# What a physiotherapy or private clinic website needs

> What a UK physio, osteopathy or private clinic website needs: condition pages, prices, booking, HCPC and professional registration, insurers and the claims rules.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/blog/what-a-private-clinic-website-needs
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

**Short answer:** A physiotherapy or private clinic website needs pages organised by condition in plain language, published session prices and typical course length, online booking with the next available appointment, each practitioner’s registration (HCPC, GOsC, GCC or GMC as relevant), the insurers you are recognised by, and careful claims that stay within the CAP Code. CQC registration and rating display apply to some clinics.

Published 2026-09-26. 8 min read. Category: Advice by type of business.

People who go private for healthcare usually want two things: to be seen quickly and to be treated by someone properly qualified. A private clinic website has to show both within a few seconds, in words a patient understands. Most clinic websites are written for other clinicians, organised by technique or department, and hide prices behind a phone call.

This guide covers physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, sports injury, podiatry and multidisciplinary private clinics. The principles are the same; the regulator changes.

## Organise the site by problem, not profession

A patient with a sore knee searches for “knee pain physio” or “ACL rehab near me”, not “manual therapy” or “soft tissue mobilisation”. Pages built around conditions and situations (back pain, sports injuries, post-operative rehab, running injuries, pelvic health, neck pain from desk work) are both more useful and far more likely to be found.

Each condition page should describe the problem in the patient’s words, explain how you assess it, outline the kind of treatment involved, say roughly how many sessions people typically need, and end with a book button. Keep outcome claims modest; more on that below.

## Pages a private clinic website needs

**Private clinic website pages and their jobs**

| Page | What it must do |
|---|---|
| Home | What you treat, where, next available appointment, prices from, and a book button. |
| Conditions | A page per common condition or situation, in plain language, linking to booking. |
| Treatments and services | Assessment, follow-ups, sports massage, classes, shockwave or other services, each with a price and duration. |
| Prices | Initial assessment and follow-up prices, packages, cancellation policy, and how insured patients pay. |
| Practitioners | Each clinician with photo, qualifications, registration number and special interests. |
| Insurance | Which private medical insurers recognise you, and what patients need (authorisation code, excess). |
| Book | Online booking with real availability, plus phone for those who prefer it. |

## Registration and protected titles

Several healthcare titles are protected in UK law. “Physiotherapist” and “physical therapist” are protected titles that can only be used by people registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council, chiropractors with the General Chiropractic Council, and doctors with the General Medical Council. Podiatrists and dietitians are also HCPC-registered professions.

Show each practitioner’s registration on the website, ideally with their registration number, and link to the regulator’s public register so patients can check. Professional body membership, such as the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, is worth showing too, but it is not the same as statutory registration. Sports massage therapists and other unregulated practitioners should be described accurately, without implying a protected title.

## Health claims and the CAP Code

Health claims on your own website are covered by the CAP Code, and the ASA takes them seriously. Claims that a treatment cures or treats a condition need robust evidence, and the ASA has published guidance on what osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists can and cannot claim. Avoid promising recovery times or guaranteed outcomes, and do not discourage people from seeking essential medical treatment.

In practice, write about what you do and how it may help, and be honest about limits. “Most people with this kind of ankle sprain need somewhere between three and six sessions, though it varies” is more believable than “Get back to running in two weeks”, and it is far less likely to be challenged.

Testimonials are fine if they are genuine and do not make claims you could not make yourself. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, fake or misleading reviews are banned outright.

## CQC and other regulators

Whether a private clinic needs to register with the Care Quality Commission depends on what it does and who does it. Many independent physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic practices fall outside CQC registration, but clinics providing doctor-led treatment, diagnostic imaging or certain procedures often must register. Check the CQC’s guidance on the scope of registration. If you are registered and rated, you must display your rating on your website.

Handling patient information is special category data under UK GDPR. Online booking forms that ask about health need a clear privacy notice and secure handling; use a clinic management system built for health data rather than a generic form that emails details in plain text.

## Prices and insurance

Private patients are paying out of their own pocket or through an insurer, and they want to know the cost before they book. Publish the initial assessment and follow-up prices, any package prices, and your cancellation policy. Explain how insured patients work with you: whether you invoice the insurer directly, whether the patient pays and claims back, and what they need from their insurer before the first appointment.

Listing which insurers recognise you is one of the most useful things you can publish, because insured patients filter on it before anything else.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Technique-led pages that patients do not search for.
- No prices, or prices only for the first appointment.
- Protected titles used loosely, such as a sports massage therapist described as a physio.
- Outcome promises and recovery timescales stated as fact.
- Health information collected through an unsecured contact form.
- Booking only by phone, when the phone is unanswered during clinics.

## What a clinic website costs

What drives the cost of a clinic website is mostly the number of condition and treatment pages, how many practitioners and locations there are, and whether booking, intake forms and payments are integrated with your clinic system. Condition pages take time to write well, but they are also what brings in patients from search month after month.

Healthcare marketing agencies often quote £3,000 to £12,000 for a clinic website. Freelancers typically charge £1,000 to £4,000. Clinic management and booking software is usually a monthly subscription per practitioner.

We design clinic websites from scratch, write condition pages in plain English with you, and link your clinic booking system in. A single clinic usually fits Monthly at £299 plus £99/month (12 months minimum) or Own It at £1,795 plus £49/month, which allows up to 25 pages for a full set of condition pages. Multi-site clinic groups with integrations would look at Pro at £6,950 plus £299/month. Nerdsharks builds for solo practitioners and larger healthcare groups alike.

## Questions

### Can I call myself a physiotherapist on my website?

You can only call yourself a physiotherapist or physical therapist if you are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, because both are protected titles in UK law. Show your HCPC registration on your website and link to the public register so patients can check it.

### Does a physio clinic need to register with the CQC?

Many independent physiotherapy clinics do not need to register with the CQC, but it depends on the services offered and who provides them. Clinics offering doctor-led treatment, diagnostic imaging or certain procedures often must register. Check the CQC’s scope of registration guidance for your clinic.

### What health claims can a clinic make on its website?

A clinic can make health claims on its website only if they are supported by robust evidence, under the CAP Code enforced by the ASA. Avoid promising cures, guaranteed outcomes or fixed recovery times. The ASA publishes specific guidance for physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors.

### Should a private clinic show prices online?

Yes, a private clinic should show prices online, including the initial assessment, follow-ups and any packages. Private patients want to know the cost before booking, and clear prices reduce time spent on enquiries from people who were never going to go ahead.

### What pages should a physiotherapy website have?

A physiotherapy website should have a home page with prices and booking, a page for each common condition written in patient language, a services and prices page, practitioner profiles with HCPC registration, an insurance page listing recognised insurers, and an easy route to book online or by phone.

### Should a private clinic take bookings online?

Yes, most private clinics benefit from online booking, because fast access is the main reason patients go private and the phone often goes unanswered during clinics. Show real availability for assessments and follow-ups, take payment or card details where your policy requires it, and keep a phone number for patients who prefer to call.

## Sources

- The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code), Advertising Standards Authority / CAP, 2026: https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/advertising-codes/non-broadcast-code.html
- Regulation 20A: Requirement as to display of performance assessments, Care Quality Commission, 2026: https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations/regulation-20a-requirement-display-performance-assessments