What you need to consider in order to run a doctors surgery

What it comes to maintaining our health, many UK residents rely upon the services and expertise of their doctors surgery. Whether it’s flu, back pain, infection, appendicitis or any other ailments, we’re counting on you to provide a suitable treatment plan or point us towards someone who can. So as the UK’s population continues to grow, the demand for doctors surgeries intensifies, presenting you with an opportunity.

What Guidelines and Criteria must I abide by?

As a general practitioner, you must regularly review the guidelines and criteria handed down by the department of health. Doing so will help ensure that your surgery consistently provides the highest standards of healthcare whilst staying on top of any regulation changes as and when they occur. Therefore, some of the aspects of your surgery’s day-to-day operations that require your attention include:

• Maintaining a patient list in excess of 6,000
• Opening hours ranging from 8am-8pm
• The ability to extended opening hours when necessary
• Availability of bookable appointments and walk-in services
• Practice-based commissioning
• Easy access for disabled patients
• Integration between your surgery and other local community services

How can I make my waiting areas more relaxing and less stressful?

One of the areas of your practice that your existing and potential patients will see is your waiting area, so it’s important that you and your team do everything you can to make a great first impression. As such, you need to make sure that your waiting areas are as calm, relaxing and stress-free as possible. So as well as providing a clean environment with comfortable seating and coffee tables, you should also consider offering access to coffee machines, printers and children’s playing areas. In regards to playing areas, avoid acquiring toys that have small parts and make sure they are thoroughly disinfected after each working day to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. If your practice operates on different floor levels, make certain that you install child safety gates and stairlifts for disabled patients.

What equipment do I need in my clinic and examination rooms?

Finally, you need to carefully consider what supplies and equipment will be required inside your clinic and examination rooms. In order to make a detailed diagnosis for each of your patients and provide the levels of care that they demand, your surgery must have access to the latest equipment, technology and supplies. If any of your equipment has become damaged or obsolete, you have a duty to ensure that it’s promptly repaired, replaced or upgraded. Just some of the equipment that your surgery requires in order to operate successfully includes:

• Medical beds
• Scales
• Lights - examination lights, light stands, bedhead lights, mobile mounted lights, wall lights, etc.
• Doctors tools - Blood pressure monitors, sample pots and other consumables, stethoscopes, thermometers, ophthalmoscope, reflex hammers, otoscopes, etc.
• Computer
• Printer and Fax machines
• Desks and seating
• Medical filing cabinets

Need help ensuring that your practice is able to provide the highest standards of healthcare?

Regardless of which stage your doctors surgery is at in its development, making sure that you have everything you need to properly diagnose and treat patients is crucial and non-negotiable. Yet, despite the necessity, this doesn’t make any easier for you to find the funds to do so and could push you towards a precarious financial situation. But no matter what your practice needs to operate and perform at peak efficiency, there are many finance solutions available to help you achieve your goals. The only thing now is to find a suitable finance agreement from a lender you can trust, which is where we can help.

At Rangewell, we’re an Access to Finance specialist working with over 300 lenders to offer you an overview of more than 23,000 business finance products. Our services are free to use, we have in-depth knowledge in your sector, and we’ll also guide you through the application process. We’re with you every step of the way. So if you’re looking for any type of finance for doctors, apply for finance today or find out more with Rangewell.