Established practice

Marketing in bursts gets results in bursts.

A simple plan, kept up every month, does more than any big campaign. Here is one that fits around your clinics.

Is this you? Tap any that are true.

Most people reading this tick at least one.

It only takes one to cost you.

steps: 7; steps
to start: 30 minutes; to start
scorecard: Free; scorecard

The short answer

A consultant marketing plan fits on one page: one goal, where patients come from now, and two or three things you do every month whatever the diary looks like. Bursts of activity when clinics are quiet arrive too late, because referrals take weeks to come through.

What good looks like

Where you stand, before and after

Marketing plan: Mr Sam Patel

Goal: 48 new patients a month
Two monthly activities · reviewed every quarter

PlanResultsNext steps

Illustrative sample, not a real person or result.

7 steps

Do it yourself: step by step

0 of 7 done

Number of new patients a month, for which conditions, at which hospital, by when. For example, "eight new knee patients a month at [Hospital] by June."
Time
30 minutes
Typical cost
Free
Who does it
You
Why it matters
A clear goal tells you what to do and what to ignore.
Done when: The goal is written at the top of a one-page plan
Check Google Business Profile, website, PHIN, directory profiles and reviews are current and consistent. Paid search or advertising works far better once these are in place.
Time
2 to 4 weeks
Typical cost
Free to £2,000 depending on website work (Solvable estimate: from no cost for profile updates to a partial website rebuild by a supplier)
Who does it
You, secretary or supplier
Done when: A patient searching your name or main condition finds current, matching information
Pick from: a quarterly GP update email, one GP practice visit a month, two LinkedIn posts a month, one hospital GP education evening a year, asking every patient for a review. Choose the ones that match your biggest sources.
Time
30 minutes
Typical cost
Free
Who does it
You
Done when: You have no more than three activities written in the plan
Use it now · Step 4
Write your monthly GP update
A short email to keep local GPs in the loop.
Your name and titleCurrent wait for a first appointmentSomething useful to shareHow GPs refer
Your message
Subject: Update from Mr James Carter, Consultant ENT Surgeon
Dear colleague, A quick update from my practice. New patients are currently being seen in under two weeks. We now offer same-week hearing assessments. To refer, please email referrals@yourpractice.co.uk. I'm always happy to discuss a patient by phone first. With best wishes, Mr James Carter, Consultant ENT Surgeon
Keep it short and useful, and send it no more than once a month.
Want a marketing plan you'll actually keep?
I'll build your one-page plan and help you keep it going.
Your answers aren't linked to you. We keep anonymous totals to improve these checks.

This problem is Solvable.

Copy this template

One-page consultant marketing plan

Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.

Template

Marketing plan: [Name], [year]

Goal

[Number] new patients a month with [conditions] at [Hospital] by [date].

Where patients come from now (month of [month])

Source	Count	%
GP referral
Insurer directed
Google or website
Directory (PHIN, Doctify, other)
Hospital enquiry line
Colleague or physio
Friend or previous patient

Foundations (complete before anything else)

Google Business Profile current at each clinic
Website shows conditions, fees, insurers and how to book
PHIN profile and fees current
Directory profiles match
Review request sent after every appointment

Regular activities (no more than three)

Activity	How often	Who	Time
[e.g. GP update email]	Quarterly	[You / secretary]	[1 hour]
[e.g. GP practice visit]	Monthly	You	[1 hour]
[e.g. LinkedIn posts]	Twice a month	You	[30 mins]

Paid activity (optional)

Channel	Monthly cap	Enquiries last month	Cost per enquiry
[Google Ads]	£[x]

Quarterly review

Quarter	New patients	Against goal	Best source	What I will change
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Starting marketing only when clinics are quiet, so the results arrive after things have picked up again.
Buying Google Ads before the website and Google Business Profile are worth landing on.
Trying six channels at once and keeping none of them up.
Never asking patients how they found you, so you cannot tell what is working.
Setting a goal in revenue only, rather than the conditions and hospitals you want to grow.

Free personal check

Done by Paul Robinson, not software

I'll look at your marketing as it is now and give you a one-page plan to start from

What I need from you

Your answers to 7 quick questions
Your specialty and town

What you get

Gaps in your foundations
Two or three monthly activities that fit your practice
A quarterly review routine

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

Is your marketing working to a plan?

You have a goal for new patients each month
You know where your patients come from
Your Google profile, website, listings and reviews are in good shape
You do at least two marketing activities every month
You review your results every quarter

0 of 5 answered

Answer them all to see your score.

Your answers aren't linked to you. We keep anonymous totals to improve these checks.

Your illustrative estimate

£2,000

Solvable estimate. Rounded to the nearest £500. Updates as you type.

New patients lost per quiet month

Starting figure 4. Change it to match your practice.

Quiet months per year

Starting figure 4. Change it to match your practice.

Share recoverable by steady activity

Starting figure 50% (from 50% (all Solvable estimates)). Change it to match your practice.

Initial consultation fee

Starting figure £250 (midpoint of £250 (Default: £250, a typical self-pay initial consultation fee (Solvable estimate). Change it to your own fee.)). Change it to match your practice.

Formula

new patients lost in quiet months x months that are quiet each year x initial consultation fee x share recoverable = annual cost of marketing in bursts that steady activity can win back

Variables and defaults

new patients lost per quiet month: 4
quiet months per year: 4
share recoverable by steady activity: 50% (all Solvable estimates)
initial consultation fee: £250 (Default: £250, a typical self-pay initial consultation fee (Solvable estimate). Change it to your own fee.)

Defaults only. Change them in the calculator to use your own numbers.

Assumptions and defaults

new patients lost per quiet month = 4
quiet months per year = 4
share recoverable by steady activity = 50% (all Solvable estimates)
initial consultation fee = £250 (Default: £250, a typical self-pay initial consultation fee (Solvable estimate). Change it to your own fee.)

The full cost at defaults is £4,000 a year (4 x 4 x £250). If steady activity fills half the gap in quiet months, about £2,000 a year is recoverable. With 2 to 6 lost patients a quiet month, the recoverable figure is about £1,000 to £3,000. Use your own diary to count quiet months. This counts the first consultation only, so it is a floor before follow-ups or procedures.

Benchmarks

6 to 12 weeks from GP activity to referrals arriving
Typical lag between contacting GPs and new referrals reaching clinic (Solvable estimate: allows for practice meeting cycles, the time until a suitable patient presents to the GP, and booking lead time)
Solvable estimate

Paul Robinson

14 years in UK private healthcare

I solve this one for consultants

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 much should I spend on marketing?

Many consultants spend very little beyond a website and time. If you use paid activity, start with a capped monthly budget you could lose without worry and measure cost per enquiry.

What works best for consultants?

For most, GP and colleague referrals, a findable website and good reviews. Paid advertising matters more for self-pay heavy specialties.

How long before I see results?

Weeks to months. GP activity and search both take time, which is why bursts do not work.

Can my secretary run the plan?

Much of it. Tracking sources, review requests and scheduling posts can all be delegated. GP relationships need you.

Do I need an agency?

Not to start. Agencies help when you want search or paid campaigns run properly and have the budget.

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026

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Marketing in bursts gets results in bursts.

The short answer

Where you stand, before and after

Do it yourself: step by step

Write your monthly GP update

One-page consultant marketing plan

Common mistakes

I'll look at your marketing as it is now and give you a one-page plan to start from

What I need from you

What you get

Check where you stand

Granite PMS

Medico Digital

Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I spend on marketing?

What works best for consultants?

How long before I see results?

Can my secretary run the plan?

Do I need an agency?

You're not the only one with this problem.

The short answer

Where you stand, before and after

Do it yourself: step by step

1Set one goal30 minutes · Free · Easy

2Count where patients come from now5 minutes a day for a month · Free

3Sort the foundations first2 to 4 weeks · Free to £2,000 depending on website work (Solvable estimate: from no cost for profile updates to a partial website rebuild by a supplier)

4Choose two or three regular activities30 minutes · Free

5Put them in the diary for the year30 minutes · Free

6Set a small monthly budget if you use paid activity1 hour to set up · £200 to £1,000 a month if used (a cap you choose; Solvable estimate of a typical starting range for a single consultant)

7Review every quarter1 hour a quarter · Free · Easy

One-page consultant marketing plan

Common mistakes

I'll look at your marketing as it is now and give you a one-page plan to start from

What I need from you

What you get

Check where you stand

Check where you stand5 questions · 2 min

What's this costing you?Optional: work it out with your own numbers

How we worked this outMethod, formula and assumptions

Suppliers who solve this2 suppliers. No one pays to be listed

Why this keeps happening

What it leads to

Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I spend on marketing?

What works best for consultants?

How long before I see results?

Can my secretary run the plan?

Do I need an agency?

Related problems

You're not the only one with this problem.