Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 45
45
Deferred
Accelerate plans for GP partners to operate as LLPs to limit financial risk exposure.
Recommendation
The Government should accelerate plans to allow GP partners to operate as Limited Liability Partnerships or other similar models which limit the amount of risk to which GP partners are exposed. (Paragraph 144) 46 The future of general practice
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts but defers action, stating further exploration is needed regarding the impact on NHS England and government before committing to accelerate plans for Limited Liability Partnerships.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Partially accept. The Department partially accepts this recommendation. We will continue to consider this option, but further exploration is needed before the government can commit to accelerate plans to allow GP partners to operate as Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). In particular, the impact on NHS England or Government regarding responsibility for the legal and financial risks of GP partnerships need to be considered. Many general practices in England operate as unlimited liability partnerships, with regulations to restrict which types of organisations can hold GMS contracts to deliver NHS primary medical services. There are existing flexibilities for general practices to operate in different ways, for example, companies limited by shares, cooperative corporate structures, or LLPs that hold specific assets of the practice. In Scotland general practice LLPs are permitted, though this has seen relatively low take-up.