Physiotherapy Practice Equipment List

When planning a practice, the first question is usually: what do I have to buy. An equipment manufacturer sends an offer with a starter package, a forum suggests thirty items, and the regulations make it hard to find a single list. No wonder: the legislator never wrote such a list.

This article separates three matters. What the provisions require of the room and its sanitary fittings, what follows from the provisions on medical devices, and what is good practice and depends on the scope of your services. Floor area, room layout and accessibility are covered in the article on premises requirements for a physiotherapy practice. Here we focus on the things you put into that space.

Key points

• The Act requires you to have at your disposal a room meeting the requirements of Article 22, equipped with medical devices, apparatus and medical equipment appropriate to the type and scope of the services provided (Article 19a(1)(3)). There is no closed list of equipment.
• The Minister of Health regulation on premises and equipment sets the sanitary fittings: a washbasin with hot and cold water, dispensers, containers for disposable towels (§ 37(1)).
• Equipment that is a medical device requires documentation of inspections, maintenance and safety checks, kept for at least 5 years after it stops being used (Article 63 of the Act on medical devices).
• Reception equipment includes a safe place for documentation: the regulation on medical records requires it to be protected against destruction, loss and access by unauthorised persons.
• We do not give prices. The scope and amounts depend on the services. An indicative summary of costs is in the article on the cost of opening a practice.

What the provisions require and what is good practice

The basis is the Act on medical activity. A physiotherapist running an individual physiotherapy practice must have at their disposal a room meeting the requirements of Article 22, equipped with medicinal products, medical devices, apparatus and medical equipment appropriate to the type and scope of the health services provided (Article 19a(1)(3)). Article 22(1) adds that premises and equipment must meet requirements appropriate to the type of activity and the scope of services. The details are in the Minister of Health regulation of 26 March 2019.

What this means in practice:

Area	Where it comes from	Nature
Sanitary fittings of the treatment room	Regulation, § 37(1)	Legal requirement
Cleaning and disinfecting furniture and floors	Regulation, § 27 and 30	Legal requirement, with exceptions
Space for waste and linen	Regulation, § 25	Legal requirement
Therapy equipment	Article 19a(1)(3) of the Act	Appropriate to the scope of services
Records of equipment inspections	Article 63 of the Act on medical devices	Legal requirement
Protection of patient records	Regulation on medical records, § 1(7)	Legal requirement
Additional accessories, furniture, decor	No provision	Good practice and a business decision

Note that the regulation on premises has no separate annex for a physiotherapy practice. There are annexes for an outpatient clinic (no. 2) and for a medical rehabilitation facility that is a healthcare facility (no. 6). The provisions apply "accordingly to the type of medical activity and the scope of services provided" (§ 1). How exactly to translate them to a practice run as a professional practice is a question for the competent State Sanitary Inspector (Sanepid). Below we indicate what follows from the text of the regulation and where doubt remains.

Mandatory equipment of the treatment room and premises

Washbasin and hand hygiene supplies. Rooms in which examinations or treatments are performed are equipped at least with: a washbasin with a mixer tap supplying hot and cold water, a dispenser with liquid soap, a dispenser with a disinfectant, and a container with disposable towels and a container for used towels (§ 37(1)). We understand that the room in which you work with a patient falls under this description. If you perform treatments using reusable tools and equipment, the regulation adds a requirement for a sink with a mixer tap, or for organising washing in a separate room (§ 37(2) and (3)).

Furniture and floors. Furniture in the rooms of a medical entity must allow washing and disinfection (§ 27(1)). Floors are made of materials that allow washing and disinfection, and the junction of walls and floor must also allow this (§ 30(1) and (2)). The floor provision does not apply to kinesitherapy rooms (§ 30(3)). Choose couches and therapy tables with a covering that can be disinfected. Disinfection is covered in the article on disinfecting equipment and treatment couches.

Waste and linen. Entities providing medical activity set aside at least one room or place for waste, and a room or places for storing clean and dirty linen (§ 25(1)). As a rule, the place for clean linen may not be in the same room as the places for dirty linen and waste, but the regulation makes an exception for the room in which a professional practice is performed (§ 25(2)). On medical waste: medical waste and BDO at a practice.

Toilet. The regulation defines a "hygiene and sanitary room" as a room equipped at least with a toilet bowl, a washbasin, a liquid soap dispenser, a container with disposable towels and a container for used towels (§ 2(4)). The requirement to have at least one such room appears directly in the text of the annex for an outpatient clinic (annex no. 2, point 6). Whether it applies to a practice depends on how the word "accordingly" is read. Ask the sanitary inspector.

Kinesitherapy room and devices. Annex no. 6 requires, among other things, that a kinesitherapy room be a separate room, and that shortwave and microwave diathermy and laser therapy devices be installed in separate rooms (booths) in accordance with Polish Standards. That annex, however, concerns a medical rehabilitation facility that is a healthcare facility. For a professional practice this needs confirming if you plan such devices.

A practice in a residential unit. The regulation allows rooms in which a professional practice is performed to be located in a residential unit, provided that room is separated from the rooms of other users of the unit (§ 14(3)). For such a room, the requirement to wash furniture in § 27 does not apply (§ 27(2)).

Ventilation and air conditioning. If you have a mechanical ventilation or air conditioning system, it is subject to periodic inspection, cleaning or disinfection, in line with the manufacturer's recommendations, no less often than every 12 months, and the work must be documented (§ 40).

First-aid kit and first aid. If you employ workers, the Labour Code requires you to provide the means necessary for giving first aid and to designate the people who give it (Article 209¹ § 1). How to prepare OSH documents for your first employee is described in the article on the occupational risk assessment. We did not check fire safety provisions (extinguisher, signage).

Treatment equipment and its documentation

The typical set that practices buy depends on the profile. The list below is a starting point for thinking through your own scope, not a list required by the provisions:

• Basic: a couch or therapy table with height adjustment, a therapist's stool, a footrest, pillows and bolsters, towels or disposable couch covers, a screen.
• Diagnostics and exercise: a goniometer, resistance bands and tubes, balls, mats, kinesiology taping supplies.
• Physical therapy (if you offer it): an electrotherapy device, ultrasound, laser, magnetotherapy, lamps. This is where inspection records come in.
• Hygiene: surface and hand disinfectant, gloves, waste containers.

Everything that is a medical device and is used to provide services comes with the duties in Article 63 of the Act on medical devices:

1. The device must be properly installed and maintained and used in accordance with its intended purpose. The user must follow the instructions for use (para. 1).
2. A device with defects that may create a risk for patients, users or other persons must not be used (para. 2).
3. An entity providing medical activity must have records of installations, repairs, maintenance, service work, software updates, inspections, adjustments, calibrations, verifications and safety checks arising from the instructions for use. They must contain at least: dates, the name of the person or company that performed the work, a description of the work, results and comments, and the qualifications of the people performing it, if implementing provisions require them (para. 3).
4. You must also have records of the dates of the next such activities (para. 4).
5. The records are kept for at least 5 years after the device stops being used (para. 5) and made available to bodies authorised to inspect (para. 6).

In practice: create one device card for each device (name, serial number, purchase date, manufacturer's instructions) and add every inspection to it. Set dates on the basis of the manufacturer's instructions. Not every device requires inspections. This follows from the instructions for use of the specific model, not from a general provision.

Reception equipment and data security

The regulation on medical records assumes that records are, as a rule, kept in electronic form. Paper is permitted if a provision so states or if organisational and technical conditions make it impossible to keep them electronically (§ 1(1) and (2)). Regardless of form, the entity ensures conditions that protect records against destruction, damage, loss and access by unauthorised persons (§ 1(7)).

What this means for equipment:

• A computer or records system with separate accounts for each user and up-to-date software. More: IT security at your practice.
• A lockable cabinet or drawer for any paper records and registers.
• Placement of the screen and counter, so that people in the waiting area cannot see patient data. The rules of good order are in the article on the clean desk policy.
• Backups and protection against destruction (for example flooding or failure).

If you provide only teleconsultations, the regulation on premises does not apply to the premises and equipment of such an entity (Article 22(3a) of the Act). More in the article on physiotherapy teleconsultations.

How much does it cost

Costs depend heavily on the scope. A practice with a couch, a table and simple kinesitherapy equipment costs differently from a practice with a laser and physical therapy devices. We do not give amounts, because prices change quickly. Prepare a list in three columns: what you buy now, what in a year, and what is optional. The range of start-up expenses is in the article on the cost of opening a physiotherapy practice.

Printable checklist

Premises

• ☐ Washbasin with a mixer tap (hot and cold water) in the treatment room
• ☐ Liquid soap dispenser
• ☐ Disinfectant dispenser
• ☐ Container with disposable towels and a container for used ones
• ☐ Furniture and couches with a surface that can be washed and disinfected
• ☐ Floor that can be washed and disinfected (except in a kinesitherapy room)
• ☐ Place for waste, clean linen and dirty linen
• ☐ Toilet (requirements confirmed with the inspector)

Equipment

• ☐ Height-adjustable couch or table
• ☐ Instructions for use of all devices in a binder
• ☐ Device card for each device with inspection dates and the dates of the next ones
• ☐ Records kept for at least 5 years after the device stops being used

Data and records

• ☐ Computer with user accounts and a backup of records
• ☐ Lockable cabinet for paper documents
• ☐ Screen not visible from the waiting area

Employees (if you employ any)

• ☐ First-aid kit and a person designated for first aid
• ☐ Occupational risk assessment for the positions

The whole set, together with premises requirements, can be checked with the checklist before opening a practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official list of equipment for a physiotherapy practice?

In the provisions we read, we did not find a closed list of a physiotherapist's equipment. The Act requires equipment appropriate to the type and scope of the services (Article 19a(1)(3)). The regulation on premises, in turn, sets the sanitary fittings.

What washbasin is required in a treatment room?

The regulation requires at least one washbasin with a mixer tap supplying hot and cold water, a liquid soap dispenser, a disinfectant dispenser, and a container with disposable towels and a container for used towels in rooms where examinations or treatments are performed (§ 37(1)).

Do I have to have physical therapy devices inspected?

The Act on medical devices requires records of inspections, maintenance and safety checks arising from the device's instructions for use, and of the dates of the next activities (Article 63(3) and (4)). Whether and how often an inspection is required follows from the instructions of the specific device.

How long should inspection records be kept?

At least 5 years from the day the device stops being used (Article 63(5) of the Act on medical devices).

Does a practice in a flat have the same requirements?

The regulation allows a professional practice in a residential unit provided the room is separated from the rooms of other users of the unit (§ 14(3)), and provides an exception to the requirement to wash furniture for such a room (§ 27(2)). The other requirements still apply to you, so confirm the scope with the sanitary inspector.

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Legal status as of: 2 November 2026

Legal basis: Act of 15 April 2011 on medical activity (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2026 item 156), Article 19a(1)(3) and Article 22(1)-(3a); Minister of Health regulation of 26 March 2019 on the detailed requirements that the premises and equipment of an entity providing medical activity must meet (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2022 item 402), § 1, § 2(4), § 14(3), § 25, 27, 30, 37 and 40, and annexes no. 2 and 6; Act of 7 April 2022 on medical devices (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2024 item 1620), Article 63; Minister of Health regulation of 6 April 2020 on medical records (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2026 item 1391), § 1(1), (2) and (7); Labour Code (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2026 item 1245), Article 209¹. We did not check: positions of the sanitary inspectorate on applying annexes no. 2 and 6 to professional practices, Polish Standards for devices, fire safety provisions, detailed implementing provisions to the Act on medical devices, or building requirements (ventilation, accessibility).

Last reviewed: 2 November 2026

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Related articles:
- Premises requirements for a physiotherapy practice
- Disinfecting equipment and treatment couches in physiotherapy
- The cost of opening a physiotherapy practice
- Checklist before opening a practice
- Occupational risk assessment template