Key takeaways from our recent Healthcare advisers event
On the 30th January 2025 we welcomed healthcare specialist accountants, solicitors, surveyors, bank representatives and other professionals to our office to discuss key issues affecting the sector. Here's what we learnt.
Commercial Property and Healthcare Partner, Gemma Pouncy kicked off the evening by sharing some thoughts on the consultation for the NHS 10-year plan, which focuses on three key shifts:
- From treatment to prevention;
- From hospitals to home, communities and primary care; and
- Making better use of technology.
These shifts are symbiotic - for example, investing in monitoring equipment can facilitate at-home care for patients, keeping them away from hospitals and allowing them to focus on prevention.
From treatment to prevention
We considered the fact that preventative care is always the first victim of cuts when budgetary constraints are in play. Exploring Sure Start as a case study, we concluded that funding for such preventative services needs to be ring-fenced to protect the tangible benefits for vulnerable communities and reduce the number of people attending hospital. A cultural shift is also needed for prevention to thrive - patients need to feel responsible for, and empowered to, manage their own health outcomes. Doing this whilst avoiding patients feeling dictated to and even attacked for past choices is a hard balance to strike.
From hospitals to home, communities and primary care
It is important to recognise that this is not an overnight change. Facilities need to be made available to cater for community care, and the division of staff needs to be altered to ensure that sufficient personnel are available to cater to the community. If we are to commit to this much needed shift, we need to prepare for the inevitable transitional period of double provision (i.e. the same services being run in more than one location), and the additional time and cost this will necessitate.
Technology
A shift towards technology should not solely mean investment into the newest and flashiest equipment. Indeed, practical issues faced by the people on the ground need to be addressed first. For example, ensuring that remote health and social care workers have laptops that connect to the internet, have good battery life and are not too heavy to carry. Consideration also needs to be given to the cost of training staff and recruiting appropriate experts, and to the fact that many patients may not have the skills or facilities to use new technologies.
Thoughts from the room
Following the introductory observations shared by Gemma Pouncy, the room engaged in a range of insightful discussions. Key conversations included the projected impact of the new budget on practices; in particular, the increase in national insurance contributions and minimum wage, as well as the potential benefits which can come from working together in larger groups and whether this is a necessity for survival where financial margins are tight (the conclusion of which - perhaps inevitably - was, it depends!).
The issues surrounding delays in District Valuer approval of lease terms and rental valuation, and the potential to instruct an alternative surveyor through the 'appointed valuer' mechanism under the Premises Costs Directions 2024 was also considered. We also discussed the benefits and dangers of GP practices operating as companies, including issues surrounding keeping Companies House updated and differences in interest rates on partnership and company loans.
The evening ended with drinks, nibbles and networking, affording the attendees the opportunity to continue the important discussions raised and share knowledge gained from working in the healthcare sector.
We would like to extend our thanks to all those who attended and shared their thoughts at the event.