Website requirements checklist for a private medical clinic in London before asking for quotes (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A London private clinic that sends a vague brief gets quotes from £8,000 to £45,000 for what looks like the same website; a precise requirements checklist narrows the gap to a few thousand pounds and makes offers comparable. Above all, the document must fix what forms may collect, which tracking tags are allowed on appointment and condition pages, and which integrations stay on quote. With that frame, Kolonell's fixed grid (£2,300, £3,900 or £6,900) can be compared line by line with quotes from Harley Street or Marylebone agencies.

What should the requirements checklist contain?

Here is the list to fill in before contacting any agency. It fits on two pages and saves weeks of back and forth.

1. Goals and audiences. Self-pay patients, patients with private medical insurance, international patients, referring GPs and consultants. One measurable goal per audience (appointment request, call, referral letter request).

2. Pages and templates. Home, each specialty, each practitioner, fees or "from" prices, insurers accepted, getting here (Harley Street, Chelsea or the City), contact. State the number of distinct templates, not just pages.

3. Content ownership. Who writes, who signs off clinically, who signs off for advertising compliance (the ASA's CAP Code), and how fast.

4. Languages. English only, or extra languages for international patients. Each language is a quote line.

5. Integrations, listed separately. Link to the patient portal, online booking, practice management system, CRM, review feeds. For each: outbound link, simple embed or development. Complex integrations are on quote.

6. Forms and health data. Health data is special category data under UK GDPR. The public form asks for name, contact details, preferred slot and possibly specialty. Never symptoms, medical history, insurance numbers or diagnoses in a free-text field.

7. Tracking and consent. List of permitted analytics and advertising tags, excluded pages (booking, conditions), a PECR-compliant cookie banner, and review by your data protection adviser before go-live.

8. Accessibility. WCAG 2.2 AA target, consistent with the Equality Act 2010: contrast, keyboard navigation, forms readable by screen readers.

9. Hosting and domain. Domain, hosting and analytics accounts in the clinic's name.

10. SEO migration (if a site exists). URL inventory, 301 redirect map, keep treatment pages that already rank.

11. Acceptance criteria, timeline and budget. What must work for sign-off, the target date and an honest budget range.

Add a note on practitioner profiles: GMC registration number and the details professional guidance expects, and state that the clinic is registered with the CQC. This is not legal advice.

How does a precise brief change the quotes?

2026 ballpark, based on typical London agency quotes and their public rate pages.

A precise brief does not lower every price; mostly it removes the grey areas each agency fills in its own way.

How do you compare three quotes?

Weight each criterion, score out of 5, then compute weight x score / 5. Example with three fictional offers.

Change the weights if integrated booking is vital to you: with coverage weighted at 50, the agency can come out ahead.

How does the Kolonell grid map to the checklist?

Every tier includes a project manager reachable on London time, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. See the international offer.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Dr Okafor runs "Wimpole Lane ENT", a fictional ENT clinic near Harley Street. His first brief ("a new site with booking") brings three quotes of £9,500, £26,000 and £41,000. He rewrites the checklist: 18 pages, 5 templates, a link to his booking tool, a 5-field form with no symptoms, no advertising tags on condition pages. The new quotes come in at £15,000, £19,000 and £3,900 (Kolonell Growth). Spread between extremes: £31,500 at first, £15,100 afterwards, and every line is now comparable.

FAQ

How long does it take to write the checklist?

Allow 4 to 6 hours with the medical director and the compliance lead. That is small next to quote gaps that often exceed £30,000.

Should the brief specify tracking tags?

Yes. List the permitted tags and exclude booking and condition pages; the review with your data protection adviser often takes 1 to 2 days.

Is online booking included at Kolonell?

A link to your existing tool is included from Starter at £2,300. Deeper integration with the practice management system is on quote.

Which accessibility target should we state?

WCAG 2.2 AA, with keyboard and screen reader testing. At a London agency this work is often priced at £2,000 to £4,000 if not planned from the start.

How many quotes should we request?

Three are enough, scored on the same 100-point grid. Beyond that, comparison time outweighs the gain.

Let's scope your project. Send your checklist, even unfinished: we will complete it, map it to our grid and set a 3 to 4 week delivery date. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.