A regular window into the world of private general practice

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year. Demand for private general practice keeps growing (if you don’t believe us, then surely you’ll believe Mumsnet?!) so it is an exciting time to be in the industry. New private GP clinics are opening almost every month, and existing practices are trying to expand.

At The Private GP Forum, we aim to share best practices and insights from decades in the industry - these are designed to help you if you’re just getting started, or if you’re a 30 year industry veteran. If you are interesting in contributing to our website or newsletters, either as a provider or sponsor, please get in touch.

🗞️ Private GP In The News

• Should NHS GPs offer private GP appointments? (BMJ): A case study of Northern Irish NHS GPs offering private GP services
• Demand for Private GP Services Continues to Grow (iNews): Recent data shows significant increases in appointments as patients seek faster access and flexible care.

✅ Industry Insights

• We’ve heard of new practices opening in Wales, Hampshire, Blackburn, Suffolk and Bournemouth (to name just a few) - if you’ve opened a practice recently, then let us know, and get yourself listed on our sister site Find A Private GP (for free)
• South Downs NHS Federations is offering private GP appointments - in a move that may point towards a future where primary care providers hold both NHS and private-sector contracts (as many hospitals already do)

🤓 Forum Articles - From Red Tape to Competitive Edge: Rethinking Compliance

To kick things off for 2025, we’re focusing on what it takes to run a safe & compliant private GP service.

An often overlooked challenge of opening and maintaining a private GP services is the need to stay on top of compliance obligations. Here are a couple of well thumbed articles from the Forum:

• Will the CQC Inspect Me? (See here): TLDR, yes. Learn when and why the CQC may inspect private GP practices, and what to do if you receive a visit sooner than expected.
• Registering with the ICO (See here): Explore why data protection compliance is essential, and how to secure your patients’ information properly.
• Health & Safety Poster Requirements (See here): A potentially niche point, but one to keep in mind. Understand basic health and safety obligations for private practices, including signage and staff awareness.
• Picking the right systems to prepare you for CQC inspections (See here): Discover how tools like QCS, Blustream and using EMIS for your record system can help when it comes to a CQC inspection

You can read more in our compliance section. We hope these resources save you time and give you confidence in your day-to-day work.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to sharing more insights next month.

The Private GP Forum Team

P.S. Over the next few months we’re giving our website a facelift. If you’d like to contribute, then get in touch.