November 11, 2024
How to Beat Rachel Reeves’ National Insurance Hike
Kieran Mann
From April, GP practices face another unavoidable cost increase
From April, GP practices across the UK will face another financial pressure: an increase in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%. With practice finances already under strain, many are reassessing where costs can be reduced without impacting patient care or clinical safety.
One approach increasingly being adopted is outsourcing non-clinical, high-volume administrative work such as document processing — allowing practices to stabilise costs while maintaining service quality.
The true cost of in-house document processing
Employing in-house administrative staff can appear cost-effective on the surface, but the full cost is often underestimated. Beyond salary alone, practices must absorb a range of ongoing and rising expenses.
These include higher National Insurance contributions from April, annual increases in the National Living Wage, pension contributions, holiday pay, recruitment costs, and HR overheads. Sickness, annual leave and staff turnover also introduce operational risk and disruption, often requiring temporary cover or overtime.
Taken together, these factors mean the real cost of processing clinical correspondence in-house is significantly higher than many practices initially expect.
Why ideoshift offers a more predictable alternative
ideoshift provides GP practices with a straightforward, per-letter document processing service designed to remove staffing complexity and cost volatility.
Pricing is simple and transparent, with a per-letter model that avoids hidden costs or employment-related on-costs. Practices are not exposed to National Insurance increases, minimum wage rises, pension liabilities or sickness cover — costs remain directly linked to actual workload.
The service is also flexible and scalable. Practices can allocate a consistent batch of letters each week and adjust volumes as pressures change, without recruitment delays or long-term commitments.
Reliability and resilience without staffing risk
Unlike in-house teams, outsourced document processing is not affected by staff absence or turnover. ideoshift provides consistent coverage, helping practices avoid backlogs and maintain timely document handling even during peak periods such as winter pressures or staff shortages.
This resilience is increasingly important as practices operate with leaner teams and tighter budgets.
Improving workflow, not just reducing cost
Cost savings are only part of the benefit. By removing routine document processing from internal teams, practices can redirect staff time towards higher-value activities such as patient-facing work, quality improvement, and operational planning.
All processing is delivered through secure, audited workflows by experienced staff, ensuring letters are handled accurately, consistently and in line with governance requirements.
Reviewing costs ahead of April
With National Insurance increases imminent, now is an appropriate time for practices to review administrative cost models. Outsourcing part of document processing can provide immediate financial predictability while reducing operational risk.
Practices do not need to outsource everything — many choose to start with a proportion of letters and scale as needed.
To discuss whether ideoshift could support your practice, get in touch for an initial conversation.
Kieran Mann
Director
Kieran is a director at ideoshift, supporting GP practices across the UK to reduce administrative pressure through secure, reliable document processing. He works closely with practice managers and clinical teams to design operational models that improve resilience, control costs and protect patient care.
November 11, 2024
How to Beat Rachel Reeves’ National Insurance Hike
Kieran Mann
From April, GP practices face another unavoidable cost increase
From April, GP practices across the UK will face another financial pressure: an increase in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%. With practice finances already under strain, many are reassessing where costs can be reduced without impacting patient care or clinical safety.
One approach increasingly being adopted is outsourcing non-clinical, high-volume administrative work such as document processing — allowing practices to stabilise costs while maintaining service quality.
The true cost of in-house document processing
Employing in-house administrative staff can appear cost-effective on the surface, but the full cost is often underestimated. Beyond salary alone, practices must absorb a range of ongoing and rising expenses.
These include higher National Insurance contributions from April, annual increases in the National Living Wage, pension contributions, holiday pay, recruitment costs, and HR overheads. Sickness, annual leave and staff turnover also introduce operational risk and disruption, often requiring temporary cover or overtime.
Taken together, these factors mean the real cost of processing clinical correspondence in-house is significantly higher than many practices initially expect.
Why ideoshift offers a more predictable alternative
ideoshift provides GP practices with a straightforward, per-letter document processing service designed to remove staffing complexity and cost volatility.
Pricing is simple and transparent, with a per-letter model that avoids hidden costs or employment-related on-costs. Practices are not exposed to National Insurance increases, minimum wage rises, pension liabilities or sickness cover — costs remain directly linked to actual workload.
The service is also flexible and scalable. Practices can allocate a consistent batch of letters each week and adjust volumes as pressures change, without recruitment delays or long-term commitments.
Reliability and resilience without staffing risk
Unlike in-house teams, outsourced document processing is not affected by staff absence or turnover. ideoshift provides consistent coverage, helping practices avoid backlogs and maintain timely document handling even during peak periods such as winter pressures or staff shortages.
This resilience is increasingly important as practices operate with leaner teams and tighter budgets.
Improving workflow, not just reducing cost
Cost savings are only part of the benefit. By removing routine document processing from internal teams, practices can redirect staff time towards higher-value activities such as patient-facing work, quality improvement, and operational planning.
All processing is delivered through secure, audited workflows by experienced staff, ensuring letters are handled accurately, consistently and in line with governance requirements.
Reviewing costs ahead of April
With National Insurance increases imminent, now is an appropriate time for practices to review administrative cost models. Outsourcing part of document processing can provide immediate financial predictability while reducing operational risk.
Practices do not need to outsource everything — many choose to start with a proportion of letters and scale as needed.
To discuss whether ideoshift could support your practice, get in touch for an initial conversation.
Kieran Mann
Director
Kieran is a director at ideoshift, supporting GP practices across the UK to reduce administrative pressure through secure, reliable document processing. He works closely with practice managers and clinical teams to design operational models that improve resilience, control costs and protect patient care.
November 11, 2024
How to Beat Rachel Reeves’ National Insurance Hike
Kieran Mann
From April, GP practices face another unavoidable cost increase
From April, GP practices across the UK will face another financial pressure: an increase in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%. With practice finances already under strain, many are reassessing where costs can be reduced without impacting patient care or clinical safety.
One approach increasingly being adopted is outsourcing non-clinical, high-volume administrative work such as document processing — allowing practices to stabilise costs while maintaining service quality.
The true cost of in-house document processing
Employing in-house administrative staff can appear cost-effective on the surface, but the full cost is often underestimated. Beyond salary alone, practices must absorb a range of ongoing and rising expenses.
These include higher National Insurance contributions from April, annual increases in the National Living Wage, pension contributions, holiday pay, recruitment costs, and HR overheads. Sickness, annual leave and staff turnover also introduce operational risk and disruption, often requiring temporary cover or overtime.
Taken together, these factors mean the real cost of processing clinical correspondence in-house is significantly higher than many practices initially expect.
Why ideoshift offers a more predictable alternative
ideoshift provides GP practices with a straightforward, per-letter document processing service designed to remove staffing complexity and cost volatility.
Pricing is simple and transparent, with a per-letter model that avoids hidden costs or employment-related on-costs. Practices are not exposed to National Insurance increases, minimum wage rises, pension liabilities or sickness cover — costs remain directly linked to actual workload.
The service is also flexible and scalable. Practices can allocate a consistent batch of letters each week and adjust volumes as pressures change, without recruitment delays or long-term commitments.
Reliability and resilience without staffing risk
Unlike in-house teams, outsourced document processing is not affected by staff absence or turnover. ideoshift provides consistent coverage, helping practices avoid backlogs and maintain timely document handling even during peak periods such as winter pressures or staff shortages.
This resilience is increasingly important as practices operate with leaner teams and tighter budgets.
Improving workflow, not just reducing cost
Cost savings are only part of the benefit. By removing routine document processing from internal teams, practices can redirect staff time towards higher-value activities such as patient-facing work, quality improvement, and operational planning.
All processing is delivered through secure, audited workflows by experienced staff, ensuring letters are handled accurately, consistently and in line with governance requirements.
Reviewing costs ahead of April
With National Insurance increases imminent, now is an appropriate time for practices to review administrative cost models. Outsourcing part of document processing can provide immediate financial predictability while reducing operational risk.
Practices do not need to outsource everything — many choose to start with a proportion of letters and scale as needed.
To discuss whether ideoshift could support your practice, get in touch for an initial conversation.
Kieran Mann
Director
Kieran is a director at ideoshift, supporting GP practices across the UK to reduce administrative pressure through secure, reliable document processing. He works closely with practice managers and clinical teams to design operational models that improve resilience, control costs and protect patient care.