The spreadsheet only one person can run
Every month the practice manager exports a fee report, a UDA report and the lab bills, then pastes them into the associate pay spreadsheet. Each associate has a tab. One is on a straight percentage of private fees collected, one is on a UDA rate plus a percentage, another pays half their lab bills and a different share for implants. There are adjustments for bad debts, refunds and treatment that was started by someone who left.
The spreadsheet works, mostly. But only one person knows how, and when they are on holiday, pay is late.
When an associate queries a figure, answering means reopening the spreadsheet, tracing a formula and finding the source report, which can take longer than the original calculation.
Why associate pay is so fiddly
- Contracts differ, and small differences (fees billed or fees collected, lab share by item type) change the result.
- Fees come from one report, UDAs from another, lab costs from invoices.
- Refunds, write-offs and patient finance payments affect collected fees in different months.
- Treatment shared between associates needs a rule for splitting.
- Formulas get copied and edited over years until nobody is sure which version is right.
What getting it wrong costs
An incorrect statement costs trust. Associates who cannot see how their figure was reached start checking everything, and disputes take hours. Late statements cause friction. And a spreadsheet that depends on one person is a real risk to the practice.
There is also the question of timing. Private fees paid through finance providers, deposits taken months before treatment and refunds issued after a complaint all land in different periods. Unless the rules for each are written down and applied the same way every month, two statements for similar work can look very different, and associates notice.
How we build the associate pay calculation
- We read fee, payment and treatment data per clinician from your practice management system, and UDA figures from the same source or your portal export.
- Lab costs come from your lab invoice reconciliation, or from a simple import if you do not have one.
- Each associate's contract terms are entered as rules: percentages, UDA rate, lab share, item exceptions and adjustments. We work from your contracts and ask where anything is unclear.
- The calculation runs for the period and produces a statement per associate listing each source figure and each rule applied.
- The practice manager reviews, adds one-off adjustments with a note, and approves.
- Approved statements are sent to associates as PDFs or through a simple portal, and a summary goes to your accountant or payroll in the format they want.
| Part of the statement | Source | Shown to associate |
|---|---|---|
| Private fees | Practice system | Total and by month of payment |
| NHS activity | Practice system or portal export | UDAs and rate applied |
| Lab costs | Lab reconciliation | Each case and share deducted |
| Adjustments | Practice manager | Line with reason |
We apply the contract terms you give us. We do not advise on associate contracts, employment status or tax.
Pay day without the one-person risk
The calculation runs the same way every month. Another member of staff can run it with the same result. Associates see every line and can ask about a specific case instead of the whole figure. When a new associate joins, their contract is added as a set of rules rather than a new spreadsheet tab.
When an associate leaves, the final statement is easier too. Outstanding lab bills, treatment still in progress and any agreed retention of fees can be worked through with the same rules rather than a special spreadsheet built for the occasion.
Is your associate pay like this?
- One person understands the pay spreadsheet.
- Associates regularly query their statements.
- Lab fee deductions are hard to evidence.
- Pay is delayed when a key person is away.
- Different associates have noticeably different contract terms.