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Gable Asset Finance specialises in providing bespoke finance solutions for UK optometry and optical practices. Whether you run a single-chair independent practice, a multiple-site optician group, a hospital outpatient eye clinic, or a specialist diagnostics centre, we help you acquire the essential and advanced equipment you need — from slit-lamp biomicroscopes and keratometers through to Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanners and retinal cameras — without tying up vital working capital.
Gable Asset Finance are experienced in arranging finance for the common equipment used in optometric practice, the finance products available (hire purchase, finance & operating leases, asset loans, sale & leaseback, refinance and blended project funding), tax and VAT implications in the UK, lender expectations, maintenance and warranty considerations, practical case studies and a step-by-step checklist to guide you from enquiry to funded equipment on site.
Modern optometric equipment can be expensive. High-spec slit-lamps, phoropters, OCT machines, and retinal imaging systems often carry significant capital costs. Financing equipment instead of buying outright offers multiple strategic benefits:
Here are the core items that most optometric practices require for thorough eye examinations and day-to-day running.
A slit-lamp provides a magnified, high-contrast view of the anterior eye (lids, cornea, anterior chamber, iris). Many modern slit-lamps are compatible with digital imaging adaptors and Volk lenses for posterior segment views.
Keratometers measure corneal curvature — essential for contact lens fitting and assessing astigmatism. Many practices combine keratometry with autorefractors or corneal topographers for more detailed maps.
Traditional manual refraction tools for checking subjective vision and confirming prescriptions.
Snellen or LogMAR charts are used for measuring visual acuity; modern digital charts allow adaptive testing and remote control.
Used for objective measurement of refractive error — a trusted tool for many practitioners and essential in paediatric or non-cooperative patients.
Measures spectacle lens power and verifies dispensing accuracy — staple equipment in every dispensing practice.
To expand services, improve diagnostics and offer enhanced patient pathways, consider financing these recommended additions.
Motorised or manual phoropters allow rapid, repeatable subjective refraction and are often paired with digital refraction systems.
Measuring intraocular pressure is central to glaucoma screening. Goldmann applanation tonometers are the clinical gold standard; non-contact and handheld options are also common.
Automated perimetry devices assess peripheral vision — crucial for glaucoma management and neurological screening.
High-resolution imaging of the posterior segment supports diabetic screening, macular disease monitoring and medicolegal documentation. Many cameras now provide wide-field imaging and can feed images into patient records.
Portable, stereoscopic view of the fundus used for comprehensive retinal examination and in practice outreach or domiciliary visits.
Efficient dispensing workflows and a professional patient experience rely on accurate dispensing tools and supportive equipment.
For practices aiming to provide advanced diagnostics or signpost into ophthalmology services, these capital assets are common candidates for finance.
OCT provides high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of retina and anterior segment — invaluable for macular disease, glaucoma and pre-/post-operative assessment. OCT scanners are high value, specialist assets ideal for hire purchase or blended project finance.
Measuring corneal thickness supports glaucoma assessment and refractive planning.
Detailed corneal surface maps are used in specialist contact lens fitting, keratoconus screening and refractive referral pathways.
Useful for posterior segment assessment in opaque media or trauma cases.
Gable Asset Finance arranges a full suite of finance solutions tailored to the needs of optometric practices and eye care providers across the UK.
Overview: HP is a common solution for clinicians wanting ownership. The lender buys the equipment and you make fixed instalments; ownership transfers after the final payment. Ideal for long-life capital items such as slit-lamps, retinal cameras and OCTs.
Overview: With a finance lease the funder retains legal ownership while you have use of the asset in exchange for rentals. There is usually a purchase option. This suits mid-to long-term equipment where residual value management is preferable to the funder.
Overview: Operating leases provide use of equipment for a term with the option to return or upgrade at term end. This is attractive for high-obsolescence items such as practice IT, computers and some digital diagnostic peripherals.
Overview: A traditional loan allows immediate ownership and can include installation and minor building works. Loans are flexible and often used where practices want ownership and to claim capital allowances.
Overview: Practices that already own equipment can sell to a funder and lease it back, releasing cash while continuing to use the kit — handy when funding an expansion, refurbishment or acquisition.
Overview: For practice refurbishments, multi-room fit-outs or multiple equipment purchases we can combine asset finance, short-term loans and working capital facilities into a single coordinated package with staged drawdowns linked to supplier milestones.
Overview: For subscription models, domiciliary outreach programmes or busy clinics, merchant finance links repayments to income streams, smoothing cashflow when patient volumes vary.
Choosing the best structure depends on clinical goals, tax position, upgrade plans and balance-sheet considerations. Use these decision points as a guide:
Lenders underwriting optometric equipment will take a close interest in clinical, regulatory and operational factors because these affect asset value, residual risk and the borrower’s ability to repay.
Funders often prefer financed equipment to be covered by maintenance or full-service agreements because these preserve residual value and reduce clinical downtime.
Financial structure affects tax treatment. Always consult your accountant for tailored advice; below are general points to discuss:
If your practice is VAT registered you can usually reclaim VAT on equipment bought outright. For leases, VAT is usually chargeable on rentals and may be reclaimable depending on taxable business use.
Equipment purchased under HP or loans may attract capital allowances, including the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) where applicable. This can accelerate tax relief on capital expenditure.
Operating lease rentals are often considered an allowable business expense and deductible for tax purposes, improving net cashflow.
Need: Basic refraction bay, slit-lamp, retinoscope, visual acuity chart, lensometer and dispensing tools.
Solution: Bundle financed via HP for core diagnostic kit and a small operating lease for practice IT and digital charting licences. Short-term working capital line to manage initial stock of lenses, frames and consumables.
Need: High-value OCT scanner, retinal camera and integration with patient record systems.
Solution: Blended finance — HP for OCT (longer-term instalments), operating lease for computers and a small equipment loan for installation and networking. Include a maintenance SLA for critical support.
Need: Rollout of standardised refraction bays, portable BIOs for domiciliary care and a centralised imaging suite.
Solution: Project finance: phased drawdowns for each site, HP for central imaging suite, operating leases for portable kits and a group refinance to consolidate existing equipment finance into one structured package.
A busy independent practice invested in an OCT scanner to expand diagnostic capability and refer into ophthalmology pathways. Gable Asset Finance arranged HP over five years with a maintenance package included. The practice increased private diagnostic income and secured several clinical referrals from local GPs.
A practice expanding domiciliary services financed portable binocular indirect ophthalmoscopes, handheld tonometers and mobile slit-lamps via an operating lease. Flexible rentals and bundled maintenance helped scale the outreach offering without major capital outlay.
A regional group standardised equipment across five new branches using a blended package: asset loans for core diagnostic kit, operating leases for IT and a working capital facility to support initial inventory. The centralised procurement achieved supplier discounts and reduced per-site setup times.
While specific terms vary by lender, equipment and credit profile, expect the following as a guide:
Yes. Many lenders will finance high-quality used equipment provided it has a documented service history, is in good working order and can be independently inspected. Terms may be shorter and deposits slightly higher than for new kit.
Yes — if the supplier invoices these items as part of the overall package, they can usually be included in the financed amount. This simplifies cashflow during the setup phase and ensures the vendor is contracted for full delivery.
Options typically include returning the equipment, purchasing it for an agreed residual value, or upgrading to a new lease. Gable will help you evaluate the most tax-efficient and commercially sensible option.
While lenders focus on asset value and repayment capacity, they may request evidence of appropriate professional indemnity, clinical insurance and equipment insurance as conditions of funding — particularly for high-value diagnostic suites.
Contact Gable Asset Finance with your equipment list, supplier quotes and recent accounts. We’ll provide a no-obligation assessment, indicative terms and a recommended funding plan tailored to your practice.