GP practice manager
GP practice managers run the business side of doctors' surgeries and health centres.
Also known as: GP surgery manager, general practitioner practice manager
- Starter salary£35,000 a year
- Experienced£65,000 a year
- Typical hours36 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a GP practice manager, you could:
- supervise medical secretaries and the reception team
- manage medical records and appointment systems
- make sure the practice meets its financial targets
- monitor prescriptions, order stock and organise rotas
- arrange cleaning, maintenance and security for the building
Working environment
You could work at a GP practice or at a health centre.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- business management skills
- knowledge of English language
- administration skills
- leadership skills
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a gP practice manager
You can get into this job through:
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- training courses run by professional bodies
Work
You could start as an assistant office manager in a health centre or hospital and do training to work your way up.
Direct application
You could apply directly to become a GP practice manager.
You'll usually need to have a business background and be an experienced manager with a management qualification.
It might be useful if you have experience working in health or social care.
Other routes
You can do a training course, like a Level 5 Primary Care and Health Management, with the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR) .
You can do courses like this at an approved training centre, in a college or online. For some courses, you'll need to be working in a job related to health.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- become a partner of a GP practice
- move into healthcare management in a hospital, health authority or NHS trust
- work as a manager in private healthcare or in social services
Career tips
You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join an organisation that offers professional development opportunities and career support, such as the:
- Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM)
- Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR)
- Institute of Health and Social Care Management
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleHealth service manager
- Job roleExecutive assistant
- Job roleHealth records clerk
- Job roleMedical secretary
- Job roleSocial services manager
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0