What should I ask about a sleep clinic’s overnight test rooms and monitoring gear?

Begin with the rooms. Visit them, ideally at the time they are used. Are they comfortable, clean and quiet? Ask how often each room is booked and how many nights sit empty. A schedule with long empty stretches suggests more capacity than demand, while a full one may mean you will struggle to add more tests.

Next, ask about the monitoring gear. Request a list with the make, age, service history and any units in repair. Ask who maintains it, how problems are spotted and whether a spare set is on hand. Find out which items are owned and which are leased, since leases can pass to you with their own terms.

Then ask about the night team. Who watches patients through the night, what training do they have, and how are shifts covered? Overnight work is hard to staff, so ask about turnover and how the seller recruits. Your accountant can help you read the cost of running the nights against the income they bring in. Ask how the practice handles a failed test night, such as a patient who cannot sleep or a lead that comes loose, and who is called in to help.

Key takeaways

• Visit the rooms at the time they are used and check their booking pattern.
• Get an equipment list with age, service history and lease status.
• Ask who staffs the nights and how shifts are covered.
• Ask what happens when a test night fails or gear stops working.