Sourcing medical equipment into Australia
The vast majority of equipment in Australian hospitals is manufactured overseas. Every purchase therefore raises two questions before anyone even reaches the specification stage: can this device be legally supplied here, and how do you get it from a factory in Europe or Asia to a loading dock in Townsville or Bunbury?
We're MediGear, a medical equipment distributor registered in England and Wales. We quote, document and ship certified equipment to healthcare buyers in over 80 countries. You let us know what you require. We then locate the verified manufacturers who can supply it, check the specs that matter in Australia and return a quote your clinical and procurement teams can work from. No account is required to submit a request from the main buyers page.
Who orders from Australia?
Requests come from right across the health system, and from a few places outside it:
- Local health districts and hospital and health services replacing ward or theatre equipment
- Private hospital groups and day procedure centres
- Specialist rooms in imaging, cardiology, ophthalmology and endoscopy
- Dental surgeries and veterinary hospitals, including large-animal practices in the regions
- Aboriginal community-controlled health services and remote clinics
- Mine-site and offshore medical facilities in the Pilbara, the Bowen Basin and beyond
- Australian distributors filling a gap in their own range
Each one buys in its own way. A district health service will probably want a quote that can be dropped straight into its tender paperwork. A remote clinic, on the other hand, is likely to need one unit and will care most about how that unit reaches them, whether the last leg is by road train or barge. So we look at how the equipment will be procured and where it is going before we even think about quoting.
The ARTG question comes first.
Before you start comparing quotes, check the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) to see whether the exact device you're after is already listed. The TGA runs a public ARTG search that lets you look up a product by name, ID, D or the Australian company that holds the entry. If there's an entry, it will name the company legally responsible for the device in Australia. It's something you should know before you place an order.
If no entry on the register covers your model, stop and find out why. It may need a local sponsor to apply for inclusion. An exemption may be the answer in your case. Or a similar model already on the register may be all you need. A European or American certificate does not satisfy the requirement on its own. Each quotation states the unit's certification, so your team can compare it against the register. We are not an Australian sponsor and can't give advice on regulatory issues, so the final call rests with you and your adviser.
X-ray, CT and your state radiation regulator
Imaging brings a second regulator into the equation, because each state and territory regulates radiation apparatus itself. Depending on where the equipment will be installed, that could be the NSW Environment Protection Authority, Radiation Health in Queensland, the Radiological Council in WA or another health department radiation team. ARPANSA maintains a current list of state and territory radiation regulators.
Details differ from one jurisdiction to another, but the machine will usually have to be registered, the room shielding assessed, and the operators licensed before the first patient is scanned. That process shouldn't be left until the crate arrives. If you're looking at a CT scanner, a mobile C-arm, a mammography unit or even a dental OPG, get in touch with your regulator. At the same time, keep the quotation open, and ask us for the technical documentation they'll want to see.
Specifying equipment for Australian sites
A quote is only as good as the spec behind it. These are the points Australian buyers most often ask us to check with the manufacturer:
- Power. Australia runs at 230 V and 50 Hz with the AS/NZS 3112 plug. A unit designed for 110 V or 60 Hz may need a different factory build, not just an adaptor.
- Acceptance testing. Many hospital biomedical teams test new equipment against AS/NZS 3551 before it ever sees a patient. Get the service manual and electrical safety data as early as possible so testing isn't delayed.
- Consumables. Probes, electrodes, filters and cartridges need to be available for the life of the unit. We confirm compatibility and which spares and consumables you can reorder through the same team.
- Software. Language settings, DICOM and HL7 options, and anything your IT team needs before the device joins the hospital network.
If something isn't clear, we'll ask before we quote. A question asked early is better than a scanner that doesn't switch on on delivery day.
What travels with an Australian shipment
The Australian Border Force clears goods on the strength of the paperwork, so every order leaves with a full set:
- Commercial invoice and itemised packing list
- Certificate of origin
- HS code classification for each line
- Manufacturer declarations and copies of the product certificates
- A packing declaration covering any timber used
That last one matters most here. Australia has very strict biosecurity requirements for wooden crates and dunnage, and timber packaging has to comply with ISPM 15 or an approved alternative treatment. Heavy equipment almost always travels in timber, so we ask for clearly marked, treated packaging from the outset. Crates that fail inspection can be held for treatment or sent back, which no one wants in the middle of a fit-out.
From quote to Australian port
- Send your request. Use the RFQ form or email, and include the model, specification, quantity and the facility it's for.
- Get a documented quote. It covers the product, lead time, certification status and shipping route, usually within 48 hours for catalogue items.
- Confirm in writing. Nothing is binding until you do.
- Freight to your port. Sea freight into Port Botany (Sydney), Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle or Adelaide, or air freight through the main capital city airports for smaller or more urgent items.
Delivery is to the Australian port you nominate. From there, it's your responsibility. A licensed customs broker will normally prepare and lodge the import declaration, and you then arrange clearance and the final leg to site. The ABF has a full how-to-import guide on its website. For Darwin, Hobart, Cairns, or an inland site, let us know at the outset, as the right port depends on what happens after the vessel berths.
One unit or a full fit-out
You don't have to order in bulk. Most catalogue lines can be ordered as a single unit, which is ideal for a country practice replacing one autoclave or one patient monitor. We'll also quote on multi-line requests for new wards, day procedure centres and lab builds; see hospital setup for larger projects. Ultrasound and monitoring lines sit under Medical Diagnostic Equipment, and our refurbished range covers pre-owned units. The same ARTG and radiation checks apply to a refurbished unit as to a new one.
Disclaimer
This page gives general information for buyers in Australia. It is not an offer to supply, and nothing on it should be read as legal, regulatory or customs advice. Quotations are subject to manufacturer availability, and no order is firm until both parties have agreed in writing. Whether a device can be supplied in Australia depends on its ARTG status and intended use, and radiation apparatus requires separate state and territory licensing. You are responsible for import clearance and for checking the regulatory position of your own purchase. We do not act as an Australian sponsor of therapeutic goods.
Got a specification ready?
Do you have a model number, a data sheet or even a photo of the unit you're replacing? Just email it over with the Australian port it's going to, and a named member of our procurement team will get back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There is no buyer login or registration. Just fill in the RFQ form on the main buyers page or email connect@medigear.uk with your requirements. We supply public health services, private hospitals, day procedure centres, specialist rooms, dental and veterinary practices, remote clinics and Australian distributors.
That varies by model. Search the TGA's public register for the specific product before ordering, and check which Australian company holds the entry. Our quote lists the unit's certificates, and your team can then cross-check those against the register. We are not an Australian sponsor ourselves.
Pause before you order. A local sponsor may need to apply for inclusion, an exemption may apply to your use, or a comparable product already on the register may suit you. Always raise it with the TGA or a regulatory adviser first. We can usually point you towards an alternative with an existing entry.
Normally, yes. Each state and territory sets its own rules for radiation apparatus, and the usual requirements are registration of the apparatus, a shielding assessment and licensed operators. It's worth contacting your regulator while the quotation is still open. We'll send you the technical documentation your regulator asks for.
Sea freight goes to the principal container ports: Port Botany in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle and Adelaide. Air freight goes to the major capital city airports. Delivery is to the port you specify, and onward carriage to your site is your responsibility.
You do, as the importer, normally through a licensed customs broker. We provide the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, HS classification, manufacturer declarations and timber packing declaration, so the broker has what the Australian Border Force expects.
Yes, single units are fine on most catalogue lines. If the manufacturer sets a minimum order quantity, we let you know straight away, and it is often negotiable. Tell us about the final leg to site, whether that's a long road haul or a barge, and we'll ask for packing to suit.
It depends on manufacturer stock, whether the unit is new or refurbished, where it ships from and whether it travels by sea or air. Each quotation includes the lead time and shipping route, and we send progress updates by email from dispatch through to arrival at your port.