Joining us - FAQs

Operose Health, the UK's largest primary healthcare provider, serves over 640,000 patients across 60 sites. We facilitate a seamless transition for General Practice partners into salaried GP roles, alleviating practice management stresses. Our experienced team offers comprehensive support in HR, IT, recruitment, and more, ensuring operational continuity. Leveraging our scale, practices gain access to regional support for administrative and clinical needs. We implement industry-leading processes to enhance clinical governance, QOF, and CQC performance, tailored to each practice. Our advanced software streamlines practice operations, reducing non-clinical workload. We prioritize uninterrupted primary care delivery during and after mergers.

We have dedicated teams of experts who ensure a smooth transition into our organisation for you and your practice. With our refined integration process and extensive experience, we're adept at identifying and addressing potential challenges, making the transition to a salaried GP role as seamless as possible. Given our expertise in GMS/PMS mergers, we understand the unique nature of each practice and are prepared to adapt our approach accordingly. We recognise the process may seem daunting, but we're committed to providing support and maintaining high standards throughout. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us for further assistance.

Operose Health's extensive experience in primary care mergers ensures a smooth transition through four distinct phases:

1. Introductory Phase: Initial calls with practice partners to understand their motivations for merger. A site visit may occur for a first-hand assessment. Both parties sign an NDA for confidentiality.

2. Initial Information Review: High level initial assessment of the practice and it's viability for a merger. Negotiation of Heads of Terms outlines the merger plan. Consideration of 3rd party property investors may occur.

3. Due Diligence Phase: In-depth analysis of the practice, including partner salary discussions, legal enquiries and site visits. Integration teams engage in mapping out clinical governance and operations. This culminates in signing the Business Transfer Agreement.

4. Integration Phase: The practice integrates with Operose Health teams nationwide. A 'First 100 Days' plan ensures seamless integration, addressing minor changes identified during due diligence. Consistency for staff and continuity of care for patients remain top priorities throughout the process.

Operose Health prioritises retaining all existing staff and maintaining continuity of service for patients during practice mergers. We ensure minimal disruption to the practice's operation and offer staff the same contracts they currently hold. In many cases, staff may see an increase in salary, as rates are aligned with Operose Health's standard hourly rates.

We understand that GP Partners may require a quick merger process to meet their needs. However, due to various external factors including governing bodies, legal enquiries, premises negotiations, and clinical governance queries, committing to a specific timeframe for completion is challenging.

While we do not guarantee a completion date, we are transparent on progress and blockers throughout the process. The timeline can be expedited with mutual engagement and responsiveness during due diligence, contract review, and practice analysis. If time is a concern, we can accommodate deadlines within our process.

Operose Health places a primary focus on ensuring continuity of care for patients' post-merger. One way we achieve this is by retaining the workforce in their current roles. We enact a 'First 100 Days' plan to gradually integrate new ways of working into the practice while providing hands-on support to minimize disruptions.

Our long-term goal includes introducing modern software and processes to enhance efficiencies and patient satisfaction.

Where practices already have robust operating models, our enhancements will be more light touch and patients will see no material change to their care.

Operose Health will look at all long-term solutions for property. We understand that GP partners considering a new future may want to release their interest in the surgery premises. Or they may prefer to simply formalise their interest through a lease agreement, to become the landlord without the day-to-day pressure of being an owner-occupier of the building premises.
From providing long-term tenancy commitments to working with industry specialist investors, Operose Health has experience in providing a range of solutions tailored to individual circumstances.