Resources

A partnership dispute with premise issues A real-life example of the struggles when a partnership turns sour The issue BMA Law were instructed on behalf of a GP who was one of two partners left in a London practice. At the time, three retired partners were threatening proceedings for payment of their share of the premises which were held in a separate deed. To make…

Primary Care Networks All the details for registering your PCN GP contractors across England have been holding their breath awaiting the launch of the Primary Care Network Directed Enhanced Service contract (DES) following the announcement of the 2019/20 GP contract changes in January. With the launch of the DES, the required Network Agreement and supporting guidance on 29 March 2019, many will be asking “what…

The following briefing has been created in partnership with our expert legal partner Mills & Reeve. Primary Care Networks: What you need to know GP contractors across England have been holding their breath awaiting the launch of the Primary Care Network Directed Enhanced Service contract (DES) following the announcement of the 2019/20 GP contract changes in January. With the launch of the DES, the required…

Securing new partners Key things to consider Adding new partners can bring big changes, also providing you with the opportunity to review your partnership’s core business and finances. There are important steps that you need to take before offering partnership to a candidate. This short guidance piece looks at the documents that your new partner will be interested in and the due diligence you should…

An under-performing partner and a high settlement The real-life impacts of an outdated partnership agreement   For any relationship to be successful, you need to be sure that you can trust someone to fulfil their commitments, and behave in a way that's in line with your beliefs, ethics and morals. Sadly this doesn't always happen - even if things seem promising at the start. A…

Brexit and GP commercial contracts: what should you be thinking about now? It’s more important than ever for GP practices to think ahead about the potential impact Brexit has on commercial contracts. You need to be considering your portfolio of commercial contracts to work out whether you’ll have to re-negotiate, or have the right to terminate, contracts, as a result of Brexit. This is particularly…

Safeguarding your business assets: How can GP practices protect their intellectual property? People often get confused between the different ways that you can protect your intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights and patents. An easy way to think of it is that trademarks help define and protect unique aspects of your business’ brand, like your name, logo or strapline – whereas copyright and patents apply to things…

Working with locum agencies Advice for practices working with locum agencies Locum agencies can be great for relieving short-term workload needs - particularly over holiday periods. However, an increasing number of practices have found themselves in time-consuming and potentially costly disputes with agencies who operate with unreasonable terms or fail to deliver on their premises. Whether you are working with a new agency, or one…

Practice Merger Guidance This comprehensive guidance document advises on the key aspects to take into account when considering or undertaking a practice merger. It outlines the advantages and disadvantages of merging, as well as how to manage the contractual and regulatory aspects. If you are considering a practice merger, it is essential that you seek expert legal advice from the outset. BMA Law can provide…

Practice mergers: legal considerations Understanding the specific legal points involved in a merger. Practice mergers are a considerable undertaking, and require a lot of preparation work by all parties. Laying the groundwork early on can help to protect you from problems that may arise during the process. As part of this, there are a number of legal points that must be addressed. This short guidance…