In this final part of what we need to consider when setting up a squat practice I wanted to take a look at some of the other things that we need to consider.
We’ve set up our LDU so that we now know that we will be fully compliant in this area and by doing this we can now maximise our clinical area’s. We now need to take a look at the other equipment and services that we are going to need.
We need to ensure that our practice has compressors, treatment centres, x-rays etc. Now the tendency may be to go and purchase the cheapest equipment possible to try and keep the overall costs down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this but its important to consider a few things as cheap may not be the cheapest option in the long run:
1. Are you looking to purchase brand new or second hand?
2. Always purchase an equipment brand name that you are familiar with.
3. Before purchasing always ensure that you are aware of who can service/ validate it for you.
4. If purchasing second hand ensure that the equipment is working and has full service history.
5. Is the equipment CE marked?
6. Are spare parts readily available for the equipment?
7. Do your research.
It is worth spending a little bit extra for the piece of mind that you aren’t going to encounter issues in the future. I’ve seen, far too many times, people purchase equipment based on price and then encounter issues with lack of engineer coverage, parts etc. The last thing that you want is to have to purchase another piece of equipment because no one can service/ repair it for you.
Its important that we make sure that our surgeries are fitted to an acceptable standard. Work surfaces should be made impervious to moisture and with seamless joints. We need to ensure that we have 2 sinks, 1 hand washing and 1 dirty, and the sinks must have no overflows with surgical style taps. We could argue, regarding the sinks, that if we have an LDU then we don’t require a dirty sink in the surgery, however we still need to accommodate this sink for the placement of impressions etc.
Ensure that you have all of your policies and procedures in place, which can become a very laborious task, but is crucial for the running of your practice. If you are unsure of exactly what policies you need to have then its always worthwhile speaking with a compliance company to assist you in this.
Your new practice needs to be ‘fit for purpose’ and provide all staff members and patients with a safe and clean environment. By following these tips then hopefully this will help you achieve this.
