You don't have a clear plan for growth
Many private consultants build successful practices through clinical reputation and word of mouth, but reach a ceiling because they have never developed a deliberate commercial strategy. Without a clear growth plan covering referrals, digital presence, fee strategy, and capacity management, the practice grows to a natural plateau and stalls.
- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 2 to 4 hours
- to start
The short answer
Most private practices grow on reputation until they reach a plateau set by clinic capacity, the referrer base or fees, not by clinical quality. A one-page plan that measures four levers (referrals, fees, costs and capacity) and sets three targets for the year is usually enough to move past it. You can write the first version in an afternoon from your last 12 months of data.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
Ask your secretary to export, by month: new patients, where each came from (GP practice, colleague, insurer finder, self-referral, website), insured versus self-pay, income by procedure, clinic slots offered and filled, and total costs
- Time
- 2 to 4 hours
- Typical cost
- £0
- Who does it
- Secretary
Done when: One spreadsheet holds all six numbers for each of the last 12 months
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this template
One-page private practice growth plan
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
One-page growth plan: [your name], [specialty], [year]
1. Where I am now (last 12 months)
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total private income | £[ ] |
| New patients per month (average) | [ ] |
| Insured / self-pay split | [ ]% / [ ]% |
| Clinic utilisation (slots filled / offered) | [ ]% |
| New patients going on to a procedure | [ ]% |
| Costs as a share of income | [ ]% |
| Top 3 referral sources | [ ], [ ], [ ] |
2. My constraint
The lever holding me back most is: [referrals / fees / costs / capacity]
Because: [one sentence, with the number that shows it]
3. Three targets for the next 12 months
| Target | Baseline | Target | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. new patients per month] | [18] | [24] | [date] |
| [e.g. self-pay share] | [20%] | [30%] | [date] |
| [e.g. utilisation] | [70%] | [85%] | [date] |
4. Actions
| Month | Target 1 action | Target 2 action | Target 3 action | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Month 1] | [e.g. visit 2 target GP practices] | [e.g. review self-pay fees, update PHIN] | [e.g. move follow-ups to telephone slots] | |
| [Month 2] | ||||
| [Month 3] |
5. Protected time
Practice development time: [day], [time] to [time], every week.
6. Review
Monthly review with [secretary name] on [date each month]. Quarterly rebalance on [dates].
Notes on what each lever usually needs
- Referrals low: GP education sessions, a clear referral route (named email, phone, e-referral details), quick letters back to referrers.
- Fees low: annual self-pay review against PHIN ranges, coding audit on insured work.
- Costs high: cost register and retender of the three largest costs.
- Capacity full: extra session, second site, or more efficient follow-up pathways (telephone or nurse-led where clinically appropriate).
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Writing a plan without the last 12 months of numbers, so targets are guesses.
- Setting ten targets and moving none of them.
- Adding clinic sessions when the real constraint is referrals, so the new slots sit empty.
- Never recording where new patients came from, so the referrer map is impossible.
- Leaving practice development to whatever time is left after clinics, which is none.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll look at your four growth levers and show which one is holding you back
What I need from you
- Your specialty
- Answers to eight tap questions
What you get
- Your likely constraint: referrals, fees, costs or capacity
- Three targets for the year
- The first monthly actions
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
Utilisation below about 75% usually points to a demand problem; above about 90% to a capacity problem
Solvable rule of thumb, not a published standard; your own utilisation figures replace it
Solvable estimate
In most consultant practices a small group of referrers, often 10 or fewer, sends the majority of new patients
Solvable estimate, not a published figure; your referrer map in step 3 shows your own pattern
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 time does this take?
About an afternoon for the first plan, then 30 minutes a month and an hour a quarter.
I don't have referral source data. What now?
Start recording it today for every new patient, and use the referrer named on each referral letter for the past year as a first estimate.
Which lever usually matters most?
For newer practices it is usually referrals. For established ones it is often fees and capacity. Your numbers will tell you.
Do I need an adviser?
No. The method above is complete. An adviser can help if you want challenge on the targets or someone to do the analysis.
Should I grow insured or self-pay work?
Both have a place. Self-pay gives you control of fees; insured work tends to give steadier volume. Set a target split rather than chasing one.
Last reviewed:
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