Running a GP surgery is an important and vital role within the community. Because there are so many people that depend on your GP surgery, you need to ensure that you are running things properly from a financial perspective so that you can continue to give people the quality healthcare that they need on a regular basis.
If you are in the process of creating a budget for a new GP surgery, or even if you are currently evaluating the budget of your existing surgery, there are a number of routine costs that you are going to need to factor in and bear in mind.
Here are three such costs for you to consider as you create your budget.
1. Disposable Medical Supplies
Every medical facility now more than ever before is making use of disposable supplies like aprons, masks, gloves, and other PPE (personal protection equipment). While those within the medical community are no strangers to using PPE on a regular basis, the current situation that has unfolded over the last year has made it absolutely necessary to use such disposable equipment even more frequently than before.
Moreover, patients and visitors to your GP surgery are also required to use PPE as well as hand sanitizer. This has made it necessary for GP surgeries to factor such things into their own budget. Make sure that you have the cost of these and all of your other disposable GP Surgery Supplies factored into your monthly budget.
2. Equipment Maintenance
Aside from disposable medical equipment, your GP surgery is going to have plenty of other medical equipment on hand. Things like blood pressure cuffs, examination couches and beds, and diagnostic kits that include otoscopes need to be maintained properly so that they can be relied upon to work whenever they are required.
Since these items play such an integral role in the day-to-day operations of your surgery, you need to replace them whenever they fall into disrepair and take measure to maintain them so as to extend their lifetime. It is important to remember, though, that sooner or later, such things will need to be replaced entirely, and your budget needs to reflect that.
3. IT
When you think of a GP surgery, your mind might not initially jump to IT. However, all medical practices these days must use their fair share of technology in order to keep their practice running smoothly. Such software as can help to schedule appointments, keep medical records current, and act as cybersecurity to keep such records safe and secure.
Many GPs are also turning to online consultation forms in order to help alleviate the workload on the surgery itself. Such online forms can help patients get the advice and guidance they need without necessarily having to see the doctor. Such technology can go a long way to helping to improve the operations of your practice but bear in mind that they do come at a cost.
