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GP Surveyors team of specialist experts have prepared this quick guide to help you and your practice fill in your CMR1 form accurately and avoid any potentially costly errors.

What is a CMR1 form?

A CMR1 form is issued to practices by the NHS/ICB to begin the rent review process. The CMR1 form is sent in an Excel spreadsheet format and is used by the District Valuer and NHS England to determine the space that qualifies for NHS rent reimbursement within the practice.

When will you receive your CMR1 Form?

Your practice should receive your form before your triennial review date. However, we’d recommend that you seize the initiative and request a copy of the forms, from your NHS/ICB 1-2 months prior to your review date, in order to pre-empt possible delays.

Filling in your CMR1 form

It is essential that you fill in your CMR1 form accurately, as any errors could inadvertently lead to a reduction in your practices rent reimbursement or delay the process.

Follow these simple steps to avoid the most common CMR1 form mistakes;

Check all reviews are up to date – if you have not completed a CRM1 form for more than one review date, make sure you fill out and file a separate form for each review date. This will ensure that your surgery is assessed for each three-year review period.

Complete every section – thus avoiding the form being returned and delaying the rent review process.

Include improvements to the practice – regardless of how minor you believe them to be, any improvements to the practice could result in an uplift in your practices rent reimbursement.

Include all funding received for improvements and extensions – it is paramount the total cost of the work, including any funding and the practice contributions, are accurately input.

Include all car parking spaces – make sure your total in section 7, includes; patient, accessible and staff. A common mistake we see, but one that will make a difference.

CMR1a Section:
Include all rooms and usable spaces; this includes toilets, store cupboards, lofts and basements. Any space not included might not be assessed.

Ensure you list each room’s usage for each session – use the designated numbers (1 to 4) to denote the room’s usage if you leave a session empty it’s automatically classed as vacant. Filling out this section thoroughly means all of your surgery will be assessed.

Private and non-contracted use (including sessional use for a service charge)
This is an extremely complicated area and we suggest you seek specialist advice to discuss the specific circumstances at your practice.

GP Surveyors are here to help

If you have any further questions regarding your CMR1 form or would like help completing your form, just get in touch and one of our team will be happy to help.

With rising inflation and soaring energy costs, coupled with the aftereffects of the pandemic, we understand that practices’ finances are currently under extraordinary pressure. Now more than ever GP surgeries must make sure that they are receiving the appropriate income. As part of this process it would be highly advisable for  practices to ensure that the Notional Rent the surgery receives is fair and reasonable and in line with the local area.

Checking and challenging a GP practices Notional Rent figure

Under the terms of the GP contract, practices are entitled to obtain a second opinion of District Valuer Services (DVS) valuation. A practice has three years to appeal the proposed figure, providing they do not accept. The three years starts from the date stated on a practice’s Notional Rental figures letter (CMR6). When seeking a second opinion on the valuation, it is highly advisable to use an experienced Chartered Surveyor who specialises in primary care premises.

It is important to be aware that the DV’s Notional Rent valuation is purely their opinion of the value of the practice premises and this can be challenged. However, a challenge must be supported by comparable evidence of rentals prevailing on other primary care medical properties in the locality. This evidence is not widely available in the public domain, hence the need for an experienced, specialist firm to undertake this work.

Once a surveyor is instructed they will check your Notional Rent figure and you will either be given reassurance that your reimbursement is at the correct level or you will be advised that a challenge would be worthwhile.

Successful Notional Rent challenges

If the challenge is successful, NHS England should begin to pay the practice the increased Notional Rent accordingly. Successful challenges are backdated to the practices review date and the practice should receive the back pay accordingly.

Practices should seek a second opinion from a specialist surveyor every time they receive a new Notional Rent figure from NHS England (usually every three years). Even if a practice has not made any physical improvements to the premises, its value can be increased by other external factors. A surgery’s value may have simply gone up with the market, which can change significantly over three years. During this period, a specialist surveyor is likely to have gathered additional up-to-date comparable evidence, which can be used to support a challenge for an increase. Even if a practice received a large Notional Rent increase last time, they should still seek a second opinion.

Notional Rent increases

GP Surveyors negotiate average Notional Rent increases of 8% per surgery, over and above the DVS initial valuation. Some Notional Rent cases result in increases vastly above the average.

*Statistics based on agreed figures from 2018- Sept 2022.