BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK. February 16th 2026 – A growing shortage of willing internal successors is pushing UK private medical practices towards external sales, according to specialist brokerage Verilo, as younger clinicians opt out of ownership and older practice owners approach retirement with fewer options than expected.
Business brokerage Verilo, specialising in the medical sector, say internal successor routes that were once the default path for private practice exits are now becoming a rarity.
The firm cites a mix of financial, demographic, and operational reasons, with capital constraints emerging as the most significant barrier for associates who would historically have taken over.
According to findings in the Nuffield Trust paper, the number of GP partners aged 40 and under has fallen by 53% from September 2015 to December 2024.
The only age group with growth in partner numbers is the over-60s.
While the number continues to grow, the pipeline of younger clinicians willing or able to buy into practices is shrinking, while professional buyers are increasing.
Joshua Catlett, Verilo founder, says the trend is not limited to primary care.
Private medical and allied health practices are seeing the same pattern: ageing ownership, rising patient demand, and a successor gap driven by a younger workforce with different financial priorities.
“Younger clinicians increasingly see the risk-reward imbalance of ownership. For most associates, the same savings that would once have funded a buy-in now go towards mortgage deposits and family life. Borrowing has also tightened, with traditional lenders less willing to finance practice acquisitions without substantial personal capital. The internal buyout model simply no longer scales.”
With fewer internal successors, practice owners are keeping their businesses longer or seeking external buyers to take over.
Catlett says this shift has created a new professionalised transition market where external sale is not only viable, but often lower risk.
“When an internal sale goes wrong, it’s highly emotional, and it can weaken the practice if the associate leaves. Owners are increasingly recognising that a well-run external sale creates competitive tension, clearer timelines, and the ability to benchmark value objectively. It protects continuity for patients and staff and avoids personal fallout.”
Verilo reports a significant increase in private practices actively engaging in valuations, exit planning, and sale preparation as owners move away from informal succession conversations and towards structured processes.
Catlett says external buyers are broadening the market.
“External transactions were once viewed as an option only for larger, corporate-style medical groups. What we’re now seeing is increasing demand from external buyers who are specifically looking to take over owner-operated and partner-run practices, as well as multi-site groups. For owners, that opens up more choice, more competitive tension, and a clearer sense of value without relying on a single internal successor.”
As internal succession routes continue to narrow, the gap between intention and opportunity is widening, making early, structured planning increasingly critical for practice owners approaching exit.
ENDS