Midlands based practice management and billing service Medmin Group have debuted an innovative patient acquisition platform across the region. Get Well Soon allows prospective self-pay patients to compare prices between hospitals for 20 of the most common elective procedures. The unique platform allows patients to research doctors and hospitals, compare prices, see a clinician’s availability in real time and book an initial consultation directly from within the web-app.
Headed by CEO Keith Duddy and leading Colorectal Surgeon Simon Radley, GetWellSoon.co.uk has been designed as a platform to connect patients, clinicians, and the facilities in which they are treated, helping patients to feel more confident about the choices they make if paying for surgery.
For patients, the launch is a milestone for the future of elective private treatment for an uninsured patient who wishes to go private. The web-app tackles the traditional barriers to entry in the private health sector head on, with price comparison tools, a central review system, real-time availability of clinicians and online booking and payment. The Get Well Soon team have made booking surgery akin to booking an Airbnb – a revolutionary step forward for the sector.
Keith Duddy, CEO of GetWellSoon.co.uk comments:
“Self-pay patients now make up a significant part of the market for private surgery but have not been served particularly well by the sector. Patients were finding it difficult to get accurate prices from hospitals, with call-centre agents reluctant to offer a definitive price.
“There has been a lot of discussion around the fees that consultants charge but in actual fact, the clinician’s fees are usually only a small part of the total cost with more than 70% of the cost of a procedure in many cases going to the hospital.
“Prices can wildly vary between hospitals, sometimes when they’re only miles apart. At GetWellSoon.co.uk, consultants are paid a fixed fee for an initial consultation as well as a specific surgical fee per procedure, regardless of where the surgery is performed. The difference in prices that a patient can see on the Get Well Soon web-app represents the difference in hospital fees. We set out to make the process more transparent while ensuring clinicians were paid a fair rate for their work.
“We also want to maintain the incredibly high standards of healthcare set by the UKs medical professionals, and that’s why all the clinicians we invite to join our platform must have been referred or ratified by a clinician already on the platform.”
The site also features in-depth profiles of the featured clinicians including patient testimonials, peer endorsements, and direct booking tools as clinical director Simon Radley explains:
“There have been many attempts at consultant directories in the past, but these have often been expensive subscription models, charging as much as £2,500 a year. We were determined that no one should pay to be on our platform, whether doctor or hospital. We list the information we do to help patients make an informed choice and, unlike traditional price comparison sites there is no financial incentive for us to recommend any one hospital or clinician over another – we are completely independent.
“The clinician’s own page will, in addition to listing their qualifications and achievements, also list the hospitals where they practice, show availability, and allow booking straight off the page. Patient testimonials and peer endorsements will also feature, allowing patients to do thorough, necessary research when choosing a consultant to see.”
The business operates out of Birmingham and is using the region – which is touted as one of the UK’s most exciting start-up hubs – as a testbed for its innovation before rolling it out country-wide. West Midlands practitioners will therefore have the chance to be some of the first in the UK to have access to the platform with over 50 surgeons already signed up.
Backed by the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund, GetWellSoon.co.uk has ambitious plans to expand their service across the UK over the next 12-18 months.
CEO Keith Duddy, concludes:
“Our experience in managing the businesses of almost 60 consultants in private practice has given us a unique insight into both the patient and clinician’s perspective. We are determined to provide a more accessible approach to elective surgery for some of the 6.5m people on the waiting list, offering a simpler and more transparent approach to private healthcare.
“However, we know the launch is only the beginning. We’re proud to be debuting our platform in the Midlands, but we have our sights set on changing the norm across the country, bringing a new way of thinking to the world of private healthcare as we strive to change the industry for the better.”
GetWellSoon.co.uk is now live with over 50 surgeons across the region.
To find out more, visit https://getwellsoon.co.uk/.