BUSINESS MANAGER RECRUITMENT
January 2014
BUNTINGFORD AND PUCKERIDGE PRACTICE
The Medical Centre Standon & Puckeridge Surgery
White Hart Close Station Road
Buntingford Puckeridge
Herts SG9 9DQ Herts SG11 1TF
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
Background
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and resourceful business manager to join a newly formed organisation combining two thriving GP surgeries and to drive the new practice forward,embracing the future changes for General Practice.
The two surgeries of Buntingford Medical Centre and Standon and Puckeridge Surgery are located four miles apart,linked via the A10 main road. The practices look after patients living in the East Hertscommunities of Buntingford, Standon, Puckeridge and outlying villages. The area is mostly rural surrounded by pretty countryside and villages, but with good access to London and Cambridge, as well as to the nearby towns of Hertford, Ware, Stevenage and Bishop’s Stortford.
These two long-established surgeries have decided to join together and will become one of the largest GP practices in the area, with a joint GP partnership and operating for the time being from both sites.
The reason for this merger is to protect the practices during a time of considerable change in the NHS and to have a bigger say in future plans which might affect the patients in the locality. The larger practice will eventually benefit from economies of scale and facilitate better use of clinical and administrative resources, as well as attracting the recruitment of doctors and nurses.
The timescale for the merger will start from March 2014 with the inception of a new partnership and the appointment of a business manager who will oversee and manage the future changes. The new practice will continue to be funded by two GMS contracts with the NHS for the first few years to ensure stability of income, leading to a merged contract at the right time. The staff will remain working at their existing sites but the GP partners will start to provide services from both sites.
Patients Services
There are around 8200 patients registered at the Puckeridge practice and 5800 registered at Buntingford, making the total list size 14,000 patients. Both list sizes have beenslowly growing with new housing estates being built in the area. Further substantial new housing is planned in Buntingford over the next five years and a further 500 new residents in the Puckeridge area.
The surgeries provides the full range of primary health services under traditional GMS contracts including minor surgery, minor injury, child health care, maternity services, anticoagulation clinics, phlebotomy,diabetic clinics,respiratory services, travel clinics, and counselling.
There is a new telephone system at Puckeridge.
The surgeries both achieve high QOF points (Quality and Outcome Framework) and participate in many enhanced services. Patient satisfaction is generally very positivewith access perceived as generally good. Patient satisfaction with the doctors in the area is the highest in Hertfordshire. There is a virtual patient participation group in Buntingford but no group yet set up in Puckeridge. It will be important to establish a group for the merged practice and to communicate the changes positively to patients.
The surgeries are open every weekday from 8.30am-6.00pm, with some late appointments provided at each surgery and Saturday appointments provided at Buntingford once a month. This may all be reviewed in the future.
People in the Practice
The doctors and staff at both surgeries aspire to provide traditional family medicine and the highest quality care. Staff morale is good and there is a friendly atmosphere in both surgeries. Many of the staff are part-time.
There will be four GP partners in the newly merged practice: Dr Megan Phillimore-Brown, Dr Michael Partington, Dr Will Nicholson and Dr Julie Foster. There will also be several salaried GPs who are currently working at the practices: Dr Dominic Black, Dr Joanne Webster, Dr Malcom Perkin and Dr Olugbenga Ojedokun. The partners are currently looking to appoint a further two salaried GPs.
At Buntingford the practice manager will be retiring in March and may be able to provide a hand-over to the new business manager. There is administrator who currently provides secretarial duties and will be taking over some of the operational management task from the outgoing practice manager, including bookkeeping. There is also a receptionist/notes summariser, four receptionists, a healthcare assistant/receptionist, and a nurse practitioner who provide a range of practice nursing duties and treats minor illnesses. There are also two cleaners employed by the practice.
At Puckeridge there is an office manager who is responsible for the operational systems in the practice as well as bookkeeping, a secretary, a head receptionist, six receptionists, a scanning clerk and cleaners. There are two practice nurses providing treatment room nursing and chronic disease management.
Phlebotomists employed by the Trusts provide venepuncture services in both surgeries, and the district nurses are based at Puckeridge Surgery with their own office. Speech therapy is also occasionally provided at Buntingford Medical Centre.
The Buntingford practice provides training for medical students from Cambridge. This is an area which could be expanded in the future, as well as possibly becoming a GP training centre with the bigger surgery and future premises. The Buntingford surgery also participates in some medical research.
There are regular staff meetings at Puckeridge surgery and occasional meetings at Buntingford. This is an area which could be improved particularly during this period of change. The merged practice will also benefit from occasional all-practice away days for planning and to develop team-working.
It is anticipated that the partners and business manager will meet weekly, possibly in the evenings to start with, to discuss practice business. One of the partners will provide direct line management and mentoring for the new business manager.
There is an active practice managers’ forum which meets regularly and provides training courses for the local managers.
Physical Environment
The premises at Buntingford are purpose-built and leased, and situated in the centre of the town with a private car park for staff and patients. There is a spacious entrance area and waiting room, a reception and back office, four consulting rooms, two treatment rooms, a phlebotomy room, a counsellor’s rooms, the practice manager’s office, and an administration office. Further rooms for speech therapy are rarely used.
The premises at Puckeridge are owned by the partners and are a purpose-built and extended health centre with a private car park. There is an entrance lobby, reception with back office, a bright waiting area with a separate baby clinic area, four consulting rooms, two treatment rooms, two offices and a staff room/kitchen. The district nurses and counsellor have separate rooms in the building.
There are self-checking in screens for appointments at both surgeries and a TV screen in Buntingford waiting area displaying practice information.
The Puckeridge surgery offers appointments at the village of Furneux Pelham in a consulting room in the village hall two times a week.
The Puckeridge surgery has recently undergone a CQC inspection and the Buntingford surgery is preparing for an inspection in the near future.
It is envisaged that the Buntingford surgery may relocate to a new purpose-built medical centre as the practice grows, possibly on the outskirts of Buntingford as part of a new housing development, and this will become the main site for the practice. The Puckeridge surgery will continue to operate as the second site. In line with other developments of this type, the practice will seek to have built the largest possible premises to accommodate further growth of the practice and to provide other services affiliated to healthcare.
Financial Management and IT
The two administrators at each surgery are responsible for claiming income, bookkeeping, paying expenses, monitoring the practice bank accounts, and bank reconciliations. Salaries and pensions administration are outsourced. The business manager will be responsible for overseeing the financial management of the joint practice, as well as financial budgeting and financial planning. In time, the accounts from both surgeries will be merged.
The Buntingford surgery uses the clinical IT SystmOne and the Puckeridge surgery uses the Vision system. Clearly, both practices will need to use the same clinical system to facilitate joint working and the ability to see patients at either site in the future. The merged practice will also benefit from an Intranet to provide easy access of forms, protocols and patient leaflets. The current website for Buntingford is and there is no dedicated website for the Puckeridge surgery. A new website for the merged practice will need to be established as quickly as possible to provide useful information to patients and on-line appointments and prescription requests.
The Role of Business Manager
The partners are looking for a well-organised and committed business manager to drive forward the merger and develop the practice in the future, whilst maintaining the ethos of traditional General Practice. The business manager will also look for business opportunities and bring ideas back to the partnership. The manager will be working with an enthusiastic team of partners who are open to new opportunities and different ways of doing things. He or she will be responsible for overseeing the change management process and particularly supporting and development the teams of staff and individuals.
It is not essential that candidates have General Practice experience, although this would clearly be an asset. It is essential that candidates can demonstrate a willingness to learn and integrate quickly into the role. Every opportunity for training will be provided to help the person appointed develop the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake the role.
BUNTINGFORD AND PUCKERIDGE PRACTICE
BUSINESS MANAGER
JOB DESCRIPTION
Overall Job Purpose
To manage and coordinate all aspects of the practice’s day-to-day business,ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, motivating and managing staff, optimising efficiency and financial performance, and ensuring the practice achieves its long-term strategies.
Accountability
Accountable to the partners, with one partner being nominated to act as mentor and provide one-to-one support as may be needed.
Location
The post is based at both the Buntingford Medical Centre and the Standon and Puckeridge Surgery, as well as any future premises run by the practice.
Core Tasks and Functions
Management of Human Resources:
Ensure that the practice is staffed and resourced within the budget by people with appropriate skills, experience and commitment to provide the professional, technical, administrative and inter-personal expertise needed.
a)Develop, maintain and updateHR and training policies
b)Ensure the effective recruitment, selection and induction of new staff.
c)Ensure clear and up-to-date contracts of employment, employment policies and procedures, and staff handbook in line with good employment practice.
d)Ensure performance is managed and there is appropriate supervision of staff.
e)Ensure optimum staffing levels at all times with holiday and sickness absences managed.
f)Develop teamwork ensuring well-run regular staff meetings and organising away-days and social functions.
g)Ensure all staff have effective staff appraisals.
h)Review patterns and methods of work and skills-mix for both individuals and teams to ensure their efficient and effective functioning.
i)Deal with grievances and disciplinary matters as may be required in conjunction with the partners.
j)Ensure personnel and attendance records are maintained.
k)Review pay and conditions of staff and advise the partners accordingly.
l)Ensure that all statutory requirements are fulfilled and adopt changes as and when they occur.
m)Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times and encourage the professionalism of all staff.
n)Ensure training needs are identified and develop with each staff member an annual training plan as part of the appraisal system. Ensure that training is carried out either in-house or externally.
Policy and Planning:
Regularly review the organisation and developments within and outside the Practice which will impact directly or indirectly. This includes involvement in local and national agencies whichformulate and influence primary health care strategy.
a)Assume responsibility for developing a practice business plan.
b)Participate and work with groups determining future policy, including Clinical Commissioning groups.
c)Develop business cases and tenders to provide future services.
d)Explore innovative ideas for provision of services to suit the needs of the practice population and the professionals working within the practice team.
e)Explore opportunities to optimise use of practice facilities, agree contracts and ensure appropriate legal requirements.
f)Liaise with other local practices through the practice managers’ forum and other relevant forums.
Management of financial resources:
Responsible to the partners for the effective use of practice finances, working with the partners and practice accountant to plan effective budgetary control, ensuring cost efficiencies and maximisation of profitability.
a)Oversee the bookkeeping, bank accounts and salaries and pensions administration for both surgeries.
b)Ensure efficient working methods and best use of resources.
c)Ensure controls of expenditure whilst ensuring necessary investment in resources.
d)Ensure all income-generating opportunities are explored and maximised.
e)Provide budgetary and cash flow forecasting to the partners.
f)Ensure policies and procedures to protect the practice against fraud and financial mismanagement.
Management of Information Technology systems:
Ensure the effective management of information within the practice and with outside agencies.
a)Develop the practice’s IT strategy.
b)Lead on IT crisis prevention and develop systems to protect security of data.
c)Ensure that appropriate computer searches, audits and reports are carried out.
d)Ensure the training of all personnel and users of the practice’s IT systems.
e)Ensure maintenance of hardware and replacements as required.
f)Ensure policies against the misuse of the Internet and emails.
g)Prepare business case for future changes or developments and explore all relevant avenues of funding.
h)Develop a practice website and an Intranet
i)Ensure confidentiality of data and conformity to the Data Protection Act and Medical Records and Reports Acts, the Freedom of Information Act and the Caldicott Report.
Management of Partnership issues:
Provide support to the partners and thepartnership to ensure excellent team-working and a sound legal framework.
a)Ensure effective partners’ meetings with clear agendas, minutes and action plans.
b)Ensure appropriate and up-to-date partnership agreement.
c)Provide management advice and information to the partners in order for them to make decisions about the running of the practice.
d)Organise partners’ away-days and planning meetings to develop strategy and team working.
e)Assist in the recruitment of new partners.
f)Deal with partnership changes – retirements, new appointments, legal, financial and patient-related implications.
g)Discuss with the partners regarding the best use of clinical resources and seek innovative ways of managing the clinical workload.
h)Ensure decision-making relating to the partnership is documented.
i)Ensure medical indemnity for all clinicians is up-to-date.
j)Liaise with the out-of-hours provider as necessary.
Management of operational systems:
Ensure the effective and efficient working systems and operational systems within the practice.
a)Review and ensure that all operational systems, including the telephone system, appointments system, messages, visits, results, prescribing systems, access, incoming mail, scanning, etc. function at an optimum level all times.
b)Ensure the summarising of clinical information on to the patient medical records.
c)Ensure the correct registration and deduction of patient records in line with recommended procedures.
d)Ensure systems under the Quality and Outcome Framework (organisational and clinical)
e)Approve and help to implement enhanced services and other contractual services.
f)
Care Quality Commission
Advise the partners on action needed to maintain compliance with the CQC requirements, and ensure the practice systems and procedures meet the 16 Essential Standards.
a)Manage the process by which the practice maintains registration under the CQC.
b)Monitor and develop the operation of the organisation as needed to ensure that the Essential Standards continue to be met by the practice.
c)Support the partners through any inspection visits from the CQC.
d)Implement and follow up any action or improvements required by the CQC in order to maintain registration
Management of premises, equipment and stock:
Advise the practice in making full and effective use of its current premises, equipment and stock.
a)Oversee processes for the maintenance, repair and cleaning of all practice premises.
b)Review best use of premises and maximise income from premises.
c)Manage any future premises developments
d)Manage agreements with other users of the premises.
e)Ensure appropriate insurance of premises, equipment and stock.
f)Ensure security measures of premises and personnel, including intruder alarms, fire alarms and panic buttons.
g)Ensure adherence to health and safety and fire procedures throughout the practice and relevant training and updates are undertaken as required by all practice staff.
h)Ensure risk assessments are regularly carried out and documented.
i)Ensure that the purchase and control of supplies, drugs and equipment meets the current and future needs of the practice.