The principle
Publications in this sector are usually funded by the businesses they cover, which is why so few of them examine anything. We wanted a revenue line that could survive the editorial position rather than one that quietly shapes it.
The answer we arrived at is a listing containing no opinion at all. Every field is a fact stated by the provider that a reader can check independently. We publish the facts, we publish who supplied them, and we publish the date. We do not assess, rate, rank, endorse or comment.
What a listing contains
- Trading name and the registered company name and number, checkable at Companies House.
- The nation and locality the provider operates in.
- The full registered name, profession and registration number of any registered healthcare professional practising there, checkable free on that regulator's public register.
- Whether the premises are registered with the relevant regulator for that nation, and the registration reference, checkable on that regulator's register.
- Which treatment categories are offered, in our vocabulary rather than in a brand name.
- Whether a prescriber assesses patients in person where a prescription only medicine is involved.
- Whether a written complications policy is provided to patients before payment, and whether it is published.
- Whether a written policy exists on refunds and on unused prepaid sessions.
- Whether indemnity arrangements are in place, and with what type of provider.
- Whether a cooling off period between consultation and treatment is offered as standard.
- The date the provider confirmed each of the above in writing.
How a listing appears
Alphabetically by trading name, within the nation and locality selected, on a page headed and labelled as paid listings. No ordering by payment, no featured position, no highlighting, no badge, no star, no score, no editorial commentary, no photograph. A reader looking at it should be able to tell within a second that it is a commercial directory entry and not an assessment.
Listings appear in a section of the site clearly separated from editorial. No listing appears within an article, alongside a claim panel, or in any position that could suggest an editorial connection.
The rate card
Published, because a commercial page with a hidden price is not a disclosure. These are our own published rates, set by the publisher, reviewed annually, and confirmed in writing before anything is published.
| What | Rate | What it does not buy |
|---|---|---|
| Provider listing One provider, one locality, twelve months | £360 per year | Any editorial coverage, any position other than alphabetical, any comment, any influence on any verdict |
| Additional locality Same provider, further location | £120 per year | The same. Each location is listed on the same terms |
| Newsletter sponsor line One labelled line, placed after the editorial content |
£250 per send | Sight of the newsletter before it is sent, any input into its contents, any veto, any mention in editorial |
There is no discount for volume, no annual package, no arrangement combining a listing with anything editorial, and no rate that is not on this table. If you are quoted a different figure by anybody, it did not come from us.
What money cannot buy here
Things we will not sell
- Any influence on a claim verdict, or on the wording of any claim panel.
- Any ranking, score, rating, award, badge, seal, accreditation or best of list.
- Featured, sponsored, top or preferred placement in any listing.
- Sponsored articles, advertorial, guest posts, or any editorial content written or paid for by a provider.
- Sight of an article before publication, or a right of reply built into publication timing.
- Removal or amendment of accurate published material.
- Coverage of a treatment, or an increase in the prominence of one.
- Affiliate arrangements or commission on treatments booked.
- Advertising from device manufacturers.
- Any listing for a provider whose advertising we consider would breach the CAP Code, for as long as it stands.
- Any listing for a provider that treats under-18s for cosmetic purposes where doing so is restricted.
- Any listing where a stated fact cannot be verified against a public register or a document.
Verification, and what we do not verify
We check every stated fact against a public source where one exists: Companies House, the healthcare regulators' registers, and the relevant premises regulator for that nation. Where a fact rests on the provider's own statement, such as whether a written complications policy is given to patients before payment, the listing says so and names it as a provider statement.
We do not visit, inspect, audit or assess any provider. We do not see patients, outcomes, complication rates or complaints. A listing is a set of checkable facts and it is not an opinion about quality. Anybody reading a listing as a recommendation has read it wrongly, and we say so on the listing page itself.
Removal
A listing is removed, without refund, if a stated fact ceases to be accurate and is not corrected within fourteen days of being raised, if a registration lapses, if the provider's advertising is the subject of an upheld ASA ruling, or if the provider attempts to represent the listing as an endorsement, a rating or an accreditation.
We will also remove a listing at the provider's request at any time. There is no minimum term beyond the twelve month period already paid for and no refund on early removal.
The newsletter and its sponsor line
Our newsletter goes out when there is something worth sending: a regulatory change, a published ruling that alters how a claim can be made, or a new article. It may carry one sponsor line, clearly labelled, placed after the editorial content and never within it.
A sponsor sees the newsletter when every subscriber does. They cannot suggest an item, approve an item, veto an item, or know what is in it before it is sent. A sponsor line is a line of text and a link, and it says sponsor on it.
Why publish all of this
Because a publication that examines other people's claims has to be examinable itself. Everything on this page exists so that a reader can check whether our commercial arrangements could be shaping what we write, and conclude for themselves that they are not.
If you think something on this page is inconsistent with something we have published, that is exactly the sort of correction we want. The route is on the contact page and corrections are dealt with first.