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When to Hire Your First Receptionist or Second Physio

At some point a busy solo clinic outgrows one person. The waiting list grows, calls go unanswered and admin eats your nights. Hiring is the obvious answer, but it brings salary, management and risk. Timing it right, and choosing the right first hire, makes the difference.

Part of Running a Solo Physiotherapy Clinic: The Complete Guide, in Running it alone.

By the Clinidiary team · Updated · 3 min read

Signs it is time

  • You turn away new patients every week.
  • Patients wait more than a week for an appointment.
  • Admin takes many hours of your own time every week.
  • Missed calls are losing you patients.
  • You cannot take leave without losing income you need.

Receptionist or physio first?

  • If you have more patients than time, a second physio adds capacity and income.
  • If calls and admin are the problem, a receptionist, even part-time, frees your time for more patients.

Many clinics first automate with online booking and WhatsApp reminders, and then hire a physio. See handling calls.

Do the numbers

A second physio needs a room or cubicle, a caseload and a fair arrangement: fixed salary, a percentage of fees or both. A receptionist is a fixed salary. Work out how many extra patients each hire needs to cover their cost.

Prepare before they join

  • Your systems written down.
  • Their own login with only the access their role needs.
  • Their own column in the diary and online booking.
  • A plan for their first patients: waiting list, referrals, your overflow.

See staff attendance and leave for rosters.

Start small

A part-time receptionist or a physio for evening hours is an easier start than a full-time hire.

Before hiring, make sure the solo setup works. See running a solo clinic and managing your patient load.

Frequently asked questions

When should a solo physio hire help?

When you regularly turn patients away, miss calls or spend many hours on admin.

Receptionist or physio first?

A physio if you have more patients than time; a receptionist if calls and admin are the bottleneck.

Can software replace a receptionist?

Partly. Online booking and reminders handle much of the work, but many clinics still benefit from a person.