A regular wage

Thinking about continuity income can do a lot for your profit line, says surgeon Mr Dev Lall.

A big problem with private practice is that you need to ensure you have a constant stream of new patients, as many will only be seen once or a few times before their treatment is complete and they can be discharged from follow–up.

This is truer in certain specialties than others, of course. A general or orthopaedic surgeon will only need to see the majority of their patients perhaps two or three times before discharge.