Independent Practitioner Today

Independent practitioners give their reaction By Robin Stride Private consultants have ‘wholeheartedly’ welcomed the independent inquiry report into issues raised following the conviction of rogue surgeon Ian Paterson. And they warned that failure to implement its recommendations in full ‘would be tantamount to a betrayal of the patients, whose sad testimonies lie before us today’. […]

The next few months will bring some big issues for the independent healthcare sector to consider. David Hare reports. 2019 proved to be a busy year for the independent healthcare sector with a big focus on patient safety and the further improvement of the medical governance model in the sector. And, for the next few months, […]

Surgeon Mr David Sellu, convicted for gross negligence manslaughter of a patient – overturned on appeal after a 30-month prison sentence – continues his story from our last issue. 30 November 2010 A month after the inquest, in the light of the coroner’s decision to refer my case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), I […]

Hundreds of consultants’ practices share common management problems when it comes to billing and collection. In the first of a two-part feature, Simon Brignall highlights some of the most worrying. Over the last five years, I have met hundreds of consultants and so I have been exposed to a wide range of themes relating to […]

One of the most important decisions to make when engaging in private practice is the type of trading structure to adopt. Ian Tongue gives a round-up of possibilities. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and it is important to consider your personal circumstances to ensure you are optimised for tax. Aside from more complex structures for working […]

Keep it Legal: Employment categories. Are you considering taking on staff – including doctors – but remain unsure about the basis on which to engage them? Should you opt for a freelancer or offer an employment contract? Julia Gray addresses the most common questions independent practitioners ask about employment status. Employment Engaging staff as employees gives […]

The building blocks of accountancy. Our A-Z of essential matters that consultants and GPs need to consider to run their private practices efficiently continues, this month with the letter ‘G’. Susan Hutter reports. is for Growth Not so long ago, nearly all consultants traded as sole practitioners, often with the support of one or two administrative […]

Dr Lafina Diamandis rounds off her series for doctors investing in properties by describing the pitfalls of property investing – and how to dodge them. Not doing enough due diligence. One of the most common mistakes people make when investing in property is not doing enough due diligence. Even when a professional property sourcer sends […]

Our monthly analysis of private patient revenue growth turns to the 27 NHS acute trusts across the North-west region, covering the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Liverpool, and the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Philip Housden reports. Figures from the 2018-19 annual accounts for this regional group of trusts show that total private patient revenues […]

‘Business Dilemmas’ Can you stop a troublesome assistance dog from attending a consultation? Dr Sally Old gives her view.         Dilemma 1 Can I ban unruly assistance dog?  Q A patient recently brought a large, energetic dog to a consultation as their assistance dog.  During her visit, it jumped up at an assistant […]