Practice Manager

Lead the practices day-to-day operations and people management, working closely with the GP partners, team leaders and clinical leads to maintain a safe, responsive service. The role also covers service improvement, workforce and budget oversight, and practice governance, including CQC Registered Manager responsibilities (subject to registration and approval) and the Caldicott Guardian role.

1. People management and leadership

Provide visible, approachable

and consistent leadership across the practice.

Establish clear

responsibilities, reporting arrangements and standards of performance for each

team.

Directly manage non-clinical

team leaders and agreed staff groups, holding regular one-to-one meetings and

reviewing progress against objectives.

Support team leaders to manage

their own teams effectively, including workload allocation, feedback,

attendance and performance.

Ensure all staff receive

appropriate induction, probation reviews, appraisal and development planning.

Address poor performance,

inappropriate behaviour and interpersonal conflict promptly, fairly and

constructively.

Promote a respectful and

inclusive working environment in which staff feel able to raise concerns.

Identify training needs,

support staff development and arrange cross-training to reduce dependence on

individual employees.

Maintain effective

communication between partners, clinical staff and administrative teams.

Monitor staff morale, retention

and workload pressures, taking practical action where concerns arise.

2. Human resources and workforce management

Manage recruitment from

identifying staffing requirements and preparing job descriptions through to

selection, pre-employment checks and induction.

Maintain accurate, confidential

employment records, contracts, job descriptions and HR policies.

Coordinate annual leave,

sickness absence and other leave arrangements to maintain appropriate service

cover.

Monitor absence patterns,

conduct return-to-work meetings and manage attendance concerns in accordance

with practice policies.

Coordinate occupational health

referrals and agreed workplace adjustments where appropriate.

Manage probation, capability,

disciplinary and grievance processes within delegated authority, obtaining

specialist HR advice when needed.

Ensure sensitive employment

matters are documented appropriately and escalated to the partners at the

correct stage.

Maintain oversight of mandatory

training and relevant employment checks, working with clinical leads on

professional registration requirements.

Provide accurate staffing

information for payroll, including authorised changes to hours, pay, leave and

overtime.

Review workforce requirements

and recommend changes to staffing levels, roles and skill mix.

Manage staff departures, exit

interviews and handovers, using feedback to improve retention and working

arrangements.

3. Operational management

Take responsibility for the

smooth running of the practice each day, anticipating problems and coordinating

timely solutions.

Oversee reception, care

navigation, administration, secretarial and other non-clinical functions.

Ensure staffing rotas and cover

arrangements match service requirements, including during absence and periods

of increased demand.

Work with clinical leads to

coordinate appointment templates, clinic capacity and administrative support.

Monitor telephone access,

online patient requests and administrative workflows, identifying delays and

arranging corrective action.

Maintain oversight of referral

processing, correspondence, document handling, registrations and recall

administration.

Ensure outstanding work is

visible, allocated and completed within agreed timescales, with urgent concerns

escalated appropriately.

Develop and maintain clear

standard operating procedures so that work is completed consistently and

safely.

Coordinate the administrative

delivery of long-term condition reviews, screening and other planned care

programmes with clinical leads.

Maintain business continuity

arrangements for staff shortages, IT disruption, premises problems and other

service interruptions.

Oversee premises, equipment,

supplies and contractor arrangements, ensuring issues are addressed promptly.

4. Performance and service improvement

Maintain a concise operational

dashboard covering staffing, absence, training, patient access, administrative

backlogs and complaints.

Identify the causes of

recurring problems and implement improvements with clear owners and deadlines.

Review processes to reduce

avoidable duplication, delays and unnecessary administrative work.

Coordinate the introduction of

new systems and technology, including staff training and review of their

impact.

Track actions agreed at

practice meetings and ensure they are completed.

Provide regular reports to the

partners, highlighting risks, progress and decisions required.

5. Patient experience, quality and governance

Coordinate complaints handling,

ensuring concerns are acknowledged, investigated and responded to

appropriately, with clinical input where required.

Use patient feedback and

complaints to identify improvements in service delivery.

Subject to the required CQC

registration and approval, act as the CQC Registered Manager for the relevant

regulated activity or activities at the practice.

In that capacity, oversee the

day-to-day management of the regulated activity and support compliance with CQC

registration conditions and applicable regulations. Maintain the required

records, policies and evidence; coordinate CQC inspections and information

requests; and ensure required notifications are made within the relevant

timescales.

Escalate promptly to the

partners any concern that could affect patient safety, regulatory compliance or

the practices ability to meet its registration requirements.

Act as the practices Caldicott

Guardian, as appointed by the partners, providing senior advice on the

confidential use and sharing of patient information and promoting the Caldicott

Principles.

Advise on complex or sensitive

information-sharing decisions, including relevant complaints, information

governance documentation and data incidents; refer matters to the Data

Protection Officer or specialist advisers where appropriate.

Maintain operational risk and

incident records and ensure agreed learning is implemented.

Support compliance with

confidentiality, information governance, health and safety, safeguarding and

equality requirements within the role.

Ensure staff understand how to

report incidents and escalate patient safety concerns.

6. Financial and partnership support

Manage delegated operational

expenditure and staffing costs within agreed budgets.

Review overtime, temporary

staffing and supplier costs, recommending efficiencies that maintain service

quality.

Coordinate with bookkeeping,

payroll and finance colleagues to provide accurate operational information.

Support administrative

processes for contractual reporting, claims and service delivery monitoring.

Liaise with the PCN, ICB,

suppliers and external advisers as required in collaboration with the partners.

Translate partnership decisions

into practical delivery plans whilst collaborating and communicating this with

the partners.

Central Medical Centre is a friendly, supportive practice with a dynamic, close-knit GP partnership. We value teamwork, open communication and a culture where colleagues help one another and feel well supported.

We are part of an innovative PCN and contribute to projects designed around the needs of our distinctive local population. Staff work collaboratively across clinical and non-clinical teams, with opportunities to help improve services and make a meaningful difference for patients.

Experience