How To Set Up A Laser Eye Surgery Clinic

Many people find it unbelievable that laser eye surgery can take place in locations far removed from a classic hospital setting. From shopping malls to high street, laser eye surgery really couldn’t be more accessible.

That being said, how does one set up a laser eye surgery clinic?

Despite the breadth of locations that surgery clinics can exist, the process of opening a clinic is in fact very time consuming and complex, much more so than for your average shopping centre fare.

The very first step in setting up a laser eye surgery clinic is to select a building with a lease that allows for medical procedures. Once you’ve done this, plans should be constructed to ensure the most efficient layout of space, including plumbing, electrics, air handling, IT sockets, and toilets.

If you are looking to set up a location in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, a candidate for the position of ‘Registered Manager’ (RM) must go through a specific application process, in order to be recognised as the individual legally responsible for day to day operations of the clinic. The process includes submitting an application form, a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, references, photos, a birth certificate, CV and completed questionnaire. Because of the CRB element, this process can take months to complete.

After the RM has completed their application, a candidate for the position of ‘Responsible Individual’ (RI) must submit the same application pack. The RI acts as the liaison between the registering body and the RM.

Once these two applications have been completed, it is finally possible to submit the main application. This application includes a lot of paperwork, including a 200 page questionnaire, a statement of the registering company’s past 2 years of accounts, a copy of all policies and procedures, and a hefty application fee.

Typically, inspection takes place approximately three months after the application has been submitted. During this time, lasers, equipment and supplies are ordered, and the space is thoroughly cleaned – at least three times, in fact, before the equipment is installed.

Separate to the inspection, the RM is interviewed by the registering body – a step that is critical to the registration being granted. The interview will focus on regulations, as opposed to lasers or technology, and often requires a significant amount of preparation.

If granted, registration takes place approximately four weeks after inspection, and comes in the form of three separate letters from the registering body. The first informs you of their intent to register you, if the inspection has been passed, and tells you the conditions of registration, which you must respond to and either accept or challenge. The second letter is the official ‘notice of decision’ to register, which also requires a formal response, and the third is the certificate.

After the certificate has been received, the clinic can finally be opened.

Finding patients, surgeons, and other team members, is of course another task entirely.

It is clear that the ease of accessing a laser surgery clinic does not reflect the ease of opening one. The process in place may be a long and arduous one, but it is in place to ensure that regardless of where in the UK patients choose to access care, they can rest assured that their quality of care will not be compromised.