A Consultant’s Guide to PR when Launching a Private Practice

Making the leap from the NHS to launching your own private practice - or significantly expanding your private hours - is a major career milestone. You have the clinical expertise, the CQC registration and the clinic space. But there is one hurdle every new private consultant faces: visibility.

Many doctors assume that their clinical reputation will naturally translate into a booked-out private clinic. The reality is that word-of-mouth is incredibly powerful, but it is slow. And in today’s highly competitive healthcare market, patients are heavily researching their specialists online before they even think about booking a consultation.

If you are launching a private practice, here is why a strategic UK media launch is the most effective way to build your waitlist - and how to do it right.

1. Understand the Difference Between Advertising and PR

When clinics need patients, their first instinct is often to pay for Google or Facebook ads. But healthcare is a high-trust industry. Advertising is what you say about yourself; PR is what others say about you.

Patients are naturally sceptical of sponsored clinic ads. However, when they see your name quoted as an expert in The Telegraph, The Times, or Tatler (all of those are links to recent coverage for my clients, just FYI), it acts as a kitemark of safety. It provides third-party validation that you are a verified, leading authority in your specialty. PR doesn't just drive awareness; it engineers trust.

2. Prepare Your "Media Arsenal"

Journalists work on incredibly tight deadlines. If a breaking health story hits the news, they need a medical expert to comment within the hour. To launch your profile successfully, you must have your media assets ready to go from day one.

Before pitching to the press, ensure you have:

• A robust clinical biography: Highlighting your NHS background, your specialist interests, and your GMC number.

• High-resolution imagery: Professional headshots and in-clinic lifestyle images. (Journalists rarely publish a story without a good image and having these to hand definitely helps).

• A clear point of view: The media doesn't want textbook medical definitions; they want opinions. Be prepared to discuss industry trends, debunk common health myths, or comment on the latest clinical studies in your field.

3. Leverage "Newsjacking" for Quick Wins

Building a long-form profile piece in a national glossy magazine takes time. To generate immediate momentum for a new clinic, the best strategy is "newsjacking."

This involves monitoring the daily news cycle and inserting your expert commentary into breaking stories. Whether it's a new study on HRT, a new statin medication, a celebrity discussing their hair transplant, or a rising trend in cosmetic procedures, reacting quickly allows you to get your name and clinic into the national conversation immediately.

4. Don't Ignore the SEO Benefit

A strategic PR campaign doesn't just result in a physical newspaper clipping; it fundamentally transforms your digital footprint.

When a high-authority publication (like a national broadsheet or a major consumer magazine) mentions your clinic and links back to your website, it sends a powerful signal to Google. These "backlinks" prove that you are a credible medical source, which pushes your website higher up the search engine rankings for terms like "Private Dermatologist London" or "PRP for Hair Loss Manchester."

A good PR campaign pays for itself long after the article is published by permanently boosting your visibility to high-intent patients searching online.

5. Future-Proof Your Practice for AI Search

As patients increasingly turn to AI tools to research medical conditions and find specialists, securing top-tier press is more critical than ever. AI models prioritise data from highly trusted, authoritative sources - like national news outlets. By consistently appearing in the press, you effectively "train" the AI to recognise you as the leading verified expert in your field, ensuring your clinic is recommended in the next generation of search results.

The 3-Month Launch Strategy

At RL Comms, we specialise in helping doctors navigate this exact transition. We operate as senior strategic partner - meaning you never have your message diluted by junior account teams. Instead, we translate your complex clinical expertise into highly strategic, consumer-friendly campaigns that cut through the noise and dominate the UK press.

If you are launching a private practice and want to establish yourself as the definitive voice within your specialty, a targeted 3-month PR launch is the most effective way to build immediate momentum and a long-term legacy.

Ready to elevate your medical profile? Get in touch today to discuss a bespoke launch strategy for your clinic.