Private clinical practice work

Be a consultant

Engaging in private clinical practice

If you are a University of Cambridge employee who wishes to engage in private clinical practice work, for example for private healthcare providers, independent hospitals or sole or partnership private practice consultancy, then all payments must be administered through Cambridge University Technical Services Limited (CUTS)*.

This requirement is found under Chapter 9 of The Statutes and Ordinances, section 6, p.635 Special Regulations for Faculties and Departments. The relevant information is copied below:

Certain University offices whose holders have clinical responsibilities in the NHS

No Professor, Reader, University Senior Lecturer, University Lecturer, Assistant Director of Research, or Clinical Lecturer, who holds an honorary clinical contract in the NHS, nor the Consultant Occupational Physician, shall engage in private medical practice for more than one NHS session (one half-day) each working week. All payments for private practice work shall be administered by the Cambridge University Technical Services Ltd. The officer concerned may elect to receive a fee for such private practice which will be calculated after the deduction of administrative and overhead costs. Income remaining after this fee has been paid shall be placed in a fund or funds to be used for medical education or research administered according to arrangements approved by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine.

*CUTS is a wholly owned subsidary of Cambridge Enterprise. Further information about this relationship can be found under structure and governance.

Please note: there is a 10% administrative fee for the CUTS service.

The process

Monthly notification email

Please email a monthly notification of any private clinical practice you have completed in that month with the following information:

Date the work was carried out
Address where the consultation was carried out
Amount to be invoiced
Name of patient (as this appears on their insurance policy documents)
Date of birth of patient
Address of patient (as this appears on their insurance policy documents)
Name of insurer (or whoever needs invoicing)
Any reference or policy number from the insurance company

Invoicing

CUTS will then issue the invoice to the client. At the end of each quarter we will then send you a statement of any income that has been received along with the deduction of our 10% fee and any other costs, and ask you to submit an invoice to us for the amounts due to you. Your invoice will be paid at the end of the month in which we receive the invoice from you. Please note the income must be treated under self-assessment for income tax and National Insurance purposes.

For the avoidance of doubt, please note any Private Medical Practice work should be covered by your own MDU insurance as the University’s Professional Indemnity Insurance does not extend to this work.