As a Consultant in private practice, your working week is likely to be highly pressured and busy. The last thing you need is to worry about whether your admin team is effectively running your practice. 

Private practices typically start out as a ‘side hustle’ and then develop over time. All growing businesses experience growing pains, and sometimes the administrative setup you initially had in place no longer meets your needs. As you become more accustomed to the business side of private practice, you might notice inefficiencies in administration, billing issues, or a lack of adaptability creeping into your operations. In other words, it may be time to reassess whether your current medical admin setup meets your needs. 

Changing your medical PA (or the company supplying your secretarial services) can feel daunting—much like changing banks. Many people delay making a switch, fearing disruption, effort, or making the wrong choice. However, sticking with an inefficient system could be costing you time, revenue, and peace of mind. 

So, how do you know when it's time to change your medical secretary? 

Signals - It’s Time for a Change 

1. Administrative Bottleneck

• Results repeatedly not being ready for clinic, leading to last-minute scrambles.
• Correspondence or patient emails falling behind, causing frustration and reputational damage.
• Patients struggling to get through on the phone, impacting patient satisfaction and your practice's image.

2. Billing Issues

• Inaccurate billing or uncollected payments leading to financial losses.
• Your secretary avoids chasing patients for money, and unpaid invoices pile up.
• Lack of expertise in handling complex billing or negotiating with insurers.
• A significant amount of bad debt accumulating with no structured follow-up process.

3. Lack of Initiative

A great medical PA anticipates problems before they arise. If they consistently escalate minor issues to you despite adequate training, they may not be the right fit for your growing practice.

4. Outdated Systems

In 2025, an efficient private practice should use modern practice management software such as Semble or Carebit. These platforms include automation that significantly reduces admin time. If your medical PA resists change or clings to outdated methods, it’s time to consider a more forward-thinking alternative.

5. Poor Communication

Your PA should be your trusted partner, allowing open and collaborative communication. If your working relationship remains strained despite efforts to resolve issues, it may be time to move on.

6. Limited Capacity to Grow

Your wonderful NHS secretary who helped you set up your practice may not have the capacity to support its continued expansion. As the saying goes, "What got you here won't get you there."

7. Lack of Phone Coverage

Patients calling your practice only to hear: "You have reached Miss Y, secretary to Dr X. My working hours are 9-12, Monday to Wednesday. Please leave a message."

If your secretary only answers calls at lunch or after their NHS job, potential patients may simply move on—without you even realising it.

Overcoming Common Concerns

One of the biggest hurdles to switching secretarial services is the fear of disruption. At MPM Virtual, we ensure a seamless transition.

A major concern is handling patient data when moving to a new practice management system. We work directly with you, your existing admin team, and the software provider to guarantee a secure and efficient data transition.

Additionally, we help you make the most of new systems, reducing the learning curve and ensuring no downtime.

A Bespoke Service for Every Practice 

At MPM Virtual, we understand that every private practice is unique. That’s why we offer: 

Full-Time Phone Cover – More Than Just the Hours You Pay For 

Your selected admin hours (e.g., 5, 7.5, or 15 hours per week) focus on essential tasks like scheduling, correspondence, and follow-ups. However, you also benefit from full-time phone cover from 9 am to 5 pm, ensuring patients and stakeholders are always supported. 

Extended Call Cover – Flexible and Cost-Effective 

Need coverage outside of regular clinic hours? Our add-on service provides extended phone support before 9 am and after 5 pm, offering a cost-effective way to maintain availability without increasing your core admin hours. 

Transparent and Flexible Pricing  

What does a Private Medical Secretary Cost? 

Every Private Practice is unique, and we want to get to know your business and how you like to work. So, whether you’re just starting out or if you have a really busy clinic with several outpatient clinics and theatre lists, we’ll make sure you have sufficient PA cover while you’re only paying for what you really need.  

Our pricing structure is on a sliding scale of hours needed.  

This structure gives you the flexibility to choose the admin hours that fit your practice’s needs, while benefitting from the assurance of full-time phone cover during regular clinic hours, with the option to affordably extend that coverage to out of hours, if needed. 

The most you would expect to pay is £30 (+VAT) per hour for a very minimal number of hours per week, and the least you could expect to pay is £22.50 per hour (+VAT) if you have a really busy practice. 

For example: 

If you’re seeing 25-30 private patients per week, you might require 20+ hours per week at £25.50 (+VAT) per hour (our Growth Accelerator option). 

If you’re blitzing it with 45+ private patients per week, you might require 35+ hours per week at £22.50 (+VAT) per hour (our Advanced option). 

If you’ve been used to billing which is based on a percent of your turnover, you’ll be well aware that the busier you get, the (much) more expensive it becomes. What used to seem a ‘bargain’ in the beginning, can end up being disproportionately expense set up as you get busier. 

Unlike a percentage of turnover-based system, our hourly rate is a fixed cost, so it doesn’t scale with income, and it’s a predictable expense each month, with no unpleasant ‘surprises’. 

When Should You Make the Move? 

The best time to assess your secretarial setup is before a crisis hits. Transitioning proactively ensures a smooth change rather than a rushed, stressful decision. 

Real Consultants, Real Results 

Consultants who have switched to MPM Virtual often remark on the positive impact on their practice: 

Nick, a Consultant Surgeon: "MPM Virtual’s team made the transition seamless. My new PA not only handles all tasks efficiently but also anticipates my needs. I wish I had switched sooner! 

Schedule a discovery call with MPM Virtual to explore how we can support your practice’s growth and streamline your operations.