FIPO Chambers Subgroup

The FIPO Board has decided that any group of doctors working as a recognised group in either a Chambers or Partnership arrangement can be brought under the umbrella of FIPO. This is in accordance with the Articles of Association of FIPO which opens membership only to groups of consultants as opposed to individual consultants.

The concept of a FIPO Chambers Subgroup was unanimously approved by the 200 consultants from around the UK who made up the audience at the Royal Society of Medicine meeting about Chambers on 19th November 2002. The proposal was that FIPO should act as an overarching organisation for consultant groups working in any sort of Chambers or Partnership.

FIPO could provide a mechanism for dissemination and exchange of information on topics which will have a direct bearing on Chambers Groups such as

The concept of a national website with a database which will list Chambers and their staffing, specialty interests and functions was also suggested and will be explored by the FIPO Board. FIPO is also working with certain banking interests who may be able to offer favourable terms of financing. More information will follow in due course.

The success of this subgroup of FIPO will depend on the numbers who join. This in turn depends not only on the take up but on the actual numbers who are currently in Chambers or who are contemplating such a move. Estimates of these are hard to make but Dr Ray Stanbridge, an accountant and financial adviser, speaking at the FIPO Meeting on 19th November 2002 made some estimations based on informal discussions with a number of accountants. These at best are only rough approximations and were, he admitted, unsubstantiated figures and predictions. It should also be noted that the terms used below by Dr Stanbridge to describe the types of Practising Format do not correspond precisely with the legal definitions. The “specialist marketing group” would be a form of Chambers (no some shared expenses but each consultant working as a sole practitioner).

Estimates of Numbers of Consultants Practising in Different Formats Now and in Future – Dr Ray Stanbridge (Nov 2002)

 
1997
2002
2007
  
Consultants "seriously" engaged
in private practice
13,000
14,000
16,000
 (?)
Practicing Format:
 
a) Sole Practitioner
11,600
11,000
9,000
 (?)
b) Legal Partnership
800
1,200
2,000
 (?)
c) Specialist Marketing Group
400
1,200
2,500
 (?)
d) Limited Company
200
500
1,000
 (?)
e) Limited Liability Partnership
100
1,000
 (?)
f) Mixed Chambers
500
 (?)
 
13,000
14,000
16,000
 (?)

It would be very helpful if consultants were to register their interest and work practises so that we can try and substantiate these statistics.

FIPO recommends that all doctors seek their own professional, legal and financial advice before setting up in a Chambers or Partnership or Company.

For more information about the FIPO Chambers Group and to register your consultant group (Chambers, Partnerships, Limited Company) or any group which you are planning to set up in the future, please register via:

the consultant chambers web site