The Sign-Up Saga
Is your NHS Practice website looking a bit lonely? Are those registration numbers not quite hitting the mark? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to turn that around. In this article, we’ll walk you through five tried-and-tested strategies to increase patient registrations on your website. Let’s get started!
Drive up reviews
What do patients do when they want to find a new GP practice? They search the web. And in doing so they’ll stumble across reviews on search engines.
So don’t forget to keep an eye on your reviews online! It’s important to communicate with patients, even if their review isn’t positive. Patients are more likely to register with your practice if they trust you. And how do you build trust? Through transparency.
Put a registration button on the front of your website
These days, we’re used to being able to sign up to things in just a few taps or clicks. So why should registering with a GP practice be any different?
Your practice website is your digital front door. We know that having registrations front and centre on your website and across your social media helps promote prospective patients choosing your practice.
Be open about your practice’s values, team, and services
Seeking certifications such as Pride in Practice, Veteran Friendly, and Safe Surgeries adds credibility to the care you provide to minority patient groups and can help boost your registration numbers too!
Use signage outside your practice
As well as your registration link you can use a QR code allowing patients to scan and be taken straight to the registration form. Many practices put this outside their building to make it simple for people walking past to sign up.
First 4 Health Group Stratford Village Surgery
Think about your catchment area
In 2021/22 NHS England published that practices were paid nearly £164 on average per registered patient and, when you take into account potential performance-based income like QOF, there is a clear business-driver for boosting registrations.
But how exactly?
Since 2015 GP practices have been able to voluntarily accept out of area registrations, allowing patients greater choice.
So practices can choose to offer out of area services and this presents another method of boosting registrations! But it’s important to have clear messaging for patients to ensure they understand what is available if they are out of area.
Healthtech-1 has seen a 6% increase in list size across it’s practices who open up their catchment to out of area patients.
Expand your catchment area. Increasing the size to cover new estates or area with high population density, within your Trading Partner region, is a great way to boost registrations. This can be done in minutes by us, but please also make sure to update your NHSE official catchment area in the annual eDEC.
Conclusion
Attracting more patients to your practice isn’t about tricks or gimmicks. It’s about creating a welcoming, accessible, and engaging online space that meets their needs.
And it starts right from the registration process itself.
By implementing these strategies, you can increase patient registrations and ensure your practice thrives!
🚀 Get in touch with team at [email protected] on next steps on how to implement any of the above!