News
What the news means
for your practice.
Short, sourced commentary on the developments that change how professional practices plan, borrow and invest: tax and the Budget, regulation, insurance, NHS contracts and the market for buying and selling practices.
Latest
How Do Dentists Fund Equipment for a New Practice? What a Welsh Group’s Tenth Site Shows
A Welsh dental group has grown from one practice to ten, using equipment finance for chairs, microscopes, X-ray machines and sterilisers. Here is how dentists usually fund the kit and refit for a new or refurbished surgery, and what lenders look at.
5 min read →
Selling a Practice or Buying Into a Partnership Before the Budget? What Could Happen to Business Asset Disposal Relief
Partners and owners planning a sale, and the people buying in, all want to know what the Budget on 28 October could do to Business Asset Disposal Relief. Here are today’s rules, what has been reported (none of it decided) and how to keep a deal on track.
8 min read →
How Do Residential Surveyors Fund Setting Up on Their Own or Buying Out a Partner?
Two of the biggest money decisions a residential surveyor makes are going independent and buying out a partner. Here is what each one costs, the finance that usually pays for it and what lenders look at before they say yes.
7 min read →
How Do Independent Vets Fund Opening Another Practice? What a Cardiff Group’s Third Site Shows
An independent group in South Wales has opened its third practice, in a former bank branch in Cardiff, backed by six-figure bank funding. Here is what a new branch involves, how lenders look at it and how the CMA’s new rules fit in.
5 min read →
The Co-op Is Selling Two Funeral Homes: Could an Independent Buy One, and How Is It Funded?
To clear its takeover of Southern Co-op, the Co-op has offered to sell two funeral homes, in Alton and near Earley. Here is who can buy them, when, and how independent funeral directors usually fund buying a funeral business.
4 min read →
How Much Do Councils Pay for Home Care in 2026/27? What the New Fee Rates Mean for Providers
The Homecare Association’s new report puts the average council fee at £25.37 an hour, with 61% of contracts below the cost of employing a care worker on the National Living Wage. Here is what the figures mean for home care providers’ cash flow and funding.
3 min read →
Scotland’s 3.75% NHS Dental Pay Award: When Will It Be Paid, and What It Means for Practice Owners
Scotland has confirmed a 3.75% uplift to NHS dental fees and capitation for 2026/27, backdated to April. Here is when the money arrives, what else changes, and what it means for owners and buyers.
5 min read →
The Law Society’s Small Firm Manifesto: What Is It Asking For, and What Does It Mean for Your Firm’s Finances?
The Law Society has published a manifesto for small firms and sole practitioners. Recruitment tops the list, alongside client account interest, audits, late payment and technology. Here is what it asks for and what it means for your firm’s funding.
4 min read →
Autumn Budget 2026: What Professional Practices Should Plan For
The Chancellor delivers the Budget on 28 October. Here is what has been reported, what is already fixed for partners, owners and sellers, and how to plan the cash.
5 min read →
NHS Dental Contract Changes 2026/27: What They Mean for Practice Finance
The 2026/27 contract changes are now running in practices, and the profession is pressing for more. What the new rules mean for owners, buyers and lenders.
4 min read →
Skills for Care’s 2026 Workforce Report: What It Means for Care Providers
Vacancies are at their lowest in a decade, but workforce growth has slowed and international recruitment has fallen sharply. What the new figures, and the Fair Pay Agreement ahead, mean for care providers.
4 min read →
SRA Fees 2026/27, the Compensation Fund and PII: Law Firms’ October Bill
Practising certificates, compensation fund contributions and many PII renewals all fall due in October. This year the regulatory part of that bill has risen sharply.
5 min read →
Gateway 2 and the New Building Safety Levy: What Consulting Engineers Should Plan For
The Building Safety Regulator’s latest figures show faster, more consistent Gateway 2 approvals, while the new Building Safety Levy took effect on 1 October. Here is what it means for engineering consultancies working on residential schemes.
3 min read →
Pharmacist Prescribing in Pharmacy First: What It Means for Pharmacy Owners
The regulations came into force on 1 October and five new prescribing pathways have been confirmed. What owners need in place, what is paid, and how to fund the investment.
4 min read →
RICS September Survey: Softer Demand and What It Means for Surveying Practices
RICS’s latest residential survey shows weaker buyer demand, falling agreed sales and fewer market appraisals, as rising interest rate expectations weigh on the market. Here is what that means for surveying practices.
3 min read →
The CMA’s Vets Order: What Independent Practices Need to Do, and When
The CMA has made its Order on veterinary services. Here are the deadlines for practices with 14 or fewer sites, what the prescription fee caps are, and what it means for cash flow and investment.
4 min read →
487 Enhanced Eye Care Services: What LOCSU’s Report Means for Practice Owners
Almost every Local Optical Committee now has an enhanced service running, and the high street is changing hands. Here is what that means for independent optician practices, and the equipment and space the work needs.
3 min read →
FRC Key Facts 2026: Fewer Audit Firms, an Older Profession and What It Means for Succession
The FRC’s latest Key Facts and Trends report shows the number of registered audit firms falling again, fewer new registrations and an older membership. Here is what it means for succession, fee blocks and practice deals.
3 min read →
GP Contract Talks Resume: What It Means for Practice Finances
Formal talks between GPC England and the government have restarted, with escalation of collective action on hold. What the 2026/27 contract pays, what is at stake and how partners can plan the practice’s finances.
4 min read →
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: What the First Quarter Means for Accountancy Practices
The first quarterly deadline has passed, the second is on 7 November and the threshold falls to £30,000 next April. What that means for capacity, pricing and investment in an accountancy practice.
4 min read →
Self-Pay at a Record High: What PHIN’s Latest Data Means for Private Clinics
The latest PHIN data shows self-pay patients at a record share of private admissions, while insured activity dipped. Here is what the shift means for private clinics planning equipment, space and staff.
3 min read →
The £2,000 Apprenticeship Hiring Payment: What Training Providers Need to Know
A new £2,000 hiring payment for young apprentices began on 1 October, on top of fully funded training for smaller employers. Here is what it means for training providers’ recruitment, delivery and cash flow.
3 min read →
A Record Crown Court Backlog: What It Means for Barristers’ Cash Flow
The Crown Court backlog has reached a new record, fee reform is still being finalised and the jury trial plans have changed. Here is what it means for when barristers are paid, and how to plan around it.
4 min read →
Targeted Support Is Live and Ongoing Advice Rules Are Due: What Advice Firms Should Plan
The FCA has confirmed that final rules on ongoing advice are due by the end of the year, while targeted support is now live. With firm numbers falling, here is what the changes mean for advice firms’ investment, acquisitions and succession.
3 min read →
Funeral Regulation Is Coming: What Funeral Directors Should Plan For
The government has told Parliament it will bring forward proposals to regulate the funeral sector in England and Wales. The detail is still to come, but the direction is clear. Here is what funeral directors can do now.
3 min read →
RIBA Future Trends: Architects’ Confidence Holds, but Only Just
The RIBA Workload Index held at +1 in September, positive by the slimmest of margins. Smaller practices are a little less gloomy, but workloads remain below last year. Here is what that means for cash flow, fees and investment.
4 min read →The weekly newsletter
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