Medical practices
A general practice (GP) operated between medical practitioners should be governed by way of a partnership agreement. In the absence of a partnership agreement, the default rules will apply. The law provides that where no partnership agreement exists, the partnership can be ended immediately by a partner serving notice on the other(s). It is therefore crucial that you have a partnership agreement in place to deal with some of the following issues:
• Day to day operation of the practice
• Financial contributions towards the running costs of the practice
• Process of selling / transferring assets when the partnership is dissolved
The partnership agreement may be particularly important when two or more practices are merging with each other. Our team can assist you if you are seeking to buy or sell a medical practice including advising you on the transfer of your contract with the PCT.
Of particular importance is the premises from which the practice operates. When operating an NHS practice, securing the appropriate location for your practice is of crucial importance. The PCT will have a significant level of input into the locality of the practice which means that a practitioner is unable to move to alternative premises easily.
Saracens also has extensive experience in acting for doctors who have received allegations suggesting they are unfit to practice. Doctors are often called to hearings before the general medical council (GMC) where their conduct has been called into question. The GMC have the authority to revoke a doctor’s licence and remove them from its register. Accordingly we understand that any potential dispute / allegation is a serious matter for any doctor whose professional career will be at stake.
Our litigation team are also experienced in acting on behalf of doctors to defend claims for negligence and misconduct. Our solicitors can carefully review a potential claim and assess the likelihood of the outcome. Thereafter if necessary, we will be in a position to advise you on an appropriate settlement to avoid unnecessary legal costs being incurred.
If you are a doctor and require our assistance on any of the above services, please request a call back.
