A brief guide to setting up in private practice

Business planning

Business structure

Financing and insurances*

Location – demographics, nearby colleagues or referrers, nearby competitors, patient/staff access, disability access, optimal layout, buy or lease

Equipment and supplies

Accreditations and licensing

IT system and support – software, hardware, phones, backup, telehealth, cybersecurity

Marketing and advertising, including websites and social media

Advice from a business adviser, accountant, financial adviser, lawyer and/or practice manager, preferably with experience in the medical field.

Business – government guides

See the Starting a business checklist from business.gov.au which has detailed information on key steps and a downloadable checklist.

Each state or territory has specific information on starting a business:

ACT canberra.com.au/business/set-up/start-a-business

NSW nsw.gov.au/topics/starting-a-business

NT nt.gov.au/industry/start-a-business

QLD business.qld.gov.au/starting-business

SA business.sa.gov.au/services/start-a-business

TAS business.tas.gov.au/starting

VIC business.vic.gov.au/business-information/start-a-business

WA smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/starting-and-growing/8-steps-to-starting-a-business

Private practice – College guides

RACGP

General Practice Business Toolkit

RACS

Preparation for practice

RANZCP

A guide to private psychiatric practice

Patient information systems and processes

Medical records

Appointment system

Follow-up of tests and referrals

New patient registration

Telehealth Consent forms

Complaints handling

Clinical procedures

Infection control

Medication storage

Emergency equipment

Billing

Medicare billing requires a location-specific provider number — apply via Services Australia or PRODA/HPOS account

Compliance with item descriptors and explanatory notes in the MBS

Invoicing and records for tax purposes

Informing patients about costs upfront – see the AMA’s Informed financial consent

Staff

Clinical and non-clinical staff:

• Recruitment, screening (e.g., Working with Children checks), employment contracts and position descriptions
• Training and performance management
• Superannuation and taxation
• Clinical supervision

Obligations as an employer:

• AMA Guide to employment law for medical practices
• FairWork resources for federal workplace laws and the Fair Work Act
• State-based regulation of Work Health and Safety:
• WorkSafe ACT
• SafeWork NSW
• NT WorkSafe
• WorkSafe Qld
• SafeWork SA
• WorkSafe Tasmania
• WorkSafe Victoria
• WorkSafe WA

Privacy

By law a medical practice must have a privacy policy:

• AMA Sample privacy policy
• OAIC Guide to developing an APP privacy policy

If using cloud backup or storage, it’s easiest to meet Australian privacy law requirements if the server is in Australia

Confidentiality agreements for staff — see:

• OAIC Guide to health privacy
• ADHA Information security guide for small healthcare businesses
• ADHA Cyber security
• MDA National Privacy know-how
• MDA National Email and texts to patients

Advertising

Advertising, including a website or social media presence, must comply with Ahpra’s Guidelines for advertising aregulated health service

Advertising therapeutic goods or medicines must comply with the TGA’s advertising regulations

Direct marketing to patients requires their specific consent (under privacy law; APP7)

^*MDA National offers practice indemnity policies to cover claims against the practice or an employee of the practice, for matters such as privacy breaches, loss of documents, intellectual property disputes and more.

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