What equipment do I need as a private GP?
A practical list of consulting room, diagnostic, emergency and digital equipment for a new private GP service, and how to keep it maintained.
The short answer
You need a suitable consulting room, the diagnostic kit you use every day in NHS general practice, resuscitation equipment and emergency medicines, infection control supplies, and systems for records, communication and payment. Add equipment for each extra service you offer, such as a pharmaceutical fridge for vaccines or an ECG machine. In England the CQC expects every item to be suitable, maintained, calibrated where needed and logged, so plan maintenance from the day you buy it.
Key points
- Start from what you use in an NHS consulting room, then add equipment for each extra service you plan to offer.
- Resuscitation equipment, including an AED and oxygen, and emergency medicines are needed wherever you see patients face to face.
- The CQC expects you to measure temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse and respiratory rate so you can calculate a NEWS score.
- Keep an equipment log with checks, calibration, servicing and electrical testing, following each manufacturer's instructions.
- Buy medical devices that are UKCA or validly CE marked, and report device problems to the MHRA.
It depends on your services
A good way to start is to list everything you use in a normal NHS clinic and cross off what you won't need. Then list the services you will offer privately and add the equipment for each. A consultation-only service needs much less than one offering phlebotomy, vaccines, ECGs or minor procedures. If you work from rooms in a clinic or private hospital, agree what it provides and what you bring.
Use this as a checklist, not a shopping list. Buy what your services need.
The consulting room
- An examination couch with a wipeable surface, couch roll and a privacy curtain or screen
- A clinical handwash basin, liquid soap, paper towels and alcohol hand rub
- Hard, wipeable flooring. The CQC says clinical rooms should not have carpets.
- Good examination lighting, a desk and chairs, and a clock
- Pedal-operated clinical waste bins and a sharps container
- A lockable cupboard for medicines and a secure place for records
For the premises themselves, see whether you can practise from any premises.
Everyday diagnostic kit
- Stethoscope
- Blood pressure monitor, clinically validated, with a range of cuff sizes
- Thermometer
- Pulse oximeter suitable for the ages you see
- Otoscope and ophthalmoscope
- Peak flow meter with disposable mouthpieces
- Blood glucose meter, strips and lancets
- Urine dipsticks and specimen pots
- Weighing scales, a height measure and a tape measure
- Tendon hammer, tuning fork, pen torch, tongue depressors and a Snellen chart
- Disposable gloves, aprons and eye protection
The CQC expects clinical staff to be able to calculate a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) for adults. That means equipment to measure temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse and respiratory rate in every setting where you see patients.
Emergency equipment
Wherever you see patients face to face, Resuscitation Council UK's minimum for primary care includes an AED with spare pads, an oxygen cylinder with tubing and masks, a pocket mask, and PPE. Pair it with emergency medicines chosen through a risk assessment. See the emergency drugs cabinet.
Extra equipment by service
| Service | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Phlebotomy | Tourniquets, safer needles and vacutainers, sample tubes and bags, a centrifuge if your lab needs spun samples, and courier arrangements. See pathology for private GPs. |
| Vaccination | A pharmaceutical fridge with a thermometer that records maximum and minimum temperatures, a validated cool box, and an anaphylaxis pack in each room. See ordering private immunisations. |
| ECG | A 12-lead ECG machine and electrodes, and a route for interpretation. See ECG interpretation. |
| Minor procedures | Sterile single-use instruments or a validated decontamination route, dressing packs, local anaesthetic, specimen pots and a procedure couch with good lighting |
| Women's health | Speculums in several sizes, swabs and, for coil fitting, the specific kit and the emergency medicines the CQC lists for that service |
| Spirometry | A spirometer with calibration equipment and trained staff |
| Home visits | A lockable doctor's bag, portable sharps bin, hand rub and emergency medicines chosen for the patients you visit |
Digital and office equipment
- A clinical record system. See choosing a record system.
- A way to send letters securely to NHS GPs. See sending notes to the NHS GP.
- A private prescribing route. See private prescribing and EPS.
- Card payments and invoicing. See collecting payment.
- A computer and phone set up securely, with a headset and webcam if you consult by video. See computing networks for a private GP service.
Buying medical devices
Buy from reputable suppliers. See where to get medical supplies. In Great Britain, medical devices must be registered with the MHRA before they are placed on the market and carry a UKCA mark or a CE mark that is still accepted under the transitional arrangements. Northern Ireland follows different rules. If a device is faulty or causes harm, report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
Maintenance and records
CQC regulation 15 requires equipment to be clean, suitable, properly used and properly maintained. The CQC's GP guidance expects:
- an equipment log naming who is responsible, the check intervals and the fault reporting system
- calibration and electrical testing at the frequency the manufacturer recommends, for items such as BP monitors, scales, thermometers, fridges, pulse oximeters, spirometers and defibrillators
- maintenance of portable electrical equipment in proportion to risk. The law does not set a fixed frequency for PAT testing.
- no out-of-date consumables. The CQC treats expired needles, syringes or defibrillator pads as seriously as expired medicines.
- staff trained to use each item.
Put service and calibration dates in a shared calendar when you buy each item. A simple spreadsheet log is enough for a small practice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a defibrillator in a small consulting room?
Resuscitation Council UK lists an AED as minimum equipment for immediate use in all primary care services. If you work within a larger clinic, you may be able to share theirs if it is immediately accessible and the arrangement is written down.
Should I buy new or second-hand equipment?
Either can work for simple items. For anything that needs calibration or servicing, check its history, that it is still supported by the manufacturer, and that you can get it serviced.
How often does equipment need calibrating?
Follow the manufacturer's instructions. The CQC does not set one interval for all equipment, but it expects you to know the interval for each item and to keep records.
Do I need a vaccine fridge if I only give occasional vaccines?
If you store any vaccines, yes. The Green Book says domestic fridges must not be used for vaccines.
Sources
- GP mythbuster 34: Maintenance of medical equipment
- GP mythbuster 52: Portable appliance testing and calibrating medical equipment
- GP mythbuster 1: Emergency care in general practice
- GP mythbuster 99: Infection prevention and control in general practice
- Quality Standards: Primary care equipment and drug lists
- Regulating medical devices in the UK
- Yellow Card scheme
- Storage, distribution and disposal of vaccines: the Green Book, chapter 3
