Practice management software for UK private clinics: published prices (WriteUpp, Cliniko, Jane), CQC record rules, and when a custom platform pays off.
Short answer. Most private clinics in the UK should buy practice management software: products cost from about £20–£50 a month per practitioner (WriteUpp lists £19.95–£49.95; Cliniko from $45 and Jane from $59 a month in US dollars). Build a custom clinic platform when you run several sites with workflows no product supports, need to connect booking, records, payments and your own patient app, or when per-practitioner fees across a growing group exceed the cost of owning the system. At Magora a first release starts from £10,000 and a full clinic platform typically costs £25,000–£60,000.
This guide is for clinic owners, practice managers and healthcare founders. It covers what practice management software does, what products cost, the record-keeping rules, how to choose, and when custom software is the better investment.
Last checked: 2 November 2026.
What practice management software does
| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Diary and booking | Online booking, practitioner calendars, rooms and resources, waiting lists, reminders by SMS and email |
| Patient records | Demographics, clinical notes and templates, documents and images, consent and forms |
| Billing | Invoices, card payments, packages and memberships, insurer billing |
| Communication | Reminders, follow-ups, secure messages, sometimes video consultations |
| Reporting | Utilisation, revenue, no-shows, practitioner performance |
| Newer features | AI note-taking (scribes), patient apps, integrations with accounting and marketing tools |
What off-the-shelf products cost
| Product | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WriteUpp | Flex from £19.95; Solo £27.95; Solo + AI Scribe £49.95; Group from £45.95 a month | UK pricing in GBP; extra users priced per seat |
| Cliniko | $45 a month for 1 practitioner; $95 for 2–5; up to $395 for 26–200 | US dollars; flat tiers by practitioner count |
| Jane | Plans at $59, $79 and $99 a month | US dollars; AI scribe add-on $15 per practitioner |
| Pabau, Semble and others | Not published; quote on request | Plans by number of users |
From each provider's official pricing page, accessed 2 November 2026. Prices change and VAT may apply; check before buying.
For a single site with a handful of practitioners, these are hard to beat on cost. The question is whether they fit how you work.
How to choose a product
- Map your patient journey, from first enquiry to follow-up, and mark the steps that must work without workarounds.
- Check clinical notes and templates for your specialties, not just the booking screen.
- Ask where data is hosted, who can access it and how you export it if you leave.
- Check integrations: payments, accounting, your website, insurers, any patient app.
- Price the whole group over three years, including add-ons and per-message fees.
Record-keeping rules to know
- CQC Regulation 17 expects records about each person's care to be accurate, complete and contemporaneous, kept securely, and created, stored and destroyed in line with current law and recognised guidance.
- UK GDPR treats health data as special category data. You need a lawful basis and an Article 9 condition, a DPIA for high-risk processing and contracts with your software provider as processor.
- NHS integration is not automatic. Access to GP records goes through NHS integrations such as GP Connect or IM1, with their own eligibility and assurance steps; see our guide to GP Connect and NHS APIs.
- Medical device rules can apply if software interprets clinical data to guide diagnosis or treatment.
When a custom clinic platform pays off
| Signal | Why custom helps |
|---|---|
| Several sites or services with different workflows | One system built around how the group actually works, instead of several products and spreadsheets |
| A patient app or portal is part of your offer | Booking, records, payments and the app share one data model and one login |
| Integrations with labs, insurers, devices or your own tools | Built for your partners rather than limited to the product's marketplace |
| Per-practitioner fees across a growing group | Owning the software can cost less over three to five years |
| You want to sell the platform to other clinics | You own the code and the IP and can build a SaaS product |
A middle route is to keep a standard product and build what it lacks: a patient portal, an integration or a reporting layer. At Magora API integration takes 3–5 weeks and starts from £5,000.
We build patient-facing apps and clinical software with privacy and compliance designed in from the start. First release in 6–8 weeks; developers from £49/hour.
What a custom clinic platform costs
| Stage | Typical time | Magora band (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Free working prototype | 5–10 working days | £0 |
| Discovery: scope, architecture, fixed-price quote | 2 weeks | From £3,000 |
| First release (MVP) | 6–8 weeks | From £10,000 |
| Full production system | 3–6 months | £25,000–£60,000 |
| Regulated or integration-heavy system | 5–8 months | £80,000–£120,000 |
| Support after launch | Monthly | From £1,000 a month |
Rates behind the bands: from £49 an hour per developer, and £65–£70 an hour for a full team with QA and product ownership. Source: Magora UK software development pricing, 2 November 2026. Figures exclude VAT.
Our health work includes Focalyx, which holds patient data and treatment outcomes across partner clinics, and BodySync, an AI tool that drafts physiotherapy treatment plans and is deployed in UK clinics. See how much healthcare software costs in the UK and our booking system development.
Outgrowing your clinic software? Send us a short brief: we will tell you whether to stay on a product, integrate or build, and build a free working prototype of the part that should be custom in 5–10 working days. More about our healthcare software development.
Frequently asked questions
What is practice management software for clinics?
Software that runs the day-to-day of a private clinic: online booking and the diary, patient records and clinical notes, forms and consent, invoicing and payments, reminders, and reporting.
How much does clinic management software cost in the UK?
Off-the-shelf products are priced per practitioner or per clinic each month. For example WriteUpp lists plans from £19.95 to £49.95 a month for individual practitioners, Cliniko from $45 a month for one practitioner and Jane from $59 a month. A custom clinic platform from Magora starts from £10,000 for a first release and typically costs £25,000–£60,000 for a full system.
Should a clinic buy or build its software?
Most single-site clinics should buy. Build when the clinic group has workflows a product cannot support, needs to integrate several systems, runs a patient-facing product as part of its offer, or pays per-practitioner fees that exceed the cost of owning the system.
What does CQC expect from clinic records?
Under Regulation 17, records about each person's care must be accurate, complete and contemporaneous, and kept securely, in line with data protection law and recognised guidance.
Can a private clinic access NHS GP records?
Access to GP records goes through NHS integrations such as GP Connect or IM1, which have their own eligibility rules and assurance steps. Check with NHS England before you plan a product that depends on it.
Is clinic software a medical device?
Booking, billing and record-keeping are not usually medical purposes. Features that interpret clinical data to guide diagnosis or treatment can be. Take regulatory advice if your product does that.
Sources
Alexander Bessudnov
Alexander is an accomplished Chief Product Owner with a proven track record of leading successful product development initiatives at Magora. With a passion for innovation and a keen understanding of market trends, Alexander plays a pivotal role in shaping Magora's product strategy and ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge solutions to clients.
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