Patients are told to check your fees before they book. Can they find them?
Consultants offering private care are expected to publish their fees with PHIN, the independent source of private healthcare information. Many still haven't. You can do it in an afternoon.
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- steps
- 6
- steps
- to start
- 20 to 40 minutes
- to start
The short answer
Consultants must publish the fees they normally charge on PHIN. This has been a legal requirement since January 2019 under the CMA's Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014. In practice that means your initial and follow-up consultation fees and, where relevant, your procedure fees, and PHIN also shows whether you charge within each insurer's rates. You can do it in an afternoon, then show the same figures on your own website.
What good looks like
Where you stand, before and after
Consultation and main procedure fees on PHIN
- Same figures on your website and directories
- Clear what is and isn't included
Illustrative sample, not a real person or result.
6 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 6 done
Claim or log in to your consultant account on PHIN. Check your name, GMC number, specialty and the hospitals listed. Ask the hospital to correct any wrong site link.
- Time
- 20 to 40 minutes
- Typical cost
- Free
- Who does it
- You, with your secretary's help
Done when: Your PHIN profile shows the right name, specialty and hospitals
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this table
Consultant fee schedule for PHIN and your website
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Fee schedule: [Name], consultant [specialty]
Effective from [date]. Fees are for the consultant's professional services only unless stated.
| Service | Self-pay fee | Includes | Does not include |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | £[ ] | [Assessment, examination, letter to you and your GP] | [Scans, tests, hospital charges] |
| Follow-up consultation | £[ ] | [Review and letter] | [Tests] |
| [Procedure 1] | £[ ] | [Surgeon fee, one follow-up] | [Hospital, anaesthetist, implants] |
| [Procedure 2] | £[ ] | ||
| [Procedure 3] | £[ ] |
Insured patients
| Insurer | Recognised? | Consultation within insurer rate? | Procedures within insurer rate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bupa | |||
| AXA Health | |||
| Aviva | |||
| Vitality | |||
| WPA |
If my fee is above your insurer's rate, I will tell you the difference in writing before treatment.
Wording for your website
"My fees are published on PHIN, the independent organisation that publishes information about private healthcare. [Link to PHIN profile]. A total package price, including hospital and anaesthetist fees, is available from [Hospital] on request."
Annual review
- PHIN profile checked
- Fees reviewed
- Website, directories and patient fee sheet updated
- Insurer schedules rechecked
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Publishing a consultation fee on PHIN but no procedure fees.
- Different fees on PHIN, the website and the hospital profile.
- Listing a fee without saying what it includes, so patients assume it is the total cost.
- Not telling insured patients in writing about a shortfall before treatment.
- Letting PHIN show hospitals you no longer work at.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll check what fees patients can see for you on PHIN, your website and directories
What I need from you
- Your name
- Your specialty
- The town you practise in
- Your website, if you have one
What you get
- Screenshots of where your fees show and where they don't
- Any figures that don't match
- The three 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
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
Is it compulsory?
Yes. Consultants must publish the fees they normally charge on PHIN. This has been a legal requirement since January 2019 under the CMA's Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014.
What fees do I have to give?
PHIN asks for your self-pay initial and follow-up consultation fees and, where relevant to your practice, your procedure fees. Use the fee you charged most patients over the last 12 months; a range is allowed. Check PHIN's fee submission guide for the current list.
Can my secretary do it?
Your secretary can gather the figures and keep them up to date. Ask PHIN how a colleague can access the portal for you. You remain responsible for accuracy.
What if I charge above the insurer rate?
PHIN shows patients whether you charge within each insurer's rates. Separately, Article 22 of the CMA Order requires written fee information when an outpatient appointment is confirmed (estimated consultation fee, any financial interest in the facility, which insurers recognise you, a line telling insured patients to check their cover, and PHIN's website), and a written estimate of all consultant fees before further tests or treatment. The Order does not use the word shortfall, but this is how insured patients can spot one. Your hospital should give you its CMA fee template. This is general information, not legal advice. Your hospital's compliance team or a healthcare regulatory lawyer can confirm what applies to you.
Should I set my fees by checking what colleagues charge?
You can look at published fees, such as those on PHIN, and decide your own. Do not agree fees with other consultants or share your future fee plans with them, even informally. The CMA has fined consultants for this.
Should I show package prices?
If the hospital offers a total package price, say so and say how patients can get it. Make clear your own fee is separate.
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