Established practice
Your consultant asks "how are we doing?" Can you answer?
A few simple numbers each month tell you and your consultant what's working. Here is how to set them up.
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- steps
- 6
- steps
- to start
- 30 minutes
- to start
- scorecard
- Free
- scorecard
The short answer
You need six numbers, not a dashboard: new patients, where they came from, clinic utilisation, did-not-attend rate, income billed and money owed. Pull them from your practice management system on the first working day of each month into the same one-page table. Then spend 15 minutes with your consultant deciding one thing to change.
What good looks like
Your numbers, before and after
Monthly report
Illustrative sample, not a real person or result.
6 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 6 done
Agree with your consultant: new patients seen, source of each new patient, clinic utilisation (booked slots divided by available slots), did-not-attend rate, income billed, and money owed split into insured and self-pay
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Typical cost
- Free
- Who does it
- Practice manager and consultant
Done when: Both of you have agreed the six definitions in writing
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this table
One-page monthly practice report
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Monthly practice report: [consultant name], [month and year]
| Measure | How to calculate | This month | Last month | Same month last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New patients seen | Count of first appointments attended | |||
| Top 3 sources of new patients | From 'How did you hear about us?' | |||
| Clinic utilisation | Booked slots / available slots x 100 | % | % | % |
| Did-not-attend rate | DNAs / booked appointments x 100 | % | % | % |
| Income billed | Total invoiced this month (insured and self-pay) | £ | £ | £ |
| Money owed | Total unpaid, split insured / self-pay, and amount over 60 days | £ / £ / £ |
Reviews this month: [number new] | Overall rating: [x.x] on [platform]
What went up:
What went down:
One action for next month: [action], owner [name], due [date]
Last month's action: [done / not done, and what happened]
Where to find each number
| Measure | System | Report name and filters |
|---|---|---|
| New patients | [PMS] | |
| Sources | [PMS] | |
| Utilisation | [PMS diary] | |
| DNAs | [PMS] | |
| Income billed | [PMS or billing] | |
| Money owed | [PMS or billing aged debt report] |
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Tracking twenty measures, then giving up after two months.
- Not recording where new patients came from at booking, so the source is guessed later.
- Reporting income billed but not money owed, so cash problems stay hidden.
- Changing how a number is calculated from month to month.
- Sending the report by email and never discussing it.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll check which of the six numbers you can already pull and how to get the rest
What I need from you
- The name of your practice management system
- Answers to seven tap questions
What you get
- Which of the six numbers you can report today
- Where the missing ones live
- A one-page monthly report to copy
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
80% to 90%
Typical clinic utilisation to aim for in an established private outpatient practice. practice experience; no published UK benchmark for private practice found
Solvable estimate
2% to 5%
Typical did-not-attend rate in private outpatients with reminders in place. practice experience; no published UK benchmark for private outpatient DNA rates found
Solvable estimate
Paul Robinson
14 years in UK private healthcare
I solve this one for practice managers
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
Our system cannot produce one of these numbers. What then?
Count it by hand for a month to see if it matters, then ask your supplier whether a report exists. Most practice management systems can export appointments to a spreadsheet.
What is a good utilisation figure?
It depends on how you set your templates, but most established practices aim for 80% to 90% (Solvable estimate). Below that, look at clinic length and days before adding more clinics.
Should I include NHS work?
No. Keep this report to the private practice you manage.
My consultant never has 15 minutes.
Put it in the diary as a recurring appointment, and send the one page the day before so the meeting is only about the action.
How long before the numbers are useful?
Three months gives you a trend. Twelve months gives you seasonality.
Last reviewed:
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