About this role
Job summary
Fairfield Park Health Centre is looking for an ambitious, capable Practice Business Manager to lead our business and operational functions at a genuinely exciting time for the practice. We're in the middle of some real, positive change: modernising our pay structure, sharpening up our systems, and preparing confidently for our next CQC inspection. We need someone with the drive and the know-how to help lead that change, and to build a thriving practice.
This isn't a caretaking role. You'll set direction, shape how we work, and lead a small management team to deliver it, working hand in hand with our GP partners to turn strategic priorities into practical progress on the ground.
Main duties of the job
You'll lead business planning and performance, take charge of HR across the practice, modernise our systems and processes, work with our Finance Manager on financial systems and business development, own our CQC inspection readiness, and represent the practice with the PCN, ICB, and other partners. The full list of responsibilities is set out in the Job Description below.
About us
Fairfield Park Health Centre is a busy, friendly GP practice in Bath, caring for around 14,500 patients with a team of 50 great people across clinical and non-clinical roles. The practice is currently working through a period of positive organisational development, including a pay structure review, CQC inspection readiness, and a renewed focus on staff wellbeing following a practice-wide listening exercise. You'll be joining at a moment where the groundwork for real change has already been laid, and what we need now is someone to lead it forward.
Job description Job responsibilities
The Practice Business Manager provides overall business leadership for Fairfield Park Health Centre: setting direction, developing the practice's systems and processes, leading its people functions, and building a financially sustainable practice for the long term. The role leads a small management team and works closely with the GP partners to translate strategic priorities into practical delivery.
The role carries particular responsibility for continuing the practice's CQC inspection readiness work, embedding the pay structure changes, and supporting the practice as a whole through a demanding period of transformation, all with a compassionate approach to people management.
Leadership, Business Planning and Systems Development
Provide overall leadership of business planning, including monitoring practice performance against QOF, enhanced services, and other contractual and national requirements. Lead the ongoing development of practice systems and processes, ensuring they are modern, efficient, and fit for purpose. Lead and support the practice's management team, delegating operational and specialist delivery while retaining oversight of standards and outcomes. Ensure all practice systems are used effectively to support safe patient care and good informationmanagement.
People and HR Management
Provide overall HR leadership across the practice, working closely with the team on day-to-day matters. Develop modern, fit-for-purpose HR policies and processes, reflecting current legislation and good practice. Apply practice HR policies consistently and fairly. Lead recruitment and induction across the practice. Maintain a compassionate approach to staff issues, addressing concerns early, directly, and positively.
Finance and Business Sustainability
Work with the Finance Manager to modernise financial systems and processes, and to develop robust annual budgets. Provide regular financial reporting and analysis to partners to support decision-making. Support implementation of the new pay banding structure. Lead on business development, identifying funding streams, enhanced services, and efficiencies that build the practice's financial sustainability for the long term.
Compliance, Quality and CQC Readiness
Hold overall responsibility for CQC inspection readiness. Ensure the practice meets its obligations under health and safety, safeguarding, information governance, and employment law. Lead on incident reporting, significant event analysis, and complaints handling. Keep practice policies under regular review and ensure staff are aware of and trained on them.
Strategic and Partnership Support
Work closely with the partners to implement the practice's action plan and priorities. Provide accurate, timely information and recommendations to support partner decision-making. Represent the practice in dealings with the PCN, ICB, and other external and system wide stakeholders. Support a positive, open working culture across the practice, in keeping with the practice's approach to people management.
Working Relationships
The Practice Business Manager reports to the GP partners, and leads the practice's management team.
Person Specification
Skills and Attributes Essential
Clear, confident communicator, able to work well with GPs, clinical staff, and non-clinical teams alike. Sound, practical judgement, able to prioritise across competing operational demands. A genuinely compassionate and fair approach to managing people, comfortable addressing issues directly. Well organised, with strong attention to detail, particularly in relation to compliance and financial matters. Resilient and calm under pressure, with the confidence to lead a team through a period of change.
Desirable
IT literate, with the ability to learn practice-specific systems such as SystmOne.
Experience Essential
Experience in an operational management role, ideally within primary care, the wider NHS, or another regulated care setting. Experience of line managing staff, including handling HR issues fairly and confidently. Experience of budget management and financial reporting.
Desirable
Direct experience of CQC inspection processes and evidence preparation.
Qualifications Essential
Good general education, including numeracy and literacy to a standard that supports financial and written reporting.
Desirable
Masters-level qualification in business, management, or leadership, or equivalent significant experience.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Fairfield Park Health Centre
Address Tyning Lane
Camden Road
Bath
BA1 6EA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.fairfieldparkhc.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)