The business side of running a medical practice may be unappealing but it's crucial * How to Manage Your GP Practice is written for GPs and other health professionals running their own practices. * It tells you in simple, engaging style what the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. * It illustrates the good and bad ways of negotiating through management issues, using case examples and lightening the messages with witty cartoons. Written by a GP with over 10 years' experience editing a leading GP magazine, and an accountant whose firm advises over 2500 GPs, the information here is sound, relevant and up to date. It provides reliable and reassuring information for doctors starting out in their careers as well as those looking to refresh their management skills.

Farine Clarke, former GP and Editor of GP and Medeconomics magazines and for the last 15 years Managing Director and Main Board Director of leading UK magazine publishing companies, London, UK Laurence Slavin, Chartered Accountant at Ramsay Brown and Partners and financial columnist for GP and Medeconomics magazines, London, UK

Preface, vii Chapter 1: The business as an organism, 1 Chapter 2: The challenge that is staff, 17 Chapter 3: Basic practice accounting, 37 Chapter 4: Budgeting, 73 Chapter 5: Choosing the right operational model for the practice, 81 Chapter 6: Business growth, 87 Chapter 7: Planning for the exit, 99 Chapter 8: Ten questions answered, 113 Chapter 9: Thou shalt . . . thou shalt not!, 125 Appendix 1: Useful contacts, 127 Appendix 2: Full set of practice accounts, 129 Index, 143