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 2017Key themes in the development of an active and effective patient participation group (PPG) (19 Oct 2016)
Responses to the recent Londonwide LMCs’ patient engagement survey highlighted the broad spectrum of patient’ and practice’ experience of patient participation groups (PPGs). These ranged from the positive to the...Guest blog - supporting adult mental health patients and carers to shape services (19 Oct 2016)
This month Rebecca Lambert and Nirusha Nicholas of South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust describe their work in engaging the community in shaping adult mental health services and supporting each...Humberside LMCs' guidance on support for practices (18 Oct 2016)
Humberside LMCs have produced A Practice Guide to Funding & Support for General Practice outlining the sources of support available to practices in their area. Many of the these schemes...NHS England is no longer funding commercial or trade waste services for practices (18 Oct 2016)
NHS England is no longer funding commercial or trade waste services for practices. The Premises Directions 2013, Part 5, paragraph 46 (1) (b) lists the payments NHS England has a...Self Care Week 2016: understanding self care for life (18 Oct 2016)
Self Care Week (14 - 20 November) is an excellent tool for general practice. Organised by the Self Care Forum, the national awareness week has been running since 2009 and is...Mandatory data collection deadlines October 2016 (18 Oct 2016)
Practices are required to complete their submissions for the workforce minimum data set by midday on 26 October the new biannual extended access data return by 31 October. Biannual extended...World Mental Health Day (18 Oct 2016)
We marked World Mental Health Day (Monday 10 October) by sharing resources on social media, including perspectives on managing patients’ mental health and supporting good mental health among GPs. Reflective...Reflective Practice Masterclass for GPs: from Mindfulness to Reflection, Thursday 10 November 2016 - places still available (13 Oct 2016)
...General Practice Resilience Programme - Londonwide LMCs' update (30 Sep 2016)
The 'General Practice Forward View' sets out a commitment to deliver a 'General Practice Resilience programme' over the next four years (2016-2020). The programme aims to deliver a menu of...September 2016 Newsletter (22 Sep 2016)
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.