Starting private work may seem daunting but spending the time to plan and understand how to trade in this medical sector should ensure you build a successful practice. In the last of this series, we recap on the key points to consider and provide top tips for building your private practice.

Despite the changes in recent years, being a member of the NHS Pension Scheme should still provide you with a secure retirement. These changes require you to work longer than previous generations, but the level of contributions payable for the return is still attractive. This article explains some of the recent pension changes and important pension tax-related matters.

If you’re just starting out in private medicine, you may only have come across the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system, which tends to look after itself. When you’re running a business, you will have additional requirements to register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), earnings to declare under Self Assessment, and taxes to pay directly to HMRC.

When starting in private practice, how you are structured for tax purposes is an extremely important decision. Picking the most appropriate trading structure for your individual circumstances will ensure you are tax efficient and maximise the return on your hard efforts. This article looks at the more common trade structures adopted for private work.

One of the main factors to consider when you start out in private practice is that you are running a business. It sounds obvious, but with little or no financial training it is easy to fall into the trap of not running your private practice like a business, and this almost always leads to financial loss. The second article in this series looks at the practical steps required to run your private practice as a business.

It is never too early to be thinking of whether you will undertake private work when you have secured your substantive consultant post. This is the first in a six-part guide to starting out in private practice to help you to hit the ground running when the time comes.

Doctors who treat high-profile patients face a unique set of challenges when it comes to ensuring they receive the best possible care. Dr Anthea Martin investigates these issues and offers advice on how doctors can protect themselves, as well as the patient.

Communication between clinicians during a patient handover is a known point of medicolegal risk. Dr Sarah Coope, Senior Medical Educator at Medical Protection, looks at how gaps in information, misunderstandings and assumptions can increase the risk of errors, conflict and complaints.

When carrying out NHS and private practice work, it’s important to ensure that the needs of both your private patients and your NHS patients are met. Dr Heidi Mounsey, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at one potential scenario and offers some guidance.

Talking to patients when something goes wrong is a skill that will constantly develop throughout your clinical career. Medical Protection outlines what to do when a patient safety incident occurs.

Introducing product liability into a clinical negligence claim can add extra intricacy to a case. Medical Protection discusses how this might affect the involved clinician.

Medical Protection outlines how private practice works in conjunction with working in the NHS

Not only is it important to be well equipped to deal with the challenges and pitfalls that might arise unexpectedly, but also to be prepared to speak to the press or deal with media enquiries following a patient’s treatment.

Dr Gabrielle Pendlebury, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, advises on how best to manage a scenario where a patient doesn’t want to know the risks

High profile cases have put the spotlight on the consent process and clinicians are increasingly aware of the risks; however, Medical Protection data shows a number of claims alleging that a clinician failed to explain alternative treatment options. Dr Emma Green, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, looks at the case law surrounding therapeutic options, GMC guidance on consent, and how these impact on the information provided to patients during the consent process.

Time to refresh yourself on the eight core pillars of person-centred care.

Here are some frequently asked questions about making the big move into private practice, answered by Medicolegal Consultant, Dr Karen Ellison.