Prepare your feasibility study

This section gives basic guidance on how to prepare a feasibility study. The form the study should take will depend on who will be reading the document and what action you want them to take, the size of the project and how developed the plans are when the document is being prepared.

This section is not intended to offer a template for all feasibility studies, but gives some headings, which if well covered, should ensure that the document being prepared is appropriate for the goal that has been set. This goal may be to get approval in principle from a PCT board to take the project forward to the next stage or to help engender local understanding and ownership for a particular development. An example of a feasibility study for a GP practice is included.

This guidance has been drafted predominantly from the perspective of GP practice-led projects. However, most of the suggestions are equally relevant to other project leaders such as PCO staff who may be drafting documentation on behalf of a number of practices or other primary and social care providers.

A full list of the headings that will need to be considered when developing a feasibility study are as follows

• Executive summary.
• Background:
  • location of services
  • patient demography
  • primary healthcare team
  • services provided
  • description of current premises
  • need for change
• Strategic context:
  • local priorities for development in medium to long term
  • links to priorities for delivering government/PCT targets
• Options for development of new building:
  • details of proposed development
  • space requirements
  • financial implications and affordability
  • funding options
  • other resources needed
• Risks and how these can be overcome.
• Key benefits and outcomes.
• Conclusion.
• Appendices.

Further reading

An example of a feasibility study for a GP practice is available as a downloadable document.