Inspecting medical equipment on delivery is a staged process: check the outside for transit damage before you sign, verify the goods and documentation match the order, then acceptance-test and commission the device before it reaches a patient. Nothing goes into clinical use until it has passed each stage and been formally signed off.
Delivery and acceptance is the last point where a problem is cheap to fix. Sign for a pallet without looking, or put a device into service untested, and any fault, shortfall or damage quietly becomes yours. A disciplined goods-in process protects patients, budgets and your position with the supplier.
Check the outside before you sign
Acceptance starts at the tailgate. Before signing the carrier's delivery note, inspect the packaging for crush damage, punctures, water staining or a tripped shock or tilt indicator. If anything looks wrong, note it on the delivery paperwork or sign for the goods as damaged or unexamined, and photograph it. Signing a clean delivery note tells the carrier and supplier the goods arrived in good order, which can undermine a later claim for transit damage. Those few minutes at the point of delivery are the cheapest insurance in the whole process, so never let a driver rush you past them.
Verify the goods against the order and paperwork.
Once unpacked, confirm what arrived is what you bought. Check the model, specification, quantity and any options against the purchase order, and match serial numbers to the documentation. Confirm the essential paperwork is present: instructions for use, the declaration of conformity, UKCA or CE marking, calibration or test certificates, warranty details and any registration paperwork. Missing documentation is a genuine shortfall, not a formality — without it you cannot properly commission, service or register the device. Log every serial number in your equipment inventory now, because it is far harder to reconstruct later.
Inspect the device itself for damage and completeness.
Packaging can survive, but the contents may not. Unpack fully and examine the device for physical damage, loose components, cracked housings or displays, and confirm all accessories, cables, probes, mounts and consumables listed on the order are present. A missing power lead or probe is a common shortfall that stalls commissioning. Check the device has not been powered or used — unexpected wear or run-time can signal returned or grey stock. Complete this inspection promptly, because most suppliers set a short window for reporting shortages or damage, and a late report weakens your claim.
Acceptance and commissioning testing
A device that looks fine can still be unsafe or out of specification. Acceptance testing — usually by your biomedical engineering team — verifies the equipment is electrically safe and performs to specification before clinical use. Expect an electrical safety test to the relevant standard, a functional check against the manufacturer's commissioning procedure, and confirmation that any required calibration is valid. This establishes a baseline for future planned maintenance and proves the device met specification on arrival. Never skip commissioning testing under pressure to get equipment into service; an untested device is an unknown risk placed directly in front of patients.
Formal acceptance and sign-off
Acceptance is a documented decision, not an assumption. Only when the device has passed inspection and commissioning should it be formally accepted, added to the asset register and released for clinical use. Record who accepted it, on what date, and the results of the acceptance tests. This sign-off is the line that transfers the device from delivery to live service and starts the warranty and maintenance clock. It also gives you a clear, defensible record if a question arises later about the device's condition when it entered service, so treat the paperwork as part of the acceptance, not an afterthought.
Delivery inspection versus a later fault
It helps to see why the goods-in stage carries such weight. A defect caught at delivery is the supplier's or carrier's problem — rejected, replaced or claimed against under clear terms. The identical defect found weeks later, after a clean sign-off and clinical use, is far harder to pin on anyone else and may fall to you. Thorough delivery and acceptance inspection is simply the cheapest place to catch trouble. MediGear encourages buyers to agree inspection and acceptance terms up front and to choose suppliers who support a proper goods-in process.
Your delivery and acceptance checklist
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Inspect packaging and any shock or tilt indicators before signing; note damage on the delivery note.
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Photograph any damaged packaging or goods at the point of delivery.
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Match model, specification, quantity, options and serial numbers to the purchase order.
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Confirm instructions for use, declaration of conformity, UKCA or CE marking,g and certificates are present.
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Unpack fully and check for physical damage and all listed accessories and consumables.
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Complete electrical safety and functional commissioning tests before clinical use.
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Report shortages or damage within the supplier's reporting window.
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Formally accept, log to the asset register and record the sign-off and test results.
Goods-in shortcuts that come back to bite
The most expensive habit is signing a clean delivery note without inspecting it, which gives the supplier a defence against any transit-damage claim. Close behind is rushing a device into clinical use without acceptance testing, so an electrical or performance fault reaches a patient. Buyers also miss documentation shortfalls — no conformity declaration, no calibration certificate — and only notice when they try to service or register the device. Failing to log serial numbers and the acceptance decision also leaves gaps in the asset record that surface awkwardly during audits or safety notices. Each shortcut trades a few saved minutes for real risk.
Rejecting a delivery and handling returns
Sometimes the right outcome of an inspection is refusal. If a device arrives clearly damaged, is the wrong model, or fails commissioning in a way you can't resolve, reject it rather than accept it and hope for the best. Know your rights and the supplier's returns terms before delivery, so a rejection follows an agreed route instead of a dispute. Keep the goods and packaging as received, document the reason with photographs and test results, and notify the supplier within their window. Do not add the device to the asset register or release it for use while a rejection is live. A clean, well-evidenced rejection at goods-in is far cheaper than trying to unwind a device already accepted and in service.
Planning the goods-in space and people
A good acceptance process needs somewhere to do it and someone to do it. Large or delicate equipment needs a clear, clean receiving area with room to unpack, space to lay out accessories against the order, and access for biomedical engineering to test before the device moves to the ward. Agree in advance who receives the delivery, who reconciles it against the order, and who carries out commissioning, so a device does not sit unopened because nobody owns the next step. For planned installations, book the engineering time before the delivery arrives, because a device waiting days for acceptance testing is a device not earning its keep and a bottleneck at goods-in.
Installation, siting and first-use handover
Accept some equipment where it is installed, not at a loading bay. Fixed or serviced devices — those needing power, medical gas, drainage, network points or structural mounting — must be sited and connected correctly before commissioning means anything, so involve estates early. Confirm the installation environment matches the manufacturer's requirements for power, ventilation and space. Where installation is by the supplier or manufacturer, make acceptance conditional on a satisfactory installation check and a handover that includes user training and the full document set. A device that is physically present but not properly sited, connected and handed over is not yet accepted, however tempting it is to tick it off.
Getting acceptance right first time
A device is only ready for patients once it has been inspected, tested and formally accepted — not simply once it has been delivered. Check the packaging before you sign, reconcile goods and documents against the order, commission-test for safety and performance, and record the sign-off that puts the device on the asset register. Done consistently, delivery and acceptance stops problems at the door instead of in the ward. When planning new deliveries, you can talk to MediGear about suppliers that expect and support a rigorous goods-in and acceptance process.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. It is published by MediGear (medigear.uk) for general information and procurement guidance. It is not clinical, diagnostic, treatment, technical, engineering, legal or regulatory advice, nor a product endorsement, guarantee or substitute for professional assessment. MediGear does not provide medical consultations. Buyers should consult their clinical, biomedical, estates and regulatory contacts, and the manufacturer's documentation, and independently verify all specifications, certifications, compatibility and suitability before purchase. Specifications, certifications and availability are correct at the time of publication and may change without notice. MediGear is a medical-equipment distributor and does not sell medicines or pharmaceutical products.
