Practice Management – Responsibilities, Tasks and Resources
Page Contents
Wessex LMC Resources & The British Medical Association
External Resources
- The NHS works with the Department of Health and Social Care to commission Public Health services in General Practice at both a national level, and local levels via Health and Wellbeing Boards NHS England » Public Health Health and wellbeing boards – guidance – GOV.UK
- Local practices – we would encourage Practice Managers to attend any PM meetings locally to make the most of networking opportunities and to share intelligence. Practice Manager Updates Podcasts and Videos Space to Thrive
- Primary Care Networks (PCNs). To find out more about PCNs, go to our webpage at: Primary Care Networks (PCNs) – Wessex LMCs where we provide up to date information on:
- How the finances work
- The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) (a program to expand the primary care workforce by providing funding to Primary Care Networks (PCNs) for the recruitment of additional staff) Go to: NHS England » Expanding our workforce
Wessex LMC Resources & The British Medical Association
- Wessex LMCs represent & support General Practice across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, and support the Channel Islands. Contact
- Go to our PM calendar for a summary of the key national primary care returns and claims required
- Attend/listen to PM Update webinars Practice Manager Updates Podcasts and Videos
- Receive our regular newsletter for the latest news relevant to general practice: LMC Team Newsletters – Wessex LMCs
- Access our Educational Podcasts and Videos Practice Manager Educational Podcasts and Videos
- Find out about our Practice Manager Support Practice Manager Supporters and Space to Thrive
- Access support for the Practice Team Support for the Practice Team
- Find out what support is available for GPs Support for GPs
- Learn about our comprehensive Education and Training Education & Events
- The British Medical Association is a registered trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK representing, supporting and promoting the medical profession Guidance for GP practices
Contract and Regulation
- The Standard general medical services (GMS) contract (GP contract), personal medical services (PMS) contract or APMS (alternative personal medical services) set the contractual and regulatory framework for all practices. For more information, go to NHS England » GP Contract
- NHS primary medical service directions – GOV.UK
- NHS England » Primary medical services policy and guidance manual (PGM)
- We have produced a comprehensive webpage with links to a wide range of contractual and regulatory resources: Regulations
- Enhanced Services GP contract enhanced services are services provided by general practices that go beyond the core contract requirements to meet national or local health priorities. They are offered through Directed Enhanced Services (DES) eg minor surgery, which are nationally agreed and must be offered to practices, and Local Enhanced Services (LES) eg monitoring of specific conditions, which are locally commissioned and vary in scope and funding.
- Go to our PM calendar for a summary of the key returns and claims required
- The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. It makes sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve. For more information and advice, go to: CQC GPs and online primary care: information for providers – Care Quality Commission
HR
- Be aware of where you can access support
- Workforce Management
- Training requirements including safeguarding, Basic Life Support & Chaperoning A-Z of Educational Resources – Wessex LMCs
- Appraisal Forms for Staff
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)DBS – Wessex LMCs Disclosure and Barring Service – GOV.UK Role eligibility for DBS checks | NHS Employers GP mythbuster 2: Disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks for primary healthcare staff – Care Quality Commission
Governance and Risk
- Insurance and Indemnity. Practices typically purchase medical indemnity to protect healthcare professionals against medical negligence or malpractice claims. Practices also purchase business insurance to protect against unforeseen events such as building damage or unforeseen events.
- Indemnity Insurance, indemnity and medico-legal support for doctors – GMC
- Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice Indemnity Cover – CNSGP Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice (CNSGP) – NHS Resolution
- Public liability insurance Public and employer liability insurance quote or certificate – Care Quality Commission
- GMC/NMC registration Registration and licensing – GMC Registration – The Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Significant Events Significant event analysis – The MDU Significant events – GMC Significant Event Analysis (SEA) – Wessex LMCs
- The Learn from Patient Safety Events (LFPSE) service is a national NHS system for the recording and analysis of patient safety events that occur in healthcare. NHS England » Learn from patient safety events (LFPSE) service
- Data Protection, Information Governance Requirements Information Governance
- Chaperones
- Understand the chaperone procedure in your practice. GP mythbuster 15: Chaperones – Care Quality Commission
- Complaints
- Who manages them – more information is available from the BMA guidance here? Dealing with complaints made against you in primary care
- GP mythbuster 103: Complaints management – Care Quality Commission
- Are all the staff aware of the protocols
- Reporting KO41b Primary Care (GP and Dental) Complaints Collection – NHS England Digital
- Cyber Security
- Information Governance – Wessex LMCs – section: Useful Cyber Security resources
- GDPR, Legal and Contracts Educational Podcasts and Videos – Wessex LMCs
- Governance – for more guidance on practice responsibilities see: Primary Care Key Governance Roles document
- Information Governance – Wessex LMCs
- Information Technology NHS England » GP Digital Services – Procurement of GP IT
- Clinical systems
- Telephony
- Appointment system
- Innovation & AI Educational Podcasts and Videos – Wessex LMCs
- AI and New Ways of Working – Wessex LMCs
- Risk Register – A general practice (GP) risk register is a formal document that logs identified risks – like clinical errors, financial issues, or operational problems – along with their likelihood, potential impact, and planned responses. Its purpose is to systematically manage potential hazards, enhance patient safety, and ensure organizational quality and regulatory compliance. Key steps include identifying risks, assessing their severity, developing mitigation strategies, and regularly reviewing the register to monitor their effectiveness and update it as needed.
- NHS England Risk Register Template: risk-register-template.xlsx
Partnership and Finance Considerations
- Most practices operate under the GP partnership model. To see our GP Partnership guidance, got to: Partnerships – Wessex LMCs
- The BMJ’s Guide To GP Partnerships | BMJ Careers
- Salaried GPs/locums Salaried GP model job planning templates and guidance
- Some topics to consider include profits & drawings and annual leave entitlements
- NHS Pensions NHS Pensions | NHSBSA
- Safe Working Safe working in general practice toolkit
- If in doubt, we advise seeking professional legal and/or HR advice.
- Finance
- Finance Educational Podcasts and Videos
- Work with your accountants and Partners to share risk & understanding
- Monitor capitation figures (the number of patients which the practice serves and is paid for): Models for paying providers of NHS services
- Costing a Service Costing a Service
- Multidisciplinary Framework for Skills and Costing
- Payroll – who does it and who checks it (is this done in-house or outsourced?)
- The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is an annual reward and incentive programme for GP practices in England, detailing practice achievement results. QOF – processes and checks NHS England » Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) guidance for 2026/27 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) – CSU Collaborative
- HMRC HM Revenue & Customs – GOV.UK – check with your medical accountant to ensure you are compliant.
- The General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions (GMS SFE Directions) set out how payments should be calculated and made to practices. General Medical Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions – GOV.UK
- PCSE (Primary Care Support England) supports primary care provision by providing key services to GPs, including: GP payments, GP pensions, Open Exeter, patient registrations, management of performers lists, practice mergers and closures and supplies. Find out more at: Primary Care Support England | PCSE
PPGs
- Patient Participation Groups GP mythbuster 108: Involving and engaging with the patient population and local communities – Care Quality Commission
Premises
- Premises
- Who owns it
- What are the financial and maintenance risks
- Health and safety checks Health and Safety
- The NHS Premises Costs Directions are statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care that sets out how payments are calculated and made to GP contractors for their premises costs NHS (General Medical Services – Premises Costs) Directions – GOV.UK
- NHS England » Primary medical services policy and guidance manual (PGM) section 12 Premises running costs and service charges
- Infection Prevention and Control in General Practice – Wessex LMCs