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 2017I want great care IT system (11 Nov 2015)
The new Co-ordinate My Care (CMC) IT system will launch on 24 November. There are important steps for GPs to take, particularly those who have not seen the pre-launch communications...Speaker's Corner - moustache aficionado Dr Tony Grewal looks at men’s health issues for "Movember" (11 Nov 2015)
This month moustache aficionado Dr Tony Grewal looks at men’s health issues for "Movember", Londonwide LMCs staff raised over £100 for the Movember charity. Tony writes: November is the month when...November 2015 newsletter now available (11 Nov 2015)
Londonwide LMCs NewsletterUpdate on successful resolution of first Christmas 2013 breach case (10 Nov 2015)
The legal challenge brought against breach notices issued by NHSE to practices who closed their doors on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve in 2013 has ended in a successful...Keeping on top of bureaucracy in your practice (09 Nov 2015)
Jeremy Hunt recently announced plans to cut bureaucracy in the health service, including ending the practice of hospitals referring patients who miss appointments back to GPs and consolidating the...Appeal: support the homeless this winter (09 Nov 2015)
Londonwide LMCs’ communications team recently met with Dr Paul O’Reilly and Practice Manager Tanya O’Brien of the Doctor Hickey Surgery in Westminster. Both spoke powerfully about the vulnerable groups...Provider development event round-up (06 Nov 2015)
Londonwide LMCs, in collaboration with Healthy London Partnership co-hosted an event on 4th November at the Kia Oval attended by over 100 representatives from emerging GP Provider Groups, CCGS and...Female Genital Mutilation Datasets briefing note (04 Nov 2015)
Practices are now legally required to report Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). The purpose of the data collection is to improve the NHS...PMS contract review update (03 Nov 2015)
This briefing is for information only for GMS practices This update follows our recent PMS briefing: in areas where CCGs have already moved to Level 3 co-commissioning, (fully delegated responsibilities)...Darzi report one year on - 'Primary care stretched to breaking point and still waiting for resources' (21 Oct 2015)
Dr Michelle Drage comments on the implementation of the Better Health for London (Darzi) report, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of its publication and the London: One Year On...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.