Your hospital is recognised by insurers but PMI patients are still choosing someone else

PMI patients are the most valuable segment for independent hospitals. Most hospitals under-invest in the communications, digital presence, and GP relationships that drive PMI patient choice.

• The primary root cause is often an over-reliance on insurer recognition and a lack of proactive, targeted marketing strategies.
• Many independent hospitals underestimate the need to actively compete for PMI patients, assuming insurer panels are sufficient.
• This leads to under-investment in digital presence, GP engagement, and direct patient communication, allowing competitors with more sophisticated strategies to capture market share.
• Systemically, the complexity of PMI schemes and patient choice pathways can also deter hospitals from developing clear acquisition strategies.

PMI patient volumes grew 6% between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024 (PHIN, 2024)

• Underutilised theatre slots and bed capacity
• Increased administrative burden managing fragmented patient acquisition efforts
• Reduced revenue from a high-value patient segment
• Increased marketing spend with diminishing returns
• Perception as a less modern or accessible provider
• Loss of trust among potential patients and referring GPs

What it looks like in practice

• Declining or stagnant PMI patient referral rates despite overall market growth
• Increased patient acquisition costs due to reliance on less efficient channels
• Lower conversion rates from initial enquiries to booked appointments
• Competitors consistently appearing higher in patient search results or GP recommendations