How do I choose the ideal location for my private GP practice?

Start with your patients and services

Location follows the service. Write down who you want to see and what you will offer before you look at buildings. See deciding which services to offer.

• Working adults value appointments near work or stations, early and late.
• Families value parking, weekend slots and space for buggies.
• Older patients value step-free access, parking close to the door and a short journey.
• Specialist clinics, such as menopause or weight management, may draw patients from a wide area, so good transport links matter more than a busy high street.

If most of your work will be by video, the physical site matters less. You still need a base your regulator can register, and a room for patients you need to examine.

Test demand with data

You don’t need paid market research to get a first view.

1. Population. The ONS census maps show age, household and employment patterns down to neighbourhood level.
2. Competition. In England, the CQC publishes its register of providers as a downloadable care directory. Filter it by area to see which independent doctors and clinics are already registered nearby, then look at their websites for services and prices. Patient-facing directories show the same picture from the patient’s side. A good example is Find A Private GP, where patients search for private GP services by service type and location. Listing is free at the time of review, so it is also an easy way to be visible locally once you open.
3. Your own network. Existing patients, colleagues and employers in the area can tell you what people struggle to get.
4. Travel time. Map a 20 to 30 minute journey from the site by car and public transport. That is roughly where most of your patients will come from.

Many competitors can mean proven demand, and none can mean too little. Either way, work out what you would offer that is different, whether that is availability, longer appointments, a clinical interest or price. See how much to charge.

Access and the patient journey

• Getting there. Bus and train links, parking you can promise patients, and clear directions.
• Getting in. Step-free entry, a lift if you are not on the ground floor, doors wide enough for a wheelchair, and an accessible toilet.
• Privacy. A discreet entrance suits some services. Consulting rooms must be private enough that conversations cannot be overheard.

Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers must take reasonable steps where a physical feature puts disabled people at a substantial disadvantage. It is far easier to choose an accessible site than to adapt one. See accessibility requirements.

Checks on the specific site

Check	What to look for
Planning	In England, “the provision of medical or health services, principally to visiting members of the public” is Use Class E(e), except premises attached to the practitioner’s home. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own use classes, so check with the local planning authority.
Lease	The permitted use must include clinical services, and you need the rights to fit handwashing, signage and data cabling.
Premises standard	In England, CQC Regulation 15 requires premises that are clean, secure, suitable for the purpose and appropriately located. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, check the premises requirements of HIW, HIS or RQIA.
Clinical layout	A consulting room with a couch and a clinical handwash basin, somewhere to store clinical waste safely, and a waiting area.
Practical services	Reliable broadband, courier access for pathology collections, and a pharmacy nearby for private prescriptions.
Safety	Safe access in the evening, fire exits and a plan for lone working.

For the detailed premises rules, see whether you can practise from any premises. For the lease-or-buy decision, see leasing versus buying.

Room to grow

Think two or three years ahead. Will you want a second consulting room, a treatment room for a nurse or phlebotomist, or space for staff? Moving is disruptive for patients, and in England your CQC registration lists the locations you work from, so a move or a new site means applying to change your registration. A site with a spare room, or a landlord with other units, can save a move later.

Test before you commit

A long lease on the wrong site is one of the most expensive mistakes in a new practice. Lower-risk ways to start:

• Rent a consulting room by the session in an existing registered clinic.
• Work under practising privileges at a private hospital while you build a list.
• Negotiate a short initial term or a break clause on your own lease.

If you rent within someone else’s registered premises, check with the CQC how your own registration will work there before you apply.

Score your options

Put your shortlist in a simple table and score each site out of five for: access for your target patients, competition, cost, suitability for clinical use, room to grow, and how it fits your own travel. The numbers matter less than being honest about the trade-offs. Then build the costs of the winner into your business plan.