Established practice
Too high and patients go elsewhere. Too low and you lose margin.
Pricing is one of the biggest levers a clinic has. Here is how to set prices with confidence.
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- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 1 to 2 weeks
- to start
- scorecard
- Free
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The short answer
Set each price from three numbers: your full cost per episode, what nearby clinics and hospitals publish, and what your service offers that they do not, such as speed or a named consultant. Price below cost only on purpose. Review once a year, or sooner if consultant fees or consumable costs change.
What good looks like
Your website on a phone, before and after
Prices reviewed against cost and market
- Improved: Clear packages · margins protected
Illustrative sample, not a real person or result.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
For your top 15 services, add consultant and anaesthetist fees, nurse and HCA time, consumables, drugs, room or theatre minutes at your cost per minute, and a share of overheads; record full cost per episode
- Time
- 1 to 2 weeks
- Typical cost
- £0
- Who does it
- Practice manager with your accountant
Done when: Full cost per episode is recorded for each service
This problem is Solvable.
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Service costing and pricing table
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Service costing and pricing table
Step 1: your cost per minute
| Item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Rent, rates, service charge | £[x] |
| Admin and reception staff | £[x] |
| Utilities, IT, software, insurance | £[x] |
| Other overheads | £[x] |
| Total overheads | £[x] |
| Clinical room or theatre minutes used a year | [x] |
| Overhead per minute | £[total / minutes] |
Step 2: cost and price by service
| Service | Consultant fee | Anaesthetist fee | Nursing time cost | Consumables and drugs | Room minutes x overhead per minute | Full cost | Strategy (price, premium, loss leader) | Target margin | Calculated price | Market low | Market high | Final price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [service] | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] | [ ] | [x]% | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] | £[x] |
Step 3: competitor check
| Service | Competitor | Published price | Includes | Stated wait | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [service] | [name] | £[x] | [ ] | [x weeks] | [date] |
Rules
- No price below full cost unless marked loss leader with a reason
- Round final prices to clear figures
- Review annually on [date]
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Pricing from competitors only, without knowing your own cost per episode.
- Leaving out room time and overheads, so services look profitable when they are not.
- Raising every price by the same percentage regardless of margin.
- Building packages without agreeing consultant fees first.
- Not reviewing prices when consultant fees change.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll read your self-pay price list and show you where it sits against the clinics near you
What I need from you
- Your current self-pay price list (PDF, screenshot or web page link)
- Your town or postcode
- The three services you most want to grow
What you get
- Your prices next to what nearby clinics publish
- Services that look underpriced or hard to compare
- The three price or package changes that matter most
Within 2 working days
No sign-in, no sales call. I read every request myself and reply on WhatsApp.
Free tools
Check where you stand
Benchmarks
Total UK healthcare expenditure rose 6.5% in nominal terms and 2.4% in real terms between 2023 and 2024
Cost pressure in healthcare is above general inflation, so unreviewed prices lose margin
A clinic with £500,000 of self-pay income whose costs rise 4% a year without price changes loses about £20,000 of margin each year
Shows the effect of leaving prices unchanged
Solvable estimate
Paul Robinson
14 years in UK private healthcare
I solve this one for clinic and hospital teams
Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.
A few quick questions, about two minutes. I read every one myself and usually reply the same day.
No sales call unless you ask for one. Just a straight answer from me.
I reply personally, usually the same day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do we work out overhead per minute?
Divide total annual overheads by the clinical minutes you actually use a year. Use real usage, not opening hours.
Should we match the cheapest local competitor?
Only for services where patients compare like for like and you can still cover full cost. Elsewhere, charge for speed, expertise or convenience.
How big a price rise will patients accept?
It depends on the service and your local market. Check where you sit in the competitor band and move in steps if the gap is large.
What about consultant fees inside packages?
Agree a fixed consultant fee for the standard package before you set the price.
How do we tell existing patients?
Honour quotes already issued until they expire and update all channels on the same day.
Last reviewed:
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