Your online reputation isn't reflecting the quality of care being delivered
In the self-pay market, online reviews are a primary decision-making tool for prospective patients. A thin or skewed review profile misrepresents the quality of a practice and directly affects enquiry conversion. Many consultants provide excellent care but do not have a systematic process for asking satisfied patients to leave a review, resulting in a profile that underrepresents their actual reputation.
- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 1 hour
- to start
The short answer
A thin review profile usually reflects a missing process, not poor care. Ask every patient, not only the ones you think are happy, through one link at a set point after their care, and reply to reviews without confirming the person was your patient. Consumer law on reviews applies to you: no cherry-picking and no hidden incentives, and many review platforms ban incentives outright.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
Search your name on Google, Doctify, iWantGreatCare and your hospital's own consultant pages. Note the number of reviews, the average rating and the date of the most recent on each
- Time
- 1 hour
- Typical cost
- £0
- Who does it
- Secretary
Done when: One table shows every platform, count, rating and latest review date
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this template
Review request and review reply templates
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Review request (SMS, sent to every patient)
"Dear [first name], thank you for choosing [practice name]. We would value your honest feedback about your care. It takes two minutes: [review link]. If you would prefer to tell us privately, reply to this message or call [phone]. Reply STOP if you would rather not get these messages. [Practice name]"
Review request (email)
Subject: Your feedback on your recent care
Dear [first name],
Thank you for choosing [Mr/Ms/Dr] [Surname] for your care.
We ask every patient for honest feedback. It helps other patients decide, and it helps us improve. If you are willing, you can leave a review here: [review link].
If something did not go as you expected, I would rather hear from you directly. Please reply to this email or call [phone].
If you would rather not receive feedback requests, reply and let us know.
Kind regards, [Secretary name], on behalf of [Mr/Ms/Dr] [Surname]
Reply to a positive review
"Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback. [Mr/Ms/Dr] [Surname] and the team appreciate it."
Reply to a critical review
"Thank you for your feedback. We take every comment seriously. We cannot discuss anyone's care in a public forum, but we would like to understand your concerns. Please contact [practice manager or secretary name] on [phone] or [email]."
Do not
- Confirm or imply the reviewer was a patient.
- Mention any diagnosis, treatment or appointment detail.
- Offer a discount, gift or prize draw for a review.
- Send requests only to patients you expect to be happy.
- Send requests to patients who have opted out.
- Reply in anger. Wait a day and ask a colleague to read it first.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Asking only the patients who seemed pleased, which can mislead other patients and breach consumer law.
- Replying to a review in a way that confirms the person was a patient or reveals clinical details.
- Offering a discount or gift for a review, which many review platforms ban and which must be disclosed where it is allowed.
- Asking for reviews on five platforms, so none builds a meaningful count.
- Treating a bad review as a marketing problem when it describes a real complaint.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll check your reviews across Google and the directories and show what patients see
What I need from you
- Your name
- Your specialty
- The town you practise in
What you get
- Screenshots of your reviews as a patient sees them
- Which two platforms to focus on
- 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
Benchmarks
Fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews are banned for UK businesses
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, in force from April 2025; CMA guidance CMA208 (4 April 2025) explains what counts, including cherry-picking
Source: CMA
About 10 to 25% of patients asked once with a direct link leave a review
Solvable estimate, not a published figure; likely lower for email than SMS. Track your own rate in step 7
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
Can I ask only patients who had a good outcome?
No. Ask everyone at the same point in their care. CMA guidance on fake reviews treats encouraging only satisfied customers to leave reviews as cherry-picking, which can give a misleading picture.
Do I need consent to send review requests?
A request for genuine feedback is not usually marketing, so marketing consent is not normally needed. Keep promotion out of it, mention feedback requests in your privacy notice, include an opt-out and respect it. This is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a data protection specialist if you are unsure.
Can I get a negative review removed?
Only if it breaks the platform's rules, for example it is fake, abusive or not about real care. A genuine negative review stays, so reply calmly and offer contact.
What can I say in a reply?
Thanks, a commitment to take feedback seriously, and how to contact you. GMC confidentiality guidance says you must not put information about a patient in the public domain without their consent, so say nothing that confirms the person was a patient or discusses their care.
Should my secretary reply for me?
They can draft and post, but you should approve replies to anything critical.
Which platform matters most?
Google reviews appear alongside your Google Business Profile in search and Maps, so start there. Choose one healthcare platform as well, based on where your referrers and patients look.
Last reviewed:
Sources
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One message a week. No sales messages. Reply STOP any time.