For a solo or two-person clinic that misses several new patient calls a week, I think an AI receptionist will probably pay for itself. That's my judgement, not a measured result. If someone already answers your phone well, or your diary's full for weeks, it probably won't.
For many clinics, the better first step is cheaper: a missed-call text plus online booking. Start there, and read what can go wrong before you buy anything, because a clinic line has risks a shop doesn't.
We sell one, so read this with that in mind. The price table below puts cheaper products next to ours. If this article talks you into a free option or a competitor, that's fine.
The short version
- Count your missed calls for two weeks, and split new patients from existing ones.
- If most calls are existing patients changing appointments, online booking may solve more than an AI will.
- General AI receptionists start at about £39 to £49 a month.
- Clinics usually can't reclaim VAT, so add 20% to any price that excludes it.
- On the made-up figures below, one new patient a month covers ours. It still needs a tested safety script, approved by a qualified clinician.
What are your options?
| Option | Published UK price | Good at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | Costs nothing | Only 6% of people say they'd leave a message |
| Missed-call text | Check your phone or clinic system first. Ours is from £99 a month. | Replies in seconds | The patient has to reply |
| Online booking | Check your clinic software plan | Works at night, and existing patients can use it | Harder for new, worried or older patients, I'd expect |
| Shared or part-time receptionist | Varies by your town | Judgement, warmth and privacy at the desk | Hours and cost |
| Human answering service | Around 60p to £1.50 a minute, as Moneypenny estimates for the market | A real person on tricky calls | May only take a message, and needs clear rules for health calls |
| AI receptionist | From about £39 a month | Answers at any hour | Some callers dislike it, and it can't assess anyone |
A trained human is better than AI on a clinic line. I don't think that's close. The real comparison for most small clinics is AI against nobody, because you're with a patient and the alternative is voicemail.
UK AI receptionist prices
I read these on 6 November 2026. They're general business products. I couldn't confirm any AI receptionist built for UK clinics, though some may exist. Ask any clinic-specific seller about the risks in our other article.
| Provider | Monthly price | Calls or usage | What else to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fasthosts, entry plan | £39 + VAT | 30 calls, then 49p each | Scheduling only starts on the Plus plan |
| Fasthosts Plus | £69 + VAT | 100 calls, then 39p each | Includes scheduling |
| Fasthosts, top plan | £99 + VAT | Unlimited | Offers one month free. Says calls aren't recorded. |
| Moneypenny AI Receptionist | From £49, on quote | On quote | Books into your calendar. The page doesn't describe healthcare, though Moneypenny links to a private healthcare answering service. |
| Real Business Systems | £99, £149 or £199 by team size, + VAT | £10, £15 or £20 of usage included | Plus £500 set-up, or £990, £1,490 or £1,990 a year with none. 30-day money-back guarantee. Doesn't book on this plan. |
The extra pays for someone else to set it up and change it, plus a CRM and one inbox on your phone. A clinic owner who's happy configuring a tool and already has good clinic software may do better with a cheaper one. I'd rather you knew that now.
Check two things with anyone, including us. Where's the call data held, and is it used for training? And will the provider put in your own clinician-approved safety script, and show you it fires every time?
Do the break-even sum
The question is how many extra new patients it takes to cover the cost. Use VAT-inclusive prices if your income is exempt and you can't reclaim it.
Worked example (made-up figures)
Say a new patient has six visits: one at £75 and five at £51, which is £330. Say £250 of that is left after card fees, room hire and other direct costs. You're the clinician, so your own time isn't in the sum.
| Option | Monthly cost with VAT | New patients a month to cover it |
|---|---|---|
| £39 a month tool | £46.80 | Less than 1 |
| £99 a month tool | £118.80 | Less than 1 |
| Ours, first year on monthly billing | About £169 (£99 + £500 ÷ 12 = about £141, plus VAT). Any usage above the included credit is extra. | Less than 1 |
| Ours, annual billing | £99 (£990 + VAT ÷ 12) | Less than 1 |
Now the other side. If you miss 10 calls a month, 3 of those are real new enquiries and 1 goes on to a course of care, that's one new patient.
So one new patient a month covers it on these figures. It falls apart if most missed calls are spam, sales calls or existing patients. It also falls apart if your course is shorter or your clinic works mostly at insurer rates. And it ignores the time you'll spend writing, testing and checking the safety script. Count that as well.
I'd also be honest about the limit here. If a new caller needs a same-day answer about pain, the AI can only take their details. You need to ring them back that day.
Who should buy one
- You're in clinic all day with no reception cover.
- You miss several new patient calls a week, particularly at lunchtime and after 5pm.
- You'll ring people back the same day, and a named person checks every summary.
- A qualified clinician will approve the safety script, and you'll test it.
- You've updated your privacy notice, and you're comfortable with where the data goes.
Who shouldn't
- You've got a good receptionist. Keep them.
- Your diary's full for three weeks. More calls means more people to let down. Put your fees up, or take on an associate.
- Most calls are from existing patients. Fix online booking and rearranging first.
- Your patients are mainly older, frail or neuro rehab patients who'd find it upsetting. Keep a human route.
- You see a lot of acute or post-surgical patients who may ring with worrying symptoms. An AI front door may be the wrong risk for you.
- You want it to give advice or triage. It shouldn't do either.
- You won't check the summaries. That would be worse than voicemail, because callers think they've been heard.
A cheaper way in
Here's how I'd test the idea before paying for it:
- Count calls for two weeks: new, existing, spam, and missed.
- Turn on online booking and appointment reminders in your clinic software.
- Set up a missed-call text. Ours or anyone's. Our free text templates have the wording.
- Reply fast, and see how many become patients.
- If people still get stuck, try an AI receptionist, out of hours first.
- Use the free trial, if there's one. Ring it yourself and try the emergency phrases your clinician picks from the NHS pages.
- Have a clinician read every summary for the first month, and correct what it got wrong.
My verdict
Worth it for a small clinic that's missing real new patients and will run it carefully. Not worth it as a gadget. And not worth it at all if you're hoping it'll take clinical calls off your plate. That part stays with you.
The proof is thin. I found no independent research on results for UK clinics. We have no customer results to show you either. Your own call count will be the only evidence that counts, and if it says no, turn it off.
Questions clinic owners ask
What would a clinic pay for an AI receptionist?
The general products I checked start at £39 to £49 a month. Fasthosts runs to £99 for unlimited calls, excluding VAT. Ours starts at £99 a month plus £500 set-up.
Is an AI receptionist better than a human for a clinic?
In my view, no. A trained person is better, especially with worried or vulnerable callers. AI costs less and answers at any hour, which is why it may beat voicemail.
Can it book into my clinic diary?
Fasthosts and Moneypenny both offer scheduling or calendar booking on some plans. I couldn't confirm any that connect to UK clinic software. Ours doesn't book on the single offer. Booking comes with the full AI Business Engine, from £499 a month plus £1,500 set-up.
Can I reclaim the VAT?
Probably not, if your income's exempt. Ask your accountant, and use the VAT-inclusive price in your sums.
Should it answer all calls, or only some?
I'd begin with out-of-hours and overflow calls, so people get a person when one's free. You can widen it later if the summaries show it's working.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- Fasthosts, AI Receptionist (4 November 2026, vendor)
- Moneypenny, AI Receptionist (vendor)
- Moneypenny, per-minute pricing (updated 5 November 2026, vendor)
- HMRC, VAT Notice 701/57
- YouGov for Answer4u, June 2026, 2,046 UK adults
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.