The short answer
Medical practice loans from us are short-term, property-secured loans for GPs, dentists, specialists and allied health practices that need money faster than a bank's health-professional team can deliver. We lend $20,000 to $5,000,000 for practice purchases and buy-ins, fit-outs, equipment, payroll tax and ATO bills, often approving the same day and settling within days, with a refinance or settlement as the usual exit.
- Bridge a practice purchase or partner buy-in to a hard settlement date
- Fund a fit-out or equipment before the bank finishes its process
- Clear payroll tax or ATO debt quickly
- Usual exit: a bank refinance once the deal is done
| Loan size | $20,000 to $5,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Borrowers | GP clinics, dental, specialist and allied health practices |
| Security | Practitioner's home, investment property or practice premises |
| Typical term | 1 to 12 months |
Medical practice loans are business loans for doctors, dentists, specialists and allied health owners to buy, build, equip or stabilise a practice. Ours are the fast, short-term kind: secured against property, approved in hours rather than weeks, and designed to get you through a settlement date or a cash squeeze until long-term finance or practice income takes over. Loans run from $20,000 to $5,000,000.
Why would a doctor or dentist need a fast lender at all?
Doctors and dentists need a fast lender when a deadline arrives before the bank does. Health professionals are attractive borrowers for banks, but specialist banking teams still need full financials, practice valuations and credit committees, and that can take weeks. Practice deals don’t always allow weeks.
The common triggers:
- A practice purchase or partner buy-in with a settlement date set by the vendor.
- A retiring principal who wants out on a fixed date, and the remaining partners must fund the buyout.
- A fit-out for a new or expanded surgery, where the builder wants a deposit to start.
- Major equipment: dental chairs, imaging, sterilisation or a cone beam scanner, often with a supplier deadline.
- Payroll tax or ATO debt, sometimes from a backdated assessment.
- Cash flow during a billing model change, such as moving to full bulk billing.
How have payroll tax and bulk billing changes affected practice cash flow?
They’ve changed both what practices owe and when they get paid. In New South Wales, Revenue NSW has offered a payroll tax rebate since 4 September 2024 to medical centres paying contractor GPs, provided at least 80% of the centre’s GP services are bulk billed in metropolitan Sydney, or 70% elsewhere. Practices that fall short of those levels, or that have unpaid payroll tax on contractor arrangements from earlier periods, can face a bill they hadn’t planned for. Other states run their own rules on contractor GPs.
Federally, the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program started on 1 November 2025. Participating practices must bulk bill all eligible Medicare services and receive an additional 12.5% incentive on the benefits from those services, paid quarterly and split evenly between the GP and the practice. For a mixed-billing clinic switching over, that means giving up private gap fees straight away while part of the replacement income arrives three months at a time. A short loan can carry the practice through the first quarter or two.
What can medical and dental practices borrow for?
Practices borrow for anything with a clear business purpose and a clear way to repay. Here’s how the main uses usually look:
| Purpose | What usually secures it | Usual exit |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a practice or a share in one | Buyer’s home or investment property | Bank refinance after settlement |
| Partner buy-out | Remaining partners’ homes | Bank refinance or partners’ own equity |
| New surgery fit-out | Owned premises or practitioner’s home | Bank or equipment finance once complete |
| Equipment deposit or purchase | Practitioner’s home | Equipment finance takes over |
| Payroll tax or ATO debt | Home or practice premises | Practice cash flow, then refinance |
| Billing model transition | Home or investment property | Incentive payments and higher patient volumes |
Any amount from $20,000 to $5,000,000 is in scope, whether it’s a single chair or a multi-site clinic.
What security do medical practice loans need?
Medical practice loans need real property as security, and it can belong to the practitioner, the practice entity or a family member. The options we use most:
- The practitioner’s home, usually through a second mortgage behind the existing home loan.
- An investment property, first or second ranking.
- The practice premises, if owned, including strata medical suites. Larger amounts often sit best as a private first mortgage.
- A guarantor’s property, typically a spouse or parent who co-owns the asset.
We don’t take goodwill, patient lists or Medicare income as security. That keeps approval fast and keeps us out of your clinical systems.
How does the exit work for a medical practice loan?
The exit is usually a bank refinance once the deal that needed speed is done. A typical sequence:
- We fund the settlement, buy-out or fit-out on the date it’s needed.
- Your bank or another lender completes its full assessment without a deadline over your head.
- The new long-term loan repays us, often within three to six months.
Other exits include equipment finance drawn once machines are installed, sale of an investment property, or practice cash flow for smaller tax-related loans. Fast private money costs more than a bank loan for health professionals, and that’s why we keep the term short and the exit firm.
Can a practice with tax debt or a past default still borrow?
Yes, because the property and the exit carry the decision, not the credit score. Practitioners are often surprised to find that a bank which happily lent for their home will hesitate over a practice with an ATO payment arrangement, a payroll tax assessment or a default from an old equipment lease. We look at those things, but we don’t stop there.
If the security property has equity and there’s a believable repayment path, a blemish on the file is something we work around. Tell us about it at the start. Our page on fast bad credit business loans explains how we weigh a patchy history.
Illustrative example: two dentists buying out a retiring partner
Illustrative example: a three-chair dental practice is owned by three dentists. One is retiring and the partnership agreement sets a buy-out price of $900,000, payable on 30 June. The remaining two partners applied to their bank in April; by mid-June the bank still wants updated valuations and a final credit sign-off.
Between them, the two partners own homes with about $1,600,000 of available equity. We approve a $900,000 loan secured by second mortgages over both homes within a day of the enquiry, settle on 28 June and pay the retiring partner on time. The bank approves its long-term practice loan in August and repays us in September, three months after settlement. The retiring partner gets paid on schedule and the patients notice nothing.
What paperwork speeds up a practice loan?
Speed comes from having the property and the deal documents ready. Gather:
- ID for every borrower and guarantor.
- Rates notices and mortgage statements for each security property.
- The contract of sale, partnership agreement or fit-out quote.
- Evidence of the refinance in progress, such as a bank application or broker email.
- Any payroll tax or ATO notices, if those are the purpose.
If the bank is the bottleneck, our page on business loans when the bank is too slow explains how a short bridge fits. For practice acquisitions specifically, see funding to buy a business. Ready now? Begin a practice loan enquiry.
Settle on time, every time
Tell us the deadline and the plan, and an experienced lender will call you and give a clear answer quickly, including a plain no if it doesn’t stack up. Enquiring has no effect on your credit file, and your details aren’t passed to a panel of other lenders.
Please complete the form accurately, especially what you think the property is worth, existing debts and the settlement date, so the answer you get on day one is the one that holds at settlement. Apply for a medical practice loan, call 1300 852 150, or see how we lend to other industries.
How it works, step by step
- Enquire onlineGive us the amount, the purpose, the deadline and the property in about a minute.
- Talk it throughA lender calls to confirm the security, the settlement date and the planned refinance.
- Approve and documentWe assess the property and title ourselves, with no valuation needed, then issue documents for you and any co-owners to sign.
- Settle on timeFunds go to the vendor, the fit-out contractor or the revenue office on the day you need them.
Medical and dental: your questions answered
Can a newly qualified dentist or GP borrow to buy into a practice?
Yes, if there's property to secure the loan. Banks often like health professionals but can be slow on a first practice purchase with no trading history in your name. We look at the security and the refinance plan, so a recent graduate with a home or family guarantor can move quickly while the long-term finance is arranged.
Do you lend to allied health practices like physio or psychology clinics?
Yes. Physiotherapy, psychology, optometry, podiatry and other clinic-based practices borrow on the same basis: property security, a business purpose and a clear exit. The type of practice matters less to us than the plan for repaying, so a two-room physio clinic is assessed the same way as a large GP centre.
Can I borrow against a medical suite in a strata building?
Yes. A strata medical or consulting suite is commercial property and can secure a first or second mortgage. Some specialised suites need a closer look, so share the property details early. We assess them ourselves, so there's no valuation to wait on, and an appraisal or recent sales in the building help us move faster.
Will my practice's patient records or goodwill be used as security?
No. We lend against real property, not patient lists, goodwill or Medicare receipts. That keeps the security simple and means we don't need to look inside your practice systems or ask for access to clinical software. Your patient data stays exactly where it is.
How long can the loan run while I wait for bank approval?
Most practice bridging loans run between one and twelve months. We set the term to fit the realistic bank timeline with a sensible buffer, so you're not refinancing under pressure. If you settle the bank loan early, you can repay us early.
Sources we checked
Written by the BizLoansFast lending team · Updated 2026-10-05