Can a GP consult room be used for ECGs?

Only if it has been set up as a patient area. An ECG connects a mains-powered machine to the patient, which is exactly what body-protected areas exist for. A consult room used just for talking and examination usually is not a patient area and does not need the protection; the moment mains-powered equipment is applied to the patient there, it does.

The practice decides each room’s classification from how it will be used, with input from clinicians, equipment suppliers and the electrician. The practical answer is to decide which rooms will ever be used for ECGs, ultrasound or minor procedures and have those rooms wired as body-protected areas, rather than finding out afterwards.

Battery-only equipment with no mains connection is a different question; many portable ECGs are not. Check the device’s power supply before assuming.