Sale of NHS dental practice completed in six weeks

We advised on the sale of an NHS dental practice, successfully completing the transaction within an accelerated six week timeframe from instruction to completion.

From the outset, our team focused due diligence on the areas most critical to the transaction, including financial matters, the NHS contract, employees and self employed clinicians, litigation and property. By concentrating on these key issues and ensuring supporting documentation was available from the first day of the process, the due diligence stage was completed within ten business days.

Key commercial terms were agreed at the outset before the formal drafting of documents began. This approach allowed the Sale and Purchase Agreement to be finalised efficiently, reaching an agreed form by the third draft.

Regulatory approvals were also progressed proactively. Both buyer and seller initiated the CQC registration process immediately and maintained close communication with the regulator to ensure the application advanced without delay. At the same time, the seller notified the NHS of the intended changes to the NHS contract and served the required notice early in the process, enabling the contract variation to proceed once regulatory confirmation was obtained.

All parties worked towards the same six week completion deadline and maintained regular communication throughout the transaction. By aligning the legal, regulatory and commercial workstreams from the outset, the sale completed successfully within the targeted timeframe.

This transaction demonstrates how careful planning, clear communication and a focused legal strategy can enable complex healthcare transactions to complete significantly faster than the typical timeline.