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Practice manager salaries on the rise

Practice managers' salaries rose by 3% in 2011, with many GPs paying their managers bonuses rather than giving a pay rise, according to a new national survey.

The average practice manager's income is now £39,060 compared to £37,800 in 2010, the survey of 1,100 practices across the UK reveals.

Big practices pay their managers the most. Those with more than 14,000 patients pay an average of £46,770 while practices with less than 5,000 patients pay an average of £32,235 - up from £31,570 last year.

Practices in Scotland and Northern Ireland pay the least with practice manager earnings averaging £33,125. These regions had the highest proportion of small practices, with 41% having less than 5,000 patients.

Bonuses, steadily declining since 2007, are up 14% reflecting a trend among practices to give managers a bonus instead of a pay rise.

The proportion of practice managers who are partners in the practice has increased slightly from 3% to 3.5%. Average earnings for those with partner status is £53,695 - up 11% from last year the survey by web portal First Practice Management and insurance specialist Towergate MIA showed.

Steve Morris, general manager at First Practice Management, said: ‘Although the data showed that average practice manager salaries increased in 2010/11, a significant number of managers reported zero pay-rises for themselves and for their staff.'

‘Some have indicated that this is the third or fourth year of a pay freeze while many practices are reporting differential rises for lower paid staff and zero rise for higher earners being a common theme.'