General Practices, also known as GP surgeries or clinics, are usually the first point of contact for people seeking medical help and guidance, offering 10–15-minute consultations and a range of essential, additional and enhanced healthcare services.

General Practices are community-orientated, providing ‘patient-focused’ services which strengthen ‘continuity of care,’ including management of both acute and chronic health conditions, medication prescription, medical record keeping, and onward referral to specialists, hospitals, and other secondary care and community healthcare providers.

The General Practice workforce contributes enormously to health education and preventative health care, and GP services help to reduce the overall demand for hospital care and resources. With technological advances, government funding, and the ongoing need for comprehensive primary healthcare in the community, the GP sector in the UK will continue to grow and respond, offering rewarding professions and career development opportunities.

Practice Managers are responsible for the financial and operational integrity of the General Practice, including maintaining customer and employee satisfaction. Practice Managers have a great amount of responsibility and may come from a healthcare background or from an administration, HR, leadership or management background. Practice Managers are often responsible for managing and training non-clinical staff, payroll, procurement, human resources, finance and accounts, organisational systems, IT and information management, risk management and compliance, governance and quality improvement of services.