Want to Start a Private Practice for Under £100? (Here’s How)

Starting a private practice doesn’t necessarily require huge upfront costs. In this video, Dr Matthew Wickham explains how he set up his first private clinic with a very small budget, using a simple website, practising privileges to rent a regulated clinic room, and the equipment most clinicians already have. Matthew and Dr David Hindmarsh discuss what the true minimum setup looks like, why a well-structured website is now the most important starting point, and how search engines and AI tools increasingly influence how patients find healthcare services. They also explore common early mistakes when launching a clinic, where new clinicians often waste money on marketing, and why getting the fundamentals right first, systems, booking flow, and patient access, makes everything else easier later. For doctors frustrated with the current NHS contract or simply curious about private work, this is a grounded look at what the very first steps can realistically look like. Timestamps 00:00 – Why some GPs start considering private work 00:36 – The minimum cost to start a private clinic 01:12 – Why a website is the first essential step 01:53 – Using practising privileges to rent clinic space 02:26 – Bootstrapping a clinic with minimal costs 03:05 – Why websites matter more than ever in the AI search era 04:31 – The biggest mistake: spending money on marketing too early 06:21 – What you probably already have as a clinician 08:20 – Why your website must convert visitors into bookings 10:12 – Choosing the right patient record system 12:15 – Systems and planning before scaling your clinic 13:13 – The real value of mentorship 15:14 – Removing barriers for patients to book 16:20 – Why simple booking systems work best 17:51 – AI receptionists and the future of clinic admin Got questions about starting private practice? Dr Matthew Wickham – matthew@docsupport.co.uk Explore more tools, guides, and support for doctors: 🔗 https://www.docsupport.co.uk