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Booking deposits for private GP clinics: fewer no-shows

Take a fixed deposit or part of the fee when patients book online in Medesk, so a no-show isn't a total loss. From about $25£19€23A$36C$36 a month on top of Medesk Pro.

At a glance

  • What it costs$25–153£19–115€23–137A$36–221C$36–216 a month

  • Worth, in extra profit or time saved in the worked example$745£560€666A$1,075C$1,053 a month

  • Pays for itselfIn about a week

  • Connecting two tools or some setup timeSome setup needed

Figures come from the worked example below, using its stated assumptions. Tool prices checked . How we check prices

The problem

A patient books a $160£120€143A$230C$226 private GP appointment online and doesn't turn up, and the slot is lost. If a two-GP clinic has 10 no-shows a month, that's $1,596£1,200€1,428A$2,304C$2,256 a month of empty appointments.

What the AI does

Medesk's online payment integration lets the clinic take payment through the platform when patients book, charging a fixed amount or a percentage of the fee; it needs online booking switched on. The clinic sets a deposit and a clear cancellation policy, patients pay when they book, and the deposit counts towards the fee. The GP can waive it for patients for whom paying up front would be a barrier.

A worked example

A two-GP private clinic in Bath has about 400 appointments a month on Medesk Pro and about 10 no-shows. It adds the online payment module and asks for a $53£40€48A$77C$75 deposit on online bookings.

Before

About 10 no-shows a month at $160£120€143A$230C$226: $1,596£1,200€1,428A$2,304C$2,256 of empty appointments

After

About 5 no-shows a month, each leaving a $53£40€48A$77C$75 deposit

What it's worth

About $745£560€666A$1,075C$1,053 a month: $479£360€428A$691C$677 in profit from 5 fewer no-shows (5 x $160£120€143A$230C$226 at an assumed 60% margin) and $266£200€238A$384C$376 of deposits kept from the 5 who still don't come (5 x $53£40€48A$77C$75). The online payment module adds 20% to Medesk Pro: $25.60 (about $25£19€23A$36C$36) a month on the clinic's $128 plan for 400 appointments, about $154 (about $153£115€137A$221C$216) in total, before card fees.

How to set it up

  1. Check Medesk's pricing page: Pro is $16 per 50 appointments, and online payment integration is an add-on at 20% on top that needs online booking switched on.
  2. Ask Medesk which payment provider it connects to and what the card fees are, since the pricing page doesn't say.
  3. Write a clear deposit and cancellation policy: how much, when it's refunded, and how late a patient can cancel.
  4. Set the deposit as a fixed amount or a percentage of the fee, and show the policy before patients pay.
  5. Keep a phone route for patients who can't pay up front, and let the GP waive the deposit where it would stop someone being seen.

What goes wrong

  • A deposit can put off patients who need to be seen. Watch for anyone it deters and keep the phone route open.
  • Keeping a deposit must follow the policy the patient agreed to. Unclear terms can be unfair under consumer law.
  • Card fees aren't on Medesk's pricing page. Ask before you budget.
  • Pricing is in US dollars and counts appointments, so a busy month costs more.

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Last updated October 17, 2026.