial assistance with service charges and premises running costs

NHS England London region and London CCGs have developed a policy with input from London LMCs for accessing financial support for service charges and premises running costs. Please contact GP support 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.

Planning to relocate practice premises

Practices should be aware that before planning to relocate their premises or agree a new lease, they need to seek approval from NHS England London. Failure to do so contravenes NHS England’s regulations and may jeopardise the CCG/NHS England agreeing future investment and notional rent payments. All CCGs and STPs are required to have produced estate strategies so any planned development or relocation will need to be in line with these plans.

Please email gpsupport@lmc.org.uk for advice 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.

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 NHSPS) unless and until you fully understand and are comfortable with your potential liabilities. You should carry out appropriate due diligence as to your potential liabilities. 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 specialist legal advice on your individual circumstances.

Please note:

  • NHSPS has advised that GP tenants can liaise direct with them rather than Montagu Evans.
  • Tenants 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 Primary Care Trust subsidy on your costs you will need to discuss this with your current commissioner.

Last updated : 15 Jun 2018

 

Thank you to those who responded to our data-validation exercise (21 May 2018)

A big thank you to all the practices who responded to the data validation exercise, which ran between January-March 2018. We asked practices to confirm the details of the GPs...
Read more »

Tips of the month May 2018 (21 May 2018)

We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for...
Read more »

Seven London hospital trusts cease to accept paper referrals in June or July (21 May 2018)

From the 1 October eRS will be the only route for GP to Consultant-led first outpatient appointments, as part of the Standard Contract 2018/2019. However, Trusts have staggered paper switch-off...
Read more »

Free leadership coaching available for practice teams in London (18 May 2018)

The London Leadership Academy, a pan-London leadership development organisation, working across all NHS organisations offers a free coaching service for GPs and practice team members working in the NHS. Recent...
Read more »

Londonwide LMCs’ Buying Group new shredding service – sign up now (18 May 2018)

Almost a fifth of our practices have signed up to the new Londonwide LMCs’ Buying Group which means they can take advantage of offers such as a new shredding service...
Read more »

NHS Digital to increase threshold for data sharing with the Home Office (18 May 2018)

NHS Digital will now only share patient information with the Home Office in cases where an individual is being considered for deportation due to “serious criminality”. Previously NHS Digital had...
Read more »

Acting as a supervisor for a doctor with conditions (18 May 2018)

This month our GP support team pose a challenge: Ask not what your LMC can do for you – ask what you can do for your professional colleagues.  Background GPs are...
Read more »

Londonwide LMCs conference 2018 round-up (18 May 2018)

On 2 May 2018 we hosted our annual conference – titled “London Calling” - at the Kia Oval. The day was a great success with an array of guest speakers...
Read more »

Londonwide LMCs' Buying Group - MIAB (16 May 2018)

Caring for those that care the most - expert insurance from MIAB It would be easy to think of MIAB as 'just' another insurance broker. As one of many in...
Read more »

May 2018 local election results and Lewisham East by-election (15 May 2018)

The local elections held at the start of May 2018 have brought about the following changes in local authority control for boroughs covered by Londonwide LMCs: The Conservatives gained...
Read more »
Next Page »
« Previous Page