Digital business cards for private clinics and health practitioners: what to include and what to avoid

By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published 2026-10-31 | Updated 2026-11-01 | By profession

Patients want to know you are qualified, where you are, what it costs and how to book. How a private practice can answer that on a digital card, and what UK advertising and data rules mean it should leave off.

Patients and clients of private practices tend to ask the same things before they book: are you qualified, where are you, what does it cost and how do I book? A digital business card can answer all of that from one link or QR code. Health is also one of the most tightly regulated areas to advertise in, and patient information needs more care than an ordinary enquiry. This guide covers both: what to put on your card, and what to keep off it.

It is written for private practitioners and clinics such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, counsellors, dietitians, podiatrists and aesthetic practitioners. It is general information, not legal advice. Your professional regulator's guidance comes first.

What a digital card is for, and what it is not for

A digital card works well as a front door: who you are, your qualifications, where you practise, your fees and how to book or ask a question. It is not a place for clinical records, test results, treatment notes or anything else that belongs in your clinical system. Keep that boundary clear and most of the risks in this guide disappear.

What to put on your card

Your name and profession, written the way patients search for it: "Chartered physiotherapist" or "Dentist" rather than a list of initials.
Your regulator and registration number. Patients can check most health professionals on a public register, and some regulators expect the number to appear. For example, the General Dental Council's guidance on advertising says dental professionals must make sure their GDC registration number is included in information containing their name. Add a link to the register so patients can check it in one step.
Where you practise, with a map link, parking and step-free access details. These are some of the most common questions practices get.
Opening hours and how to book. A booking button for new appointments, plus your phone number for people who prefer to call.
Fees. A clear price list as a document saves a lot of calls. Show the full price people will pay. The Competition and Markets Authority says traders must show total prices up front, including any charges customers cannot avoid.
Practical information. What to bring, how long a first appointment takes and your cancellation policy.
An urgent-care signpost. Make clear the card and its forms are not monitored for urgent medical problems. For example: "For an emergency, call 999. For urgent medical advice, call NHS 111."

Advertising rules to keep in mind

Your card is marketing, so the UK Advertising Codes apply to what it says, alongside your regulator's own standards. A few points catch practitioners out most often:

Back up every claim. Saying a treatment works, or how well it works, needs evidence. Do not claim to cure conditions, and avoid words like "guaranteed", "painless" or "permanent" unless you can prove them.
Prescription-only medicines cannot be advertised to the public. The Advertising Standards Authority's advice is that Botox and other botulinum toxin products are prescription-only medicines and must not be advertised to the public. Promote the consultation rather than the product, and take care with price lists that name the medicine.
Testimonials are not evidence. The ASA's advice is that objective claims in a testimonial, such as how well a treatment worked, still need evidence, and a testimonial on its own does not prove a treatment is effective. Keep testimonials to things a patient can genuinely judge, such as being seen on time or having things explained clearly.
Testimonials must be genuine and used with permission. Fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews are banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and the CMA's guidance explains what businesses must do. Use your patient's own words, with their written permission, and do not use their full name unless they are happy for you to.
Be careful with before-and-after photos. They must be genuine, unedited and representative, and you need the patient's explicit permission. For some treatments the ASA advises against them altogether.

Enquiry forms and patient information

Information about someone's health is special category data under UK GDPR. The Information Commissioner's Office explains that to use it you need both a lawful basis and a separate condition for processing under Article 9. That is manageable inside a proper clinical system, but it is not what a business card enquiry form is for.

Keep forms on your card to what you need to arrange a first appointment:

name, phone and email;
the type of appointment they want, chosen from a short list;
preferred days or times.

Then add a line such as "Please do not include medical details here. We will ask about your health at your appointment." Avoid free-text boxes that invite people to describe symptoms, and do not ask for dates of birth, NHS numbers or medication on the card. Our UK GDPR checklist for leads explains privacy notices, retention and consent for mailing lists.

Password protection in Brand Presence limits a profile to people you give the password to, which can suit general resources, such as aftercare leaflets, that you only share with existing patients. It is not a substitute for a secure clinical system, so do not use it for anything that identifies a patient. Our guide to digital business card privacy covers what to share publicly and what to leave off.

Reviews and confidentiality

Reviews help new patients choose, and the Get Reviews section in the Business Plan gives your review link its own place on your profile. Two things matter more in health than in most trades:

Ask everyone in the same way, without incentives. Google does not allow incentives for reviews, and asking only happy patients can mislead. Our guide to asking for Google reviews explains the rules.
Protect confidentiality when you reply. Do not confirm in a public reply that the reviewer is your patient, and never discuss their treatment. A short thank-you, or an invitation to contact the practice directly, is enough.

Where to share your card

On the reception desk and in the waiting room, as a QR code that opens your profile, so patients can save your number and rebook.
In appointment confirmations and your email signature.
With referrers such as GPs, gyms, sports clubs and other practitioners, so they can pass on one link.

Our QR code size and placement guide explains how large to print a code for a desk or wall.

What to put on, and what to keep off

Put on your card | Keep off your card

Qualifications and registration numbers | Claims to cure or guaranteed results

Prices or a fee list | Patient photos without written consent

Location, access and parking | Health questions in a simple contact form

How to book | Testimonials that reveal a patient's condition

As a mini-website for a local business

Most private practices draw patients from nearby. Linking your card from your Google profile and appointment reminders puts your prices, location, opening hours and booking button in one place that patients can find again easily.

Which plan suits a practice

Brand Presence (£45, one-off) covers your details, registration, documents such as fee lists, gallery, testimonials and analytics. That is enough if bookings already go through your practice software and you just link to it. The Business Plan (£90, one-off) adds bookings, enquiries, forms, review requests, contact leads, a CRM and export, which suits practitioners who want new-patient enquiries to come through the card. Both are one-off payments. Profiles are built and hosted by our platform partner. If you are unsure how a feature handles the information you collect, contact us before you order.

For bookings, safe enquiry forms and the advertising rules on health claims, see our guide to an online business card for clinics and therapists.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a digital business card for my private practice?

Yes. It works well for your qualifications, registration, address, fees and how to book. Keep clinical information in your clinical system, not on the card.

Should I show my registration number on my card?

It helps patients check you on the public register, and some regulators expect it. The General Dental Council, for example, says dental professionals must include their GDC registration number in information containing their name. Check your own regulator's guidance.

Can I advertise Botox on my digital business card?

No. The ASA advises that Botox and other prescription-only medicines must not be advertised to the public. Promote a consultation instead, and follow the ASA's guidance on aesthetic treatments.

Can patients send medical details through my enquiry form?

It is safer not to invite them to. Health information is special category data under UK GDPR, so keep the form to contact details and appointment preferences, and ask patients not to include medical details.

Can I use patient testimonials?

Yes, if they are genuine, used with the patient's permission and do not make claims about how well a treatment works that you cannot support with evidence. Testimonials about the experience, such as being seen on time, are the safest.