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Consultancy

Buying, opening or investing in a UK dental practice

A clear route for business people, dentists and investors, from the first search to the first patient.

Who this is for

Business people who want to enter the UK dental sector, dentists who want to own a practice, and investors looking at the market. It also suits dentists who qualified abroad and plan to build a practice here.

The UK dental market offers real opportunities to local patients and to investors with a health-tourism angle. It also has its own rules, contracts and regulators. A good purchase depends on doing things in the right order and with the right specialists around you.

Two routes

Buy an existing practice

Find a practice that fits your goals, assess it, agree terms, complete the purchase and take over operations. This is the route set out in the four phases below.

Open a new practice

Find suitable premises, deal with planning and CQC registration, plan the fit-out and equipment, then recruit, brand and launch. Phases 3 and 4 below apply to you too.

Buying a practice

Four phases, one clear route

Each phase has its own goal, its own specialists and its own deliverables. The phases can change a little with each project.

Phase 1

Finding practices and a first assessment

We turn your goals into clear search criteria, then find and compare practices worth a closer look.

What needs to happen

Agree your criteria: location, NHS or private mix, equipment and size
Research the local market and competitors
Draw up a shortlist
Sign a confidentiality agreement where a seller asks for one
Make first contact with sellers and brokers

Specialists you will need

Commercial property adviser
Accountant, for a first look at the financials

How we help

Build the shortlist and filter it against your goals
Contact sellers, brokers and agents, and follow new listings
A SWOT assessment of each practice
Check CQC registration and take a first look at regulation
Comparison tables on location, turnover, patient profile, staff and rent
Visit shortlisted practices on your behalf, including in London
A written first-assessment report to help you decide

Phase 2

Analysing a practice and agreeing heads of terms

We go deeper on one or two practices, then set out the main terms of a deal before anyone commits.

What needs to happen

Obtain detailed financial information: accounts, patient numbers and contracts
Check the NHS contract position and GDC registrations
Draft heads of terms between buyer and seller
Plan the business model after the purchase

Specialists you will need

Solicitor, for the offer and contracts
Accountant, for profitability and structure

How we help

Request and organise the information from the seller
Check NHS and GDC records and the practice’s regulatory history
SWOT and investment-potential assessment for each practice
Prepare a first draft of the heads of terms

Phase 3

Legal purchase and formal transfer

The deal becomes binding and the practice passes to you.

What needs to happen

Sign the sale and purchase agreement
Complete the transfer of shares or assets
Transfer the CQC registration, or apply for a new one
Set up the bank account, insurance and any new company

Specialists you will need

Purchase solicitor
Regulation specialist for CQC
Accountant, for financial checks before and after completion

How we help

Coordinate every party and keep the timetable moving
Manage communication and documents between solicitors, accountants and regulation advisers
Guide you through the CQC steps
Plan a smooth handover so there is no gap in patient care

Phase 4

Setting up operations and marketing

Once the practice is yours, it needs a team, a clear identity and a steady flow of patients.

What needs to happen

Build the clinic team, temporary or permanent
Decide how the practice is positioned and what it offers
Plan patient acquisition and the first marketing campaign
Put the systems in place: website, CRM, phone line and digital tools

Specialists you will need

Recruitment agency
Web and digital marketing providers
Brand and design agency

How we help

Appoint an interim manager for the first months
Plan the opening: launch, service order and the first patient experience
Manage agencies and track results
Plan the CRM, web and digital campaigns
Develop and run the marketing
Operational support in the first months

Worth knowing

Four things that shape a UK practice purchase

NHS contracts

The type of NHS contract decides how a practice can be transferred. A personal contract that is not held by a company can be harder to move, so it is checked early.

Shares or assets

A practice can be bought by taking over the company’s shares or by buying its assets. The choice affects tax, staff and the risk you inherit.

Due diligence

Your solicitor checks equipment, compliance, goodwill, patients, staff and associates, tax, insurance and commercial contracts before you commit.

CQC registration

A transfer usually needs new registrations, and these take time. We plan the timing so that they do not delay the purchase.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your solicitor will advise you on your own purchase.

A note on advice. Knightsbridge Academy is an education and consultancy company. We are not a law firm and we do not give regulated legal, tax or immigration advice. We explain the route, plan the steps and coordinate the work, and where you need a solicitor, accountant or regulated adviser we introduce trusted professionals.

Planning to buy or open a practice?

Tell us your goals and your timeline, and we will propose the first steps.