For many patients, the journey begins online. Before making an appointment, they want to find information, ask questions and understand how easy it is to contact a clinic.
Simple features such as online booking and live chat can make that process quicker and more convenient. When they’re missing, some prospective patients may choose to look elsewhere.
For Patient Pulse 2025, we analysed 4,121 private healthcare websites to assess the availability of booking and communication tools. The results revealed some significant gaps.
What we found
Booking systems
- 45% of websites showed no detectable online booking system.
- Where online booking was available, Square Appointments was the most common platform, followed by Calendly, SimplyBook.me, Setmore and Acuity.
Chat and live chat
- 85% of websites had no detectable live chat solution.
- Among those that did, Facebook Messenger was the most widely used, followed by LiveChat, Tidio, Crisp and Intercom.
Virtual consultations
Virtual consultation tools were used by relatively few clinics, suggesting there is still considerable scope for wider adoption across the sector.
Why it matters
Convenience plays an increasingly important role in how patients choose a healthcare provider. If it’s difficult to book an appointment or ask a simple question, some prospective patients may decide to look elsewhere.
Online booking can help clinics:
- Turn interest into confirmed appointments more quickly.
- Reduce the volume of phone calls and administrative tasks.
- Give patients the convenience of seeing available appointment times online whenever they desire.
Live chat can also improve the patient experience by:
- Answering straightforward questions quickly.
- Capturing enquiries outside normal opening hours.
- Encouraging prospective patients to take the next step when they’re ready.
Together, these tools help clinics respond more effectively to enquiries and create a smoother patient journey. When integrated with a CRM, they also help ensure patient enquiries are managed efficiently from first contact onwards.
The opportunity — and where it’s heading
With relatively few clinics currently offering online booking or live chat, there is still plenty of scope to improve the patient experience with relatively straightforward technology.
Looking ahead, AI-powered chat tools are likely to become more common. Unlike traditional chat widgets, these systems can answer routine questions using clinic-specific information, provide support outside normal opening hours, direct more complex enquiries to the right member of the team, and integrate with booking systems and CRM platforms.
As these technologies continue to develop, clinics with strong digital foundations will be better placed to adopt them effectively. Our article 98.6% of Private Healthcare Websites Aren’t Ready for AI Search. Here’s What That Means for Your Clinic explains why preparing your website for AI-powered search is becoming increasingly important.
Where to start
If your clinic doesn’t yet offer online booking or live chat, these are good places to begin. Together, they can make it easier for prospective patients to get in touch, book appointments and move through the enquiry process.
If you’d like advice on choosing the right tools for your clinic, book a call and we’ll help you identify the best approach for your website, patients and practice.
This article draws on Patient Pulse 2025, Figment’s original research into marketing in UK private healthcare. Read the full report.
More from Patient Pulse 2025
- Only 5% of clinics use a CRM
- AI search readiness
- Core Web Vitals
- Read the full Patient Pulse 2025 report »
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