Handbook of Practice Management > Volume 71, Number 0 > Pp. 7-01-7-60

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7. Basic management techniques

This section aims to give guidance on several essential management skills that are appropriate to all practices, irrespective of the management structure. There is no doubt that all practices are encouraged to think of themselves as small businesses, and this demands a more professional approach to income and expenditure and a cost-effective use of resources. To run larger practices effectively, a manager is a necessity. Even single-handed GPs and small practices are appointing managers as the benefits become clear and the administration needed to deliver primary care becomes more complex. This trend began in the early 1990s with the then ‘new’ contract, fundholding and, more recently, with the new GMS contract (2003), and will no doubt continue with practice-based commissioning. Whatever the cause, the on-going changes within the health service must be interpreted and controlled, and the need for competent managers is growing, not decreasing.

The manager can be promoted from within the organisation, or may be someone with a business background specifically recruited for the post. The specific job description can be tailored to match the priorities of the practice, but the main objective is to remove the burden of management from the clinical partners. There are a number of titles for managers of practices, from the traditional practice manager to executive manager/partner, business manager, finance manager and general manager. For the purposes of this section, we will use ‘practice manager’ or ‘manager’ to encompass all the various options.

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