What can you do about inflated NHSPS service charges?
Around 1,500 GP practices in England currently operate from premises owned and managed by NHS Property Services (NHSPS). Many of these surgeries have now been contacted by NHSPS about entering into a new lease and are also facing demands for a highly inflated service charge.
The proposed service charge increases can be substantial, with charges reaching up to six figures in certain cases. So, it’s little surprise that we have been contacted by many practices who are extremely concerned about the impact the increased costs will have on their business.
The first point to bear in mind is that unless you have signed a lease and agreed to these charges, you shouldn’t feel immediately pressured and you may be within your rights to challenge them. There are also practical steps you can take that may help you negotiate with NHSPS and agree on a more manageable figure going forward.
Breaking down the costs
The invoices themselves are sometimes not very clear, as they simply lump all costs together. Begin by checking the backing sheet to break down the cost, so you’re clear on exactly what you are being charged for.
In accordance with the Premises Cost Directions, certain expenses are classed as ‘reimbursement costs’ and should sit outside the service charge. They are:
- Rent
- Rates
- Clinical waste
Other elements may also be reimbursed in part, depending on what they include. Such as:
- External repairs and maintenance for which the tenant has responsibility
- Buildings insurance
The repair costs may not be recovered in full, as they depend on the District Valuer looking at the Current Market Rent figure. This will usually include an ‘uplift’ of a small percentage (usually around 5%) which includes reimbursement for these items but in practice may not cover the whole cost. That is why it is important to control service charges; as they often not fully recovered.
All remaining items will form part of the service charge, which will typically include landscaping, litter picking, gritting and the cleaning and lighting of common areas.
Action you can take
1. If you have a lease – Check what it says about your obligations in regard to payment, as the terms of the lease will ultimately prevail. If you have signed a lease and agreed to them, then you are legally obliged to pay in accordance with the lease terms. Check what the lease says about which services the landlord must provide, how the service charge costs are worked out and what the optional services are. Ideally, your lease may have a cap beyond which the landlord cannot charge.
2. If you don’t have a lease
Our recommendations
In this situation, there is no ‘one solution fits all’. While there has been some talk of a national resolution, nothing has yet materialised. It is difficult to imagine how a single solution can suit all practices, since this kind of approach is likely to generate winners and losers.
If you don’t have a lease in place, our advice is not to feel pressured to pay the inflated charge. Follow the steps we have outlined above and try to negotiate a more acceptable amount. Resist the temptation not to pay anything, however. The safest course of action will usually be to keep paying the amount you have historically paid, and get assistance to negotiate revised terms. Be careful not to sign or commit to anything until you have professional advice!
Also, be wary of time sensitive incentives, such as offers to pay legal fees or stamp duty land tax. Whilst these are nice to have, a one-off payment is unlikely to offset the impact of a large recurring annual service charge, so make sure you understand the cost/benefit.
For more information about NHSPS leases, or any other related issues, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
- Continue to pay what you have historically paid. Paying any more could set a new precedent and that’s something to be avoided as it may harm your negotiations if you decide to enter into a formal lease later. If you’ve been in occupation for a long period of time without a formal lease, then you may have a periodic tenancy that secures your rights. This could also be helpful when negotiating a service charge cap.
- Consider starting a maintenance fund – Begin putting some money aside regularly, so you have built up a contingency pot should things get difficult in the future.
- Negotiate – The final step is to try and negotiate an amount you can afford to pay and a service charge cap in your new lease. The advantage of having a cap will be the certainty it provides, but it does have the drawback that charges are likely to end up at that amount, so think about what you can afford going forward. If a cap cannot be agreed, the services and method of charging should be carefully reviewed – for example, any additional services should only be provided with your consent to the proposed costs.
News
Ceasing contributions to the NHS Pension – what are the partnership implications?
There are many reasons why a partner may decide to stop contributing towards the NHS Pension – from 24hr retirement, to approaching the ceiling of the lifetime allowance, or simply deciding to make other pension arrangements.
At DR Solicitors we are receiving an increased number of enquiries from partnerships seeking clarity on this matter, as stopping contributions is becoming more common.
The good news is, it’s a relatively straightforward process. The key is to have an accountant who understands the NHS pension scheme and a Partnership Deed which correctly defines the allocation process.
The main areas that can sometimes lead to confusion are:
The role of NHSE
NHSE pays the contract sum to the practice net of estimated pension contributions. NHSE then pays these withheld contributions across to NHS Pensions. This payment is sometimes referred to as the ’employer contribution’ but this is incorrect. NHSE is simply paying across the partner contributions on behalf of the individual partners who are members of the scheme.
How pension contributions are treated in the accounts
If NHSE didn’t make these payments, the contract sum would be paid gross to the practice and the individual partners would make the contributions instead. A common mistake is to forget that practice income is not the monies actually received from NHSE, but rather the monies received PLUS the pension contributions withheld. It is this gross amount which should be shown in the accounts and split in profit sharing ratios.
The pension contributions should then be treated as an expense attributable to individual partners. As such, when a partner ceases to make contributions, the expense will disappear and so the net profits they receive will increase.
The only way this process can give rise to problems for a practice is if income is shown as the net amount received, rather than being grossed up with the withheld contributions. This would, however, be an error in the accounts and contrary to accounting policy.
A simple worked example
Imagine a two-partner practice operating with a 50/50 profit share, where Partner A contributes £100 towards the NHS pension and Partner B contributes nothing:
- The practice receives £900 from NHSE (the contract sum minus £100 pension contribution)
- Practice income = £1000
- Partner A net profits = £400
- Partner B net profits = £500
The Partnership Deed
The Partnership Deed simply needs to state that all pension contributions are an individual expense. It may also state that all income should be shown gross, but this is normal accounting policy so is not strictly necessary. There will be other circumstances that the deed needs to cover, such as dealing with over and under accruals on retirement, but that is a topic we will cover in more detail at a later date.
Our recommendations
Allocating pension contributions is an area that any specialist accountant should be familiar with, and only a poorly drafted Partnership Deed would get wrong, but if you’re at all unsure then please feel free to get in touch and we’d be happy to help you.
For more information, please contact Nils Christiansen on 01483 511555 or email n.christiansen@drsolicitors.com
News
Why succession planning is vital for any GP partnership
When you’re busy dealing with the day-to-day responsibility of running a GP practice, planning for the future can sometimes take a backseat. But there is one area you cannot afford to overlook and that’s succession planning.
There will naturally be some level of movement within any GP partnership, from individuals moving on, to those retiring or choosing to leave general practice altogether. Indeed, figures from Health Service Journal reveal that more than 20 per cent of GPs are approaching average retirement age in some areas of the UK.
These ‘normal’ problems are however exacerbated by the current recruitment crisis in General Practice, such that in many areas it is proving near impossible to recruit new GP partners.
Knowing how you will manage losing a partner and taking steps to eliminate or reduce any potential issues, is a vital part of the process. Having a robust succession plan in place is key, for the protection of the practice, the patients, and the interests of partners.
Problems you may encounter when the number of partners declines include:
- Potential breach of lease – A surgery lease will often specify the minimum number of tenants, with the figure commonly set at two.
- Difficulty getting a mortgage – It may prove difficult for a practice with just a couple of partners to obtain a mortgage on a large/valuable building. As a minimum you can expect to face higher interest rates and have to contribute greater equity.
- Profitability at risk – Locums and salaried GPs are now frequently more costly than partners, so the loss of a partner may threaten the underlying profitability of the business.
- Increased pressures and commitment – Dealing with the management and regulation needed to run a GP practice is much easier when it’s shared between a number of partners. The fewer people involved, the bigger the commitment each partner needs to make.
- GMS/PMS contract issues – Once the partner to patient ratio becomes too skewed questions may get asked about your ability to deliver your clinical care obligations. NHSE can terminate a contract if they consider “that the change in membership of the partnership is likely to have a serious adverse impact on the ability of the Contractor or the PCT to perform its obligations”.
- Fear of the ‘last man standing’ issue – If the Partnership Deed obliges you to buy out a retiring partner, this can trigger a run as everybody tries to avoid being the ‘last man standing’. But even if you aren’t obliged, the result may be the surgery being part owned by people who have no interest in the business, which can create its own problems.
So, what can you do?
There are several steps you can take to try and reduce the risk of problems. They include:
- Increase the timeframe within which partners must leave their capital in the business following a retirement – ideally, until a replacement has been found
- Reduce the risk of a rush to exit by requiring a gap between retirements within the Partnership Deed. This should give you more time to recruit a replacement
- Consider undertaking a merger to increase the size of the partnership
- Make yourself a teaching practice and thereby more attractive to junior doctors who may be interested in becoming a partner in the future
- Agree what will happen to the mortgage following retirement. For example, specify whether retirees will be liable for a percentage of any early redemption penalty
- Consider promoting or recruiting a practice manager as a partner, to share the management load and further spread any risk
- Open channels of communication with NHSE and establish what additional support may be available to you
Our recommendations
Prevention is always better than cure, especially when it comes to handling a retirement and the loss of a partner. It will always be far easier to plan ahead, than to deal with an issue should it arise. Taking time to consider all the potential implications and having a robust succession plan in place that is fully documented within the Partnership Deed, will offer you the greatest protection.
If you are facing any of the problems we’ve mentioned here, or for advice on undertaking a comprehensive succession plan, we’d urge you to seek the advice of an experienced legal team, who will ensure your interests are protected.
For more information about succession planning, Partnership Deeds, or any other related issues, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
Are you in breach of your GMS or PMS contract?
A GMS contract is a legally binding agreement made between a GP practice and NHS England (NHSE) that sets out certain obligations for both parties. It is the most important asset a practice will hold.
Running to over 270 pages plus lengthy appendices, it is a substantial and complicated document, both to navigate and understand.
Unless a practice has read it from beginning to end, and has very careful monitoring in place, it is likely that most practices will be in breach of their obligations at some point or another – in many cases, without realising.
So, what can practices do to protect their contracts?
Dealing with a breach
There are many reasons why a practice may be in breach of their GMS contract. Some are minor and some more serious.
If you do become aware of a contractual breach, you should rectify the problem as soon as possible and put procedures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. You should then assess the impact of the breach.
An example of a minor breach might be a failure to keep the practice leaflet or website up to date. There is not normally any obligation to inform NHSE of these minor breaches, although a practice would be obliged to provide such information if requested. If NHSE were to find out they would probably issue a breach or remediation notice. Once a practice receives two or more of these, NHSE become entitled to terminate the contract on notice, subject to a cumulative impact test.
For more serious breaches, you may be obliged to notify NHSE. In particular you should notify NHSE as soon as reasonably practicable, of “any serious incident that, in your reasonable opinion, affects or is likely to affect your performance of your obligations under the contract.”
Whilst this leaves room for ambiguity, a breach would certainly be considered ‘serious’ if it put patient safety at risk. An example of this might be a failure of the vaccine fridge, combined with inadequate records to prove that the no vaccines had been compromised.
Once NHSE becomes aware of a serious breach, they would consider whether to deal with it under the breach and remediation notices procedure outlines above, or possibly to terminate the contract forthwith. They could only do the latter, however, if they could show that patient safety was at serious risk.
There are particular notification requirements for breaches where:
- a contractor is no longer eligible to hold a contract – for example, if there is no General Practitioner left in the partnership
- if a partner becomes bankrupt, convicted of a serious criminal offence, is disqualified or suspended, or if a partnership is dissolved
In these instances there is a requirement to notify NHSE, who then need to consider contract termination (although there is not necessarily a requirement for them to terminate).
It is worth noting that while we are talking about GMS contracts in this blog, PMS contracts usually – but not always – have very similar clauses so always refer to your individual contract to be sure.
Our recommendations
We advise practices to familiarise themselves with their core contracts and ensure they understand their obligations. Put systems in place to help monitor compliance and if a breach occurs, attempt to remedy the situation as soon as possible and put processes in place to prevent it happening again.
In the case of more serious breaches, for which practices are obliged to inform NHSE, you should let them know as soon as you can, include an impact assessment, and show that procedures have been put in place to reduce the risk of re-occurrence.
The complex nature of the core contract means it is not always clear whether you might be in breach, nor whether you need to notify NHSE. If you are in any doubt about your compliance, the severity of a breach, or if you have received a breach or remediation notice, then always seek the advice of an experienced legal team.
For more information about managing a breach, or any other related issues, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
What are the legal implications of recent changes to the SFE?
Most GP practices will be aware of the recent changes to the Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE), which came into force on 1 April 2017.
Since the revised SFE provides for both new income streams and changes to existing potential income streams, decisions need to be made as to how this additional income is to be allocated. These rules, once agreed, then need to be correctly documented.
We’ve highlighted below some of the key changes and what you need to consider from a legal perspective:
Reimbursement of CQC Fees
A system of direct reimbursement will be introduced whereby practices can submit their paid invoices to NHS England, or their CCG (under delegated commissioning) and will receive full reimbursement of the amount paid.
However, this raises two potential issues. Firstly, the practice has to pay the fees before it can claim a refund. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, there is an assumption that the contractor is the CQC registered provider. This will usually be the case for GMS practices but arguably is not normally the case for PMS practices. This could be a source of dispute in due course.
Reimbursement of Indemnity insurance costs
Funds have been allocated to cover rising indemnity insurance costs. This money will be paid to practices on a per patient basis, but the intention is that the monies should go to whoever is paying the insurance premiums.
If practices pay for the PI cover for all their staff, they should keep the monies and share as they see fit. Normally, this would be between the partners in profit sharing ratios.
However, the situation is different if any GPs working at the practice pay for their own PI cover. The practice must then reimburse an appropriate proportion of that individual’s PI cover cost.
Depending on your circumstances, this could necessitate changes to your Partnership Agreement, employment contracts, and locum contracts.
Changes to GP retention Scheme
Improvements have been made to the GP retention scheme, whereby GPs who are planning on retiring (or who meet certain other criteria) are able to apply for retention monies as an incentive to stay in general practice.
If successful, these monies will be paid to the practice and partners will need to agree how the monies are to be shared. Normally, the individual will expect to take these monies as a prior share, but unless this is clearly agreed by all the partners, the default would be that the monies are shared in profit sharing ratios.
Changes to sickness absence payments
Changes have also been made in relation to sickness absence payments, which can be made for both locums (as previously) and now for the practice’s GPs covering each other. This seems a sensible change which may be helpful for many practices.
However, this scenario is often not contemplated in partnership agreements so could give rise to debate and conflict over how to fairly allocate the additional income.
Our recommendations
We recommend that you consider the changes and assess their impact on your current processes. If there are any necessary changes (which we would expect there to be) you will need to review your existing partnership agreement and potentially your salaried GP contracts and locum contracts, to check they reflect what you have agreed.
Remember, if you don’t have a partnership agreement in place, or it is lacking in detail with regards to specific issues, then the legal position by default will be that everything is shared in established profit sharing ratios.
As an aside, while the SFE applies to GMS contracts by default, it will only apply to PMS contracts where the contract specifically states this. If you are in any doubt, you should check your PMS contract.
For more information about the impact of these changes, or any other enquiries, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
Why is a partnership offer letter so important?
Taking on a new partner is a significant step for any GP practice, and it is important to get it right from the outset.
Once a new Partner has been selected, a partnership offer letter should be next on the agenda.
Why do you need one?
The letter will act as written confirmation of the key terms of the appointment. By properly documenting and setting out the terms in this way, the offer letter can provide some protection for the Partnership until the Partnership Deed is updated, and reduces the risk of dispute over the offered terms.
What about the partnership deed?
The admission of a partner is something that needs to be dealt with within a partnership deed as soon as possible once your offer has been accepted.
Practices often find difficulty in updating the Partnership Deed before the start date, which makes the offer letter even more vital, as it will act as a holding agreement until the Deed is resigned.
There is a misconception that a partnership deed shouldn’t be updated until after an incoming Partner has completed their probation period. This approach is not advisable for a number of reasons and ultimately you can end up as a partnership at will which can put your contract at risk.
What should the offer letter cover?
The offer letter needs to be consistent with the existing arrangements that are set out in the existing partnership deed. The key things it should include, are:
- Commencement date
- Offer of partnership – clearly stating that the position is self-employed
- Notifications – confirming that notifications will be given to NHS England & CQC once the offer if accepted
- Sessions – outlining in detail the sessions that are expected to be covered
- Partnership share – explaining how earnings will be worked out
- Working capital – detailing any working capital contribution that is expected
- Surgery premises – attaching a copy of the surgery lease and outlining there will be shared liability for the lease terms, including the rent. If there is to be a commitment to buy into the surgery premises, this should also be stated
- Mutual assessment period – detailing any probation period and what it will entail, including notice periods Annual Leave entitlement
- Administrative requirements – stating that proof of identity and qualifications, eligibility to work in the UK and an up to date CRB check will all be needed prior to the partnership commencing
- Acceptance – the time frame within which the offer must be accepted
- Partnership Deed – a copy of the Partnership Deed, the terms of which they must consent
Our recommendations
Make sure your offer letter is clear and sets out all the key points; it should be signed by one or more of the current Partners and have place for the new recruit to sign by way of acceptance of the terms.
You then need to get the partnership deed updated as quickly as possible, and preferably ahead of the new partner starting.
As with any contracts and partnership issues, it is always advisable to seek the support of an experienced legal team, who can ensure you put yourself in the strongest possible position.
For more information about employment contracts and any other related issues, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
Can your patient list be ‘open but full’?
From funding cuts, to an aging population and the increasing demands being placed on primary care services, GP practices face ever increasing pressure.
Balancing growing patient numbers with resource constraints can prove a challenge and may lead some practices to consider restricting the growth of their patient list.
Can such a move ever be justified and what could the potential implications be?
The regulations
Current regulations specify that a GP practice must provide:
- Essential services to all registered patients and temporary residents
- Primary medical services for an accident or emergency situation happening in the practice area within core working hours
- Immediate treatment when necessary of any person whose application for inclusion on the patient list has been refused but who is not yet registered with another provider
For an individual to apply to join your patient list, they must live within the practice area, or be entitled to seek acceptance as a temporary resident.
A practice with an open patient list may only refuse an application to join their list if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ for doing so.
Capping a list
Much of the discussion around refusing to register patients focuses on the definition of reasonable grounds. The rules are clear that the following would not be reasonable grounds to refuse: age; appearance; disability or medical condition; gender or gender reassignment; marriage or civil partnership; pregnancy or maternity; race; religion or belief; sexual orientation; or social class.
Examples provided which might be reasonable grounds for refusal include an applicant living in the outer boundary area, or if they have previously been removed from the list – particularly if this was because of a history of violence.
This obviously leaves some uncertainty around the reasonableness of other possible grounds, and some commentators have suggested that staffing shortages and resource constraints would be sufficient grounds to refuse all new applications. This is sometimes known as ‘open but full’ or ‘list capping’.
To informally cap a list by refusing to register new patients, your reason for doing so must be extremely serious. For example, if a practice strongly believes that registering more patients will overstretch its ability to provide the necessary services, it may be arguable that patient safety is at risk. This situation could, in theory, justify a short-term list closure but a practice would be well advised to further justify their decision with some analysis of the risk.
However, should you routinely start refusing to register new patients then you may find yourself on shaky ground. You will need to show you are actively working on a solution, such as seeking help or getting in additional resources, and doing all you can to resolve the problem.
Closing a list
If the problems you are facing are very severe and no short-term solution looks likely, then a formal closure of the list should be pursued. To do so, you would need to make an application to NHSE for their approval to close it for a period of between 3 and 12 months.
Such applications should never be entered into lightly. They require a great amount of detail to be supplied about the difficulties being experienced in delivering services, the help that NHSE may be able to give to alleviate those difficulties and also any discussions that have been had with existing patients.
The regulations do not spell out the exact grounds on which the closure of a list may be justified, but in these difficult times NHS England will likely seek to rigorously challenge your application.
In summary
A practice may potentially justify what amounts to an informal list closure without applying for a formal list closure, if the circumstances are deemed serious enough – such as putting patient safety at risk – and if the problem is perceived as short-term.
However, capping a patient list should only ever be seen as an extreme and temporary measure, as otherwise the list closure process should be followed.
If you’re at all concerned, we would generally recommend you contact your LMC in the first instance to discuss the problems you are facing and see what help and support is available to you.
For more information about practice management, or any other enquiries, please contact Nils Christiansen on 01483 511555 or email n.christiansen@drsolicitors.com
News
Should your surgery building be held as a partnership asset?
A surgery building is one of the most valuable assets a GP practice may own, so it is important to understand the implications of how it is held. Partners need to be clear whether their property is held as a partnership asset or not. The answer can have significant implications in relation to ownership rights and obligations, occupancy and even tax.
The nature of partnership assets is complex, but we have summarised some of the main features of holding the building inside and outside the partnership:
1. When the surgery building is held by the partnership
As a partnership has no ‘legal personality’ it cannot hold property in its own name. Partnership property, therefore, has to be held on trust.
If a surgery is held as a partnership asset the legal owner(s), who are generally those named at the Land Registry, hold the surgery on trust for the ‘beneficial owners’ who are all the partners in the partnership. There is often reference in GP partnerships to ‘owning partners’ and ‘non-owning partners’, but the starting point in law is that all partners are equal owning partners unless there is evidence that something else has been agreed.
It is of course very commonly the case that some partners have a greater interest in the surgery than others, or that some partners have no ownership interest at all, but if the surgery is a partnership asset this will need to be stated. This means it is critical that all rights and entitlements in the building are documented. Otherwise, there is likely to be scope for confusion and disputes over your most valuable asset.
2. When the surgery building is held outside the partnership
If the building is held outside of the GP partnership, then it is generally much clearer who owns it.
The ‘legal owners’ named at the Land Registry will normally have full ownership rights and be entitled to make decisions such as when to sell or develop it, and be entitled to rent from the partnership occupying it.
However, in this scenario clarity needs to be given over the basis on which the partnership is occupying the building. This could, for example, be via a lease, a licence, or documented in the partnership agreement. Without this being documented, non-owning partners are potentially vulnerable.
Our recommendations
1. Know where you stand
It is essential that all partners understand if the property is held as a partnership asset or not. This should normally be clear from the partnership agreement and supported by the accounts.
2. Check how things have been documented
Next, you need to check that suitable documentation is in place. This should cover the ownership and occupancy of the property. It is always advisable to seek the advice of an experienced legal team here, to ensure all documentation is fit for purpose and up to date.
3. Understand how the situation can change
Finally, be aware that there are situations where a surgery building may ‘accidentally’ move in and out of a partnership. This can have very significant implications, such as for NHS Premises Funding and for Stamp Duty Land Tax. (For more details on this topic, see Are you liable for a ‘hidden retirement tax’?)
When it comes to property owned by a GP partnership, sadly it’s not as straightforward as simply having your name on the deeds. It is a complex area of law and having the right documentation in place is crucial, if you’re to guard against potential disputes in the future.
For more information about partnership deeds and assets, or any other related issue, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
Managing conflicts of interest when you’re an officer of a GP federation
As GP federations have become more established, we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries about the role of the federation’s officers.
Most GP federations are organised as limited companies, with shares owned by the member practices. The role of the federation is generally to secure and manage healthcare contracts for their area, which will typically be delivered by some or all of the member practices.
Like any other limited company, a federation and its activity will be overseen by a board of directors. These officers will be governed by certain statutory and fiduciary responsibilities, which will guide how they need to act in relation to the federation and its member practices.
Where it gets complicated is that the directors of a GP federation are typically also partners in a member practice, as well as shareholders in the GP federation. Each officer, therefore, needs to fulfil a number of roles at any one time, each of which carries its own legal and contractual obligations, and sometimes these may conflict.
Another consideration is tax. With income from the different roles being taxed in different ways, it is important to be able to demonstrate that money flows are based on the needs and obligations of the role, not as a way to avoid tax.
Responsibilities of a Director
Company Directors are the agents appointed to act on a company’s behalf, and have statutory responsibilities to act in the best interests of the company as a whole. The statutory responsibilities of a director are set out in the Companies Act 2006, and it is important that all directors are familiar with these. Some of the key points are to remember that a director must act within the powers delegated to them, must do so with reasonable skill and diligence and must avoid conflicts of interest. The bar is not set especially high, but directors should be aware that failure to meet these obligations can result in a variety of sanctions against them personally. Other responsibilities of the directors may be set out in the company’s Articles or in an agreement between the shareholders. Directors of a limited company are employees and are paid through the payroll, and if a GP federation is trading the directors will need to commit some time to it in order to fulfil their responsibilities.
Responsibilities of a Shareholder
The shareholders are the owners of the GP federation and will usually have committed some of their own capital to the business. Shareholders should provide strategic control over the company and guidance to the directors. The shareholders act through General Meetings, and have a small number of statutory powers such as removing directors and changing the name of the company. Any other powers retained by the shareholders are normally set out either in the Articles of the company or in a shareholders agreement. These documents are particularly important where the shareholders and directors are not identical. Since the ‘real’ shareholders of a GP federation are normally all the partners in the underlying practices (rather than the ‘nominee’ shareholder on the share register), it is rare for a GP federation to have identical ‘real’ shareholders and directors. It is important that all the partners understand their role as shareholders, and have a mechanism in place for the nominee shareholder to vote on their behalf. This mechanism is usually set out in a ‘deed of trust’ between the partners in a practice, or within their partnership agreement. Shareholders are not ‘paid’ for any work they do, but they may receive income through dividends on the share(s) they hold.
Responsibilities of a Partner
The responsibilities of partners are as set out in their partnership agreement and the Partnership Act 1890. These can generally be summarised as acting in good faith towards each other and in the overall best interests of the partnership. This means that a partner who is also a director of a GP federation must act in the best interests of BOTH the partnership and the GP federation. Partners are self employed for all income earned through the partnership.
There can be times when these obligations do not align, which opens the door for conflicts of interest to arise.
Conflicts of Interest
Take the example of a GP federation director who is also a partner in a member practice. If a contract is won by the federation to provide a joint service it may be in the interest of the partner’s practice for them to deliver the service, as they would be paid for doing so. However, another member practice may be better equipped to deliver the service or be able to do so more cost effectively. Who should get the work?
Alternatively, a director may find that it is more tax advantageous to be paid as a partner in the member practice, or indeed as a shareholder taking dividends. How should they account for their time spent meeting their obligations as a company director?
Putting steps in place to protect yourself
For any officer, being able to clearly demonstrate how a decision was reached and why you behaved in a particular way is key to managing potential conflicts of interest.
There are steps you can take to do this, including:
- Shareholders’ agreement – this should specify which decisions are to be retained by the shareholders, the terms under which dividends are to be paid, and the mechanisms by which shareholders reach agreement
- Company Articles – these should be checked to ensure they are consistent with the shareholders agreement, as well as any NHS Regulatory requirements
- Directors’ service agreement – each director should have a service agreement describing their role, responsibilities and remuneration
- Partnership agreement/deed of trust – in addition to setting out the ‘normal’ responsibilities in a GP partnership, these documents should explain the role of the nominee shareholder and contemplate the potential conflicts of a GP federation director.
- Minutes – Minutes should be kept of practice partnership meetings, company shareholder general meetings, and GP federation board meetings
Due to the nature of a GP federation, conflicts of interests are almost inevitable. Your best protection will be to understand what each role entails including its statutory and contractual obligations.
Then, by formally documenting each role and process, you will be able to better justify why things happened as they did. You’ll have a way to explain your actions and the context when a conflict arises.
For more information about GP federations, partnership agreements and any other related issues, please contact Daphne Robertson on 01483 511555 or email d.robertson@drsolicitors.com
News
Pensions protection scheme deadline approaches
The start of a new fiscal year is fast approaching and with it comes an important deadline for any GP nearing retirement.
If you’ve built up a healthy pension pot, then Individual Protection 2014 (IP2014) is a scheme that could help you reduce, or avoid, a tax liability on your savings. But with an April 5 2017 deadline, time is running out to apply.
What is IP2014?
The lifetime pension allowance was reduced from £1.5 million to £1.25 million in April 2014, then lowered again in April 2016 to £1 million. Any pension savings above this level are taxed at a significantly increased rate.
Since reducing the lifetime limit could be seen as unfair to those who had already accrued large pension pots, IP2014 was introduced to enable such people to safeguard their pension savings and effectively ‘lock-in’ the higher lifetime savings allowance. However, IP2014 is not an automatic right and must be applied for. We understand that significant numbers of GPs who may benefit from IP2014 protection have not applied. The deadline for applying is 5 April 2017.
Are you affected?
If the total value of your pension benefits exceeded £1.25m as at 5th April 2014 you are potentially able to secure Individual Protection 2014. The calculation to perform is:
(NHS Pension x 20) + Lump Sum + Private Pension Fund Value
The problem is that this calculation requires information on valuations from the NHS Pensions Agency and the demands on their time are currently significant. Fortunately the required information should also be available online, but you would be well advised to check soon if you have not already done so as the tax savings can be significant.
Our recommendations
At DR Solicitors, we believe in always seeking expert advice from specialist advisers. We do not advise on tax or pensions, but we do stay current with all the various regulatory and commercial issues which may affect our clients.
If you are concerned about IP2014 or any other aspect of your pension planning you should always seek the advice of a specialist IFA or accountant who understands the intricacies of the NHS Pension Scheme. We are always happy to make introductions to our extensive network of primary care advisers including specialist accountants, surveyors, banks, IFAs and consultants.
For more information, please contact Nils Christiansen on 01483 511555 or email n.christiansen@drsolicitors.com