Which documents and policies does a Zurich or Geneva clinic need?

Zurich asks for a written Betriebskonzept, a Hygienekonzept signed off by the medical lead and a concept for the patient record, beside the register, insurance and criminal record extracts. Geneva asks for a quality system with job descriptions, an organigram, documented procedures and written incident reports.

Zurich's Betriebskonzept and Hygienekonzept

The Gesundheitsdirektion asks for a written operating concept in any structure the clinic chooses, with concrete detail on the services offered, the management and organisation structure, medical emergencies including ambulance access, medicines and medical devices, the patient record under § 13 GesG including patient access and data protection, and quality management, covering recruitment, training, supervision, error and complaint handling and quality circles.¹ A separate hygiene concept, citing its sources, covers hand hygiene, surfaces, laundry, blood-borne infections, sterile goods, waste and how compliance is checked, and is signed off by the medical lead as an instruction to all staff.¹

The full document list

In Geneva, every health institution must keep a quality assurance system in which each professional's tasks are written in a job description, activities are described in current procedures based on recognised professional societies' recommendations and documented, incidents are reported in writing with corrective and preventive measures, and the head of the institution checks that procedures are applied.² The request itself carries the commercial register extract, plans approved by the building authority and the documents specific to the institution.²

1. Start from the canton's list. Zurich's Merkblatt annex and Geneva's RISanté articles 4 and 9 set what must be in the file.
2. Describe what you actually do. The concept must be specific to the clinic. A generic template reads as one.
3. Name an owner for each document. The medical lead signs off the hygiene concept, and the management owns the operating concept.
4. Link each policy to its evidence. Where the record concept says notes are signed and timed, know where to show it.
5. Review on every change. A new site, service or lead changes the licence and the documents with it.

1. Document ______ Canton rule ______
2. Owner ______ Signed off by ______
3. Last reviewed ______ Next review ______
4. Where the evidence lives ______
5. Changed because ______

Copy template

Zurich recommends keeping records for 20 years, beyond the 10 its law requires, because the absolute limitation period for personal injury claims rose to 20 years on 1 January 2020.¹ Under the federal Medical Professions Act, doctors practising on their own responsibility must also hold professional liability insurance suited to the risks of their work.³

Questions

Is there an official Betriebskonzept template?

No, Zurich lets the clinic choose the structure, and asks for concrete, clinic-specific detail on each topic its Merkblatt lists.

Who signs the Hygienekonzept in Zurich?

The medical lead signs it off, and it is written as an instruction to all medical staff.

Does Geneva require written procedures?

Yes, activities must be described in current procedures based on recognised professional societies' recommendations, and documented.

Sources

1. 1Kanton Zürich, Gesundheitsdirektion, 2024Merkblatt Betriebsbewilligung für ambulante ärztliche Institutionen, September 2024Read source
2. 2République et canton de Genève, SILGENEVE, 2025Règlement sur les institutions de santé (RISanté), K 2 05.06, du 9 septembre 2020Read source
3. 3Fedlex, Swiss Confederation, 2025Medizinalberufegesetz (MedBG), SR 811.11, consolidated 1 July 2025Read source

Written by the wai team from Cantonal health authorities of Zurich and Geneva guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Neither the Zurich Gesundheitsdirektion nor Geneva's department of health endorses wai or any software.