GP Surveyors are looking ahead to 2017

GP Surveyors Looking Ahead 2017

With the festive season on our door step, many of us are looking beyond this to our New Years’ resolutions and business plans. However, if you’re fed up with the usual choices of losing weight, quitting smoking or eating more healthily etc, then why not turn your thoughts to your GP practice instead?

There are always areas where things can be made more effective and efficient. The real challenge is to identify these areas and take action.

Need some inspiration?

As experts in the primary care sector, GP Surveyors have identified a number of common premises issues where surgeries are hoping to improve or consider throughout 2017.

  • Make sure you are receiving all the income you are entitled to:
    Analyse the income that you receive from your GP premises, e.g. reimbursement of rent and business rates; and rent, service charges and rent form organisations that lease space from you (e.g. a pharmacy, dentist etc). Ask your specialist surveyors to undertaken an independent assessment and negotiate increases as appropriate.
  • Concerns around Succession planning? – Consider sale and leaseback:
    Explore the option of selling your GP surgery to an investor and leasing it back from them. Sale and leaseback enables a GP practice to sell the property to an investor, but continue to work from the premises whilst paying rent to that investor, who will become the landlord.
  • Boost income? – Consider the feasibility of a Pharmacy Implant
    Co-locating a pharmacy at your GP premises not only improves patient experience – it also boosts your income and increases the market value of your practice (the price that it would sell for on the open market).A pharmacy doesn’t need a large amount of floor space and pharmacy companies will often be willing to foot the bill for any amendments required to your practice and some will even offer you a high premium. However, just be careful that this isn’t in exchange for a lower rent. Your specialist surveyor will be able to advise you.
  • Is it worth introducing new service providers if you have available space?
    Introducing complementary service providers into your building is not as lucrative as might first be thought, due to changes within the Premises Cost Directions 2013. The directions allow NHS England to equitably offset income against the rent reimbursement if the complementary service is provided from rooms that are used for contracted medical services at other times.If you do have space that you want to rent out, it will be most profitable for the practice if you rent out rooms that do not currently qualify for or attract NHS rental reimbursement.
  • Plan now for potential premises refurbishments, extensions or developments
    The General Practice Forward View sets out the importance of investment in premises and technology to enable transformation in general practice.

Are you looking to apply for NHS funds for improvement works and recurring premises costs?

In some areas, the NHS may seek GP’s to contract out of the Premises Cost Directions (PCD) to avoid paying recurring costs.

The PCD are designed to ensure that all GP’s are treated fairly and equitably. Where NHS contribute funds to improvement works, GP’s should ensure that when applying for NHS contributions that an application is two fold and should obtain in writing that abatement regulations within the PCD will be applied appropriately.

For advice, help and support with any GP premises issue, please don’t hesitate to contact GP Surveyors on 0114 281 5850 or email [email protected]

 

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