Independent Practitioner Today

Having progressed from hospital doctor to management consultant, it is now Dr Michelle Tempest’s mission to get more doctors involved in the management of healthcare to help guide positive change from within. Dr Tempest tells her story to Independent Practitioner Today. Nothing can replace the journey of being a front-line doctor. The camaraderie of medical […]

How can you ensure your website continues to operate at its full potential for your practice? Geoff Meakin identifies the changes on the search engine horizon and suggests ways independent practitioners can help future-proof their websites in preparation. According to Google, up to 5% of all internet searches are healthcare-related – a massive 12 billion […]

The predominant rule of thumb with social media is ‘be where your audience is’. We know they are out there on social media, but where? And how do we find them and engage with them? Jane Braithwaite says the starting point is to develop a good understanding of the various social media platforms and the […]

Accountant’s Clinic. Susan Hutter gives guidance for doctors looking to broaden their offering by launching a new service or a medical product. An increasing number of consultants, GPs and other medical specialists are now looking at ways to provide new services or even launch products to offer patients and clients a fuller offering. It’s also […]

In the fifth in our series examining new GMC confidentiality guidance, Dr Kathryn Leask explains how best to handle the media if they contact you. The rise of ‘fake news’, 24-hour news channels, social media and countless national and regional newspapers, coupled with an increase in press articles about alleged medical wrongdoings, can make being […]

A well-crafted phone call can speak volumes about a practice: how well it is run and how it treats its patients. It projects the overall image and professionalism of the practice, says Stephanie Vaughan-Jones. People will often call a practice before stepping foot in its reception area. This goes for new inquiries and existing patients […]

One of London’s newest clinics, Twenty-five Harley Street day clinic, decided from the outset to go the preventative medicine route for billing and collection. Chief executive Bob Davidson explains. Our clinic aims to become London’s premier day clinic for women and was the brainchild of Ukrainian entrepreneur and businesswoman Anna Tigipko. I was lucky to […]

Residency rules spell tax trouble for doctors working abroad. Melanie Thomas of specialist medical accountants Hall Liddy explains how to avoid being stuck in ‘tax limbo’. Few doctors leaving the UK to work overseas full-time would think to keep a log of the hours spent on the job or the days they take as leave. […]

‘Legal Briefing’ Our popular legal series for doctor entrepreneurs ends with Simon Lee’s ten tips for doctors in the process of – or who are considering – setting up online or app-based healthcare businesses. ‘Look to the future now: it’s only just begun.’ So sang Wolverhamp­ton glam-rockers Slade in their famous Christmas hit. Now, I […]

You must now always demonstrate in your reports that you understand the ramifications of the Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board (2015) ruling, warns Michael R. Young. The law is not static and constantly evolves. The Mont­gomery ruling is a good example of this. Doctors are used to giving information about the benefits and risks of […]