Nearly Four in Ten UK Clinic Owners Skip Proper Leave, and Those Planning to Sell Report Half the Wellbeing of Those Staying Put

HMDG's 2026 barometer of UK private clinic owners found that 39% aren't taking proper leave, and that owners eyeing an exit report wellbeing scores roughly half those planning to stay; this includes practices like yours if you run a clinic with staff.

Whole-practice growth for wellness practices. Rooted in Wiltshire, UK, working worldwide.

Clinics that grow past a handful of staff seem to hit a particularly grim patch, and it shows up in how owners feel about their own lives, not just their spreadsheets.

Original ResearchHMDG's annual stocktake of UK private clinic ownership, covering pay, pricing, staffing and how frazzled everyone is.
Sourcehttps://hmdg.co.uk/private-practice-barometer/
OverviewA 715-respondent survey run by HMDG, a body serving UK MSK clinics, tracking pay, pricing, retention and marketing habits across the sector.
Year2026
PublisherIndustry body, HMDG
Relevance to WellbeingDirectly relevant to any clinic that has moved from solo practitioner to employer, since the wellbeing gap widens exactly at that staffing stage.
Our VerdictToo early to tell a decent sample size and a specific, named publisher make this one worth building marketing round.
Our Summary
  • 715 respondents is a proper number, not a hunch dressed up as data.
  • The finding is specific: it names a staffing size, not just "owners are tired" in general.
  • It's UK-only and MSK-clinic-specific, so stretching it to other practice types wants a light touch.
  • Wellbeing scores are self-reported, which means owners marking their own homework on how fine they are.
Our Geo ViewThis is a UK survey of UK clinic owners; figures shouldn't be quoted as applying to other countries without checking local equivalents.
Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow
Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

  • Coaching: this matters because the same "grow the team, lose the plot" pattern shows up wherever a solo operator suddenly has people to manage.
  • Therapy: this matters because private therapy practices hit the same staffing cliff, just with worse jokes about boundaries.
  • Training: this matters because scaling from one instructor to several is exactly the "Danger Zone" this survey is describing.
  • Alternative Healing: this matters because isolation doesn't check what modality you practise before it turns up.
  • Clinical: this matters because this is literally who was surveyed, so the numbers are yours to sit with.
  • Retreat/Centre: this matters because centres carry the staffing and exit pressures at scale, often with more people relying on the owner holding it together.

Where this came from

HMDG's own yearly check-in on how UK private clinics are actually run, not just how they're marketed.

HMDG, published 2026, full primary source available directly, no paywall.

Methodology: 715-respondent survey of UK clinic owners; sample disclosed; publisher is an industry body with a direct stake in the sector.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

93%
Practice fit, 100How new, 100How solid, 75

Marked up on practice fit since this sits squarely within clinical practice, marked up on recency since it's the current-year edition, and given solid marks on method confidence for a disclosed, decent-sized sample, though it's still self-reported and UK-only.

Faces of satisfied clients
It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

  • Put a line about sustainable growth on your "about the clinic" page, not just growth stats.
  • Say something honest about staffing pressure before a prospective client or hire asks about it.
  • Brief your team on the "Danger Zone" staffing stage, so nobody's blindsided when things get harder before they get easier.
  • Mention support networks or supervision arrangements in owner-facing content, since isolation is clearly a live issue.
  • If you're planning an exit, get your own wellbeing checked before you get your valuation checked.

Who this is most useful for

Practice typeRelevanceRecommended action
CoachingLowNote the staffing-growth pattern for future reference.
TherapyMediumFlag isolation risk in owner-facing content.
TrainingMediumWatch for the same dip when adding instructors.
Alternative HealingLowUse isolation stat as general context, not a direct claim.
Clinical PracticesHighUse these figures directly in owner-focused marketing.
Retreats/CentresHighAddress staffing and exit wellbeing head-on in messaging.

Best before

Best before: revisit when HMDG's next Barometer lands, expected annually.

What next?

If you've ever hired your third or fourth staff member and immediately wondered what you'd done, this survey has your number.

Talk to us about Whole-practice Marketing

Therapy Space

A Practice That Reads This Carefully.

Deserves a conversation that matches. The discovery call goes both ways - your wishes and ethics, our ecosystem and listening wind, a story garden built for practices like yours. twenty-five minutes. Good coffee.

Find your Sunlight  ▶
≡