Page Content
Job profiles
GP practice manager
Hours
37 per week
Starting salary
£18,000 + per year
As a practice manager, you would run the business side of a GP's surgery or health centre. You would be responsible for managing the practice's staff and budgets, developing its business strategy and making sure that everything runs smoothly. If you've got good general management skills and would like to use them in the health sector, this job could be for you.
In this job you would need to be an excellent organiser. You would need accounting and budgeting skills. You would also need business planning skills.
To get into this job employers will expect you to be an experienced administrator or manager. You may find it helpful to take the City & Guilds with Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) Diploma in Primary Care Management.
WorkDesc
The work
Your duties could vary according to the size of the practice, but would typically include:
- recruiting, training and supervising medical receptionists and secretaries
- dealing with accounts and budgets, paying wages and making sure the practice meets its financial targets
- organising duty rosters for doctors and clerical staff
- managing the reception and appointments system
- managing manual and computerised medical records systems
- controlling stocks of equipment, stationery and drugs
- arranging the building's cleaning, maintenance and security
- attending practice meetings
- monitoring prescriptions.
You would have a lot of contact with outside organisations such as local NHS trusts and primary care groups, and local authority social services departments.
HoursDesc
Hours
In a full-time job you would work 37 hours week, mainly standard office hours Monday to Friday. You may sometimes work in the evenings or on Saturday mornings, depending on your practice's opening hours. Part-time work may often be available.
You would be based at a GP surgery or health centre. If your practice includes more than one surgery, you would travel between locations.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries in smaller practices can be from £18,000 a year. With experience, earnings are usually between £25,000 and £60,000, depending on the size of the practice.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Employers will expect you to be an experienced administrator or manager. Experience in a health or social care setting would be an advantage, but experience and qualifications in accounts, personnel work or staff management in other industries can be equally useful.
Before looking for your first practice manager's job, you may find it helpful to take the City & Guilds with Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) Diploma in Primary Care Management. This is not essential beforehand, as you could take the qualification on the job once you are in the management role, but it could provide a useful insight into the work.
To be accepted for the City & Guilds/AMSPAR Diploma, you will need a qualification such as A levels, a BTEC National Diploma or an advanced medical secretarial qualification. You will also need an employer to recommend you.
If you are not currently working in healthcare, you may be accepted onto the City & Guilds/AMSPAR Diploma if you can find a suitable work placement in a GP practice or health centre.
See AMSPAR's website for more details about the Diploma.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
If you are working as a practice manager or deputy practice manager, you can take the City & Guilds/AMSPAR work-based Diploma in Primary Care Management on the job. See AMSPAR’s website for more information.
You could also choose to take the Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) Managing Health and Social Care awards. The MHSC Certificate and Diploma are open learning courses suitable for health service managers including GP practice managers. See the IHM website for more details.
Both AMSPAR and the IHM offer their members further training opportunities and professional recognition.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a GP practice manager you should have:
- excellent organisational skills
- the ability to manage people and lead a team
- good written and spoken communication skills
- accuracy and attention to detail
- accounting skills and budgeting awareness
- good computer skills
- strategic planning and business skills
- respect for confidential information.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) 
Tavistock House North
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9LN
Tel: 020 7387 6005
www.amspar.com
Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM)
21 Morley Street
London
SE1 7QZ
Tel: 020 7620 1030
www.ihm.org.uk
NHS Careers
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You could be employed by GPs’ surgeries and health centres all over the UK. Jobs are advertised in the local press and on health service websites.
With experience, you could choose to become a partner (part-owner) of the practice. Alternatively, you could move into healthcare management in hospitals, health authorities and NHS trusts, social services or private health care.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
NHS Careers has sections on:
View full Job market information
News
