What to bring in your GP Bag?

It’s good practice to be ready for the basics. 

6 essentials

Whether moving from clinic to clinic or home visit

Stethoscope

Probably the only universal equipment you’d have use for on the wards as well as in GP land.

Just make sure you look after the tubing, as those neck oils can damage the rubber. Don’t use the alcohol wipes either!

Recommended? Most Littman

Pulse Oximeter

 

Consider whether you’d want to get a paediatric pulse-ox too

Pulse Oximeter

BP Machine

Sphygmomanometer, manual or automatic. Make sure this is serviced regularly.

You might need to consider having different sizes to accurately measure BP on smaller/larger arms.

Sphygmomanometers

Thermometer

A forehead infra-red thermometer might be quicker and less issue with hygeine but the in-ear thermometers are more accurate.

Digital thermometers

Otoscope and Ophthalmoscope

As a minimum, make sure you’ve got some ear speculums and tongue depressors.

Diagnostic Kit

Measuring Tape

Measure skin lesions, calves, waist, and neck circumference. Use a stadiometer for height.

Tape

Extras

These items are most likely available in your practice but it’s nice to have in your own office and bag too.

Gloves

Supported businesses with intelligence

Glucose meter

Remember to have the right glucose strips and lancets. Your room should have sharps boxes. Alcohol sterets for before and cotton wool for the patient after is a nice plus.

Urine dipsticks

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Universal Container

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Pregnancy Tests

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Lubricating jelly

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Tuning Fork

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Tendon Hammer

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Stool Container

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Clinical waste bag

Good to have to replace the one in your room. Nice to have in your car just in case you have any clinical things to dispose after home visits.

Microbiology bags

Days spend offering a brighter vision

Microbiology bags

Days spend offering a brighter vision

More nice extras

Office Objects

Scales to measure weight and stadiometer to measure height.

The nice-to-haves

Stationary

Some paper and a trusty pen is a must. Although most of our work is on some sort of electronic system, you might still need one to sign a prescription/radiology form or jot some notes down for a patient. You might also need to write up your home visits (though, I’ve found doing this digitally saves me another 5 minutes).

Stapler for those leaflets you’ll be explaining prior to sharing with your patients.

Other considerations

What about Medicines?

Here’s a post from CQC from February 2003 about medicines to consider.

Have any more suggestions? Leave us a comment.

What about the bag itself?

This is completely up to you. There are more options than the classic brown leather doctor’s bag. A rucksack is just as good if not easier to carry. Some people have ‘home-visit’ storage boxes separate to their own bags.