New patients want four things answered before they book an osteopath: what the benefits are, what it costs, what treatment involves and what the risks are. The General Osteopathic Council's own survey found around nine in ten people rate each of these as important before a first visit. Put those answers on your website, keep them consistent on the phone, and stay within the advertising rules on what you claim to treat.
What do new patients actually want to know?
The GOsC's 2023 public and patient perceptions survey, run by YouGov, asked people what information would be important before a first visit to an osteopath. Among UK adults, around nine in ten mentioned the benefits (91%), costs (89%), what the treatment will involve (88%) and the risks (87%). Among people who had seen an osteopath in the past year, 95% said information on benefits was important, and 86% each said costs, what is involved and risks (GOsC, Public and Patient Perceptions survey 2023).
The same survey points to what tips people towards booking. Over half of UK adults (54%) said knowing the cost is affordable would motivate them to see an osteopath over other professionals. Among osteopathic patients, half (50%) said knowing they could access treatment quickly would encourage them, 48% mentioned regulation and 47% a recommendation from family or friends.
| What they want to know | Where to answer it | What the answer should include |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Website prices page, phone | First appointment and follow-up prices, length of each, cancellation terms |
| What treatment involves | Website "your first visit" page | Assessment, what to wear, chaperone and right to stop, how long it takes |
| Benefits | Website, within advertising rules | Conditions on the ASA/CAP accepted list only; "your osteopath will assess you" for anything else |
| Risks | Website, and in the consultation | General information on the site; individual risks discussed by the osteopath |
| Speed | Phone, online booking | Next available appointment, offered there and then |
| Regulation | Website, footer | GOsC registration, with a link to the register |
How should you talk about cost?
Publish it. The GOsC's Osteopathic Practice Standards say it "will help you avoid disputes about fees if you have clear and visible information available on patient fees and charging policies", and that you should not pressure a patient to commit to unjustified treatment (GOsC, Osteopathic Practice Standards).
Practically, that means:
- First appointment price and length, and follow-up price and length
- Any difference for home visits, evenings or weekends
- Your cancellation and missed-appointment terms
- How payment works, and whether insured patients are handled differently
When someone rings and asks "how much is it?", the answer should match the website exactly.
How should you describe what happens at a first visit?
The Osteopathic Practice Standards say that before examining or treating, you should make sure the patient understands their rights, "including the right to have a chaperone present and to stop the examination or treatment at any time". The standards also deal with undressing: if it is necessary for the patient to undress to their underwear, you should explain why.
Saying these things before the visit, on your website and when asked on the phone, answers the "what does it involve?" question and removes a reason to hesitate. A short "your first appointment" page might cover:
- How long the first appointment takes and why it is longer
- That the osteopath will ask about your history and examine you before any treatment
- What to wear, and that you can ask questions or stop at any time
- That you are welcome to bring someone with you, or ask for a chaperone
- What happens if the osteopath thinks you need to see your GP
How should you answer "can you help with my...?"
Carefully. This is where benefits meet the advertising rules. The GOsC standards require your advertising, including your website, to comply with the CAP Code (GOsC, Osteopathic Practice Standards), and the ASA and CAP publish advice on which conditions osteopaths can claim to treat (CAP advice: Health: Osteopathy). Claims about conditions specific to babies, children or pregnancy, such as colic, are a particular problem area in that advice.
On the phone, whoever answers should not decide whether osteopathy will help a particular problem. A good default:
"Our osteopath will assess you first and tell you honestly whether they think they can help, or whether you'd be better seeing someone else. Would you like the first available appointment?"
Make the answers easy to reach
Most of these questions are simple to answer once they are written down. The hard part is answering them when the person asks, which for many people is in the evening or at a weekend, when the practice is closed or the osteopath is treating.
Remi answers calls, WhatsApp and email at any hour, gives callers the prices and practice details you have set, books the first appointment into Cliniko, Acuity or Google Calendar, and puts calls that need the osteopath through or takes a detailed message. It does not give clinical advice, so "can you help with my...?" goes to the osteopath. You can see how that works on the page about an AI receptionist for osteopaths.
Checklist: answers a new patient should find before booking
- First and follow-up appointment prices and lengths, on the website and matching what the phone says
- Cancellation terms
- A "your first appointment" page covering assessment, what to wear, chaperones and the right to stop
- Conditions listed only within the ASA/CAP advice for osteopaths
- GOsC registration stated, with a link to the register
- Next available appointment easy to find or offered on the phone
- A standard answer for "can you help with my...?" that leaves the judgement to the osteopath
The short version
The GOsC's 2023 survey shows that around nine in ten people want to know the benefits, costs, what treatment involves and the risks before a first osteopathy visit, and half of patients are encouraged by quick access. Publish clear prices and a "first appointment" page, explain chaperones and the right to stop, keep condition claims within the ASA/CAP advice, and make sure every enquiry, including evenings and weekends, gets a consistent answer and an offer of the next appointment.