Practice Finance Manager

Overview

Queen Square Medical Practice is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Finance Manager to join our team. As a key member of our leadership team, you will be responsible for ensuring the financial sustainability and growth of our practice.

Main Responsibilities

• Manage practice accounts and seek to maximize income
• Prepare accounts for accountants and ensure end of quarter and end of year returns are completed
• Ensure effective budgeting and reporting to support financial health of the practice
• Manage financial aspects of employment for all staff and locum staff
• Through negotiation with the commissioning authority and NHS England, ensure the practice receives an appropriate and equitable allocation of resources
• Understand and report on the financial implications of contract and legislation changes
• Prepare invoices and collect money promptly
• Make payments promptly and record correctly
• Ensure that expenses are reasonable and best value for money
• Manage practice accounts; submit year-end and monthly figures promptly and liaise with the Practice Director
• Monitor cash-flow
• Oversee the management and reconciliation of bank accounts; negotiate and liaise with the practice bankers
• Ensure accurate budgeting and accountancy systems are maintained
• Run payments systems for creditors and debtor management
• Ensure all financial processes are transparent and open for inspection
• Monitor and reconcile income and expenditure statements and purchase/sales ledger transactions
• Manage appropriate systems for handling and recording of cash and cheques and petty cash

Partnership Business Performance

• In conjunction with the Practice Director, act as lead for all estates management (four sites) including negotiating with property services and ensuring best value for money
• Carry out regular reviews and benchmarking of business aspects of the practice to identify areas of innovation, improvement, and development
• Ensure the practice is delivering services in accordance with national and local regulation of primary care so that the practice can demonstrate achievement of relevant standards of care
• Business governance - ensure the business is run in accordance with all guidelines and legislation health and safety, tax, finance etc.
• Manage financial risk by carrying out risk assessments where necessary and maintaining risk registers with Practice Director
• Support Business Continuity Planning
• Attend local and regional meetings as agreed with Practice Director to ensure effective understanding of existing and new opportunities and challenges
• Work in conjunction with IT Lead and IT suppliers to ensure effective use of all IT and telephone systems through configuration, reporting on usage
• Identify and report to partners regularly on key performance indicators
• Where appropriate use local and national systems to benchmark the business aspects of the practice
• Ensure the business is appropriately insured for all relevant aspects, seeking quotes and comparisons as necessary
• Manage contracts for key services to ensure best service and value for money and maintain productive relationships with key service providers
• Working with Practice Director, attend, contribute to and feedback to partners on relevant locality and area meetings to support Primary Care Network and identify opportunities and threats

Partnership Income Streams and IT

• Ensure that service-related income is maximised, including via clinical system (EMIS) searches and analysis of data
• Analyse and present data to assist nursing and other teams in the efficient direction of resources to maximise patient wellbeing
• Maintain registration policies and monitor patient turnover and capitation to ensure that financial goals are met
• Routinely monitor and assess practice performance against patient access and demand management targets
• In conjunction with the IT Lead, evaluate and plan practice IT implementation and modernisation with the latest development in primary care IT and ensure that the practice has the necessary IT equipment and efficient telephone systems and ensure that the practice has effective IT data security, back-up, maintenance and disaster recovery plans in place
• Liaise with the ICB regarding systems procurement, IT funding and national IT development programmes

Leadership and Change Management

• Demonstrate leadership and change management and support the capacity for both within teams
• Support the Practice Director in developing and implementing processes to support staff morale, to achieve good levels of staff development and retention
• Work with practice Director and partners to develop new models of care and staffing structures to improve service and financial efficiencies
• Present ideas and support others to develop areas for opportunity and effective functioning of the business
• Support Practice Director to set agendas and make proposals to meetings; record appropriately for professional and business governance and follow up actions
• Keep abreast of current affairs and identify potential opportunities and threats
• Contribute to practice strategy; formulate objectives and research and develop ideas for future practice development
• Develop and maintain effective communication both within the practice and with relevant outside agencies

Personal Development

• To be aware of national, local and practice quality standards for all aspects of general practice
• Having an excellent working knowledge of and closely monitoring performance and quality targets including but not limited to QOF, PMS, key performance indicators and other locally agreed schemes and incentives
• To take responsibility for own developmental learning and performance
• To participate in the practice appraisal scheme
• To attend educational and other meetings as required
• To undertake training as required including mandatory and statutory training, core skills training and ongoing developmental training
• To recognise and understand the roles and responsibilities of the whole primary health care team
• To strive to maintain quality within the practice and to alert other team members and line manager to issues of quality and risk
• To assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• To effectively manage own time, workload, and resources

This list is not exhaustive and post holder is expected to be flexible according to the partnership needs agreed by the GP partners.

Person Specification

Experience

• Excellent standard of education with excellent literacy and numeracy skills
• ACCA/ACA/CIMA Accounting Qualification
• Experience of managing accounts
• Experience of successfully developing and implementing projects
• Ability to exploit and negotiate opportunities to enhance service delivery
• Excellent communication skills (written, oral and presenting)
• Strong IT skills (Microsoft Office)
• Excellent leadership skills
• Strategic thinker and negotiator
• Ability to prioritise, delegate and work to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Effective time management (planning & organising)
• Ability to network and build relationships
• Proven problem-solving & analytical skills
• Ability to develop, implement and embed policy and procedure
• Ability to motivate and train staff
• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Motivated and proactive
• Ability to use initiative and judgement
• Forward thinker with a solutions-focused approach
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure
• Confident, assertive and resilient
• Ability to drive and deliver change effectively
• Ability to motivate teams, enhance morale and maintain a positive working environment, including team-building sessions
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Maintains confidentiality at all times
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• Educated to degree level in healthcare or business
• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• Experience of managing large multidisciplinary teams
• Experience of performance management, including appraisal writing, staff development and disciplinary procedures
• Experience of workforce planning, forecasting and development
• NHS / primary care general practice experience
• Relevant health and safety experience
• Experience of chairing meetings, producing agendas and minutes
• QuickBooks and Iris (Payroll) expertise and skills