HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire a physiotherapist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

'Physiotherapist' is protected by law across the UK. Here is the one-minute HCPC check, what to ask, and what a proper course of physiotherapy looks like.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a physiotherapist in five steps

  1. Search the HCPC RegisterChoose 'physiotherapist', enter the surname. No entry, no booking — the title is protected in all four nations.
  2. Describe the problem in one messageWhere it hurts, since when, what makes it worse, and any scan or GP letter you already have.
  3. Ask what the first session coversAssessment, explanation and a plan — and how long, at what price, compared with a follow-up.
  4. Agree the plan before a blockHow many sessions they expect, how progress will be measured, and when they would refer you on.
  5. Do the exercisesThe home programme is half the treatment. Ask for it in writing or on an app before you leave.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

HCPC Register

'Physiotherapist' is a protected title under the Health Professions Order 2001, so only a physiotherapist on the HCPC Register may use it, in any UK nation. Claiming the title, or implying it, without being registered is a criminal offence (Article 39). The same applies to 'physical therapist'.

On the HCPC Register pick 'Physiotherapist', type the surname or registration number, and confirm the entry is current before the first appointment. hcpc-uk.org →

Professional indemnity

Holding an indemnity arrangement is a condition of HCPC registration, so a registered physiotherapist should be covered if a treatment goes wrong. It may come through an employer, a professional body or a policy of their own.

Ask the physiotherapist how their indemnity is arranged — a clear one-line answer is what you want.

Trader status and your cancellation rights

A physiotherapist in private practice is a trader, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to the service. If you book a block of physiotherapy sessions online, by phone or at home, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel; if you asked for treatment to start inside those 14 days, you pay only for what you used.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile and keep the booking confirmation.

Injections and prescribing

Some physiotherapists have extra entitlements, such as giving injections under a prescribing qualification; the HCPC Register shows these as annotations on the entry. A physiotherapist without the annotation should not be prescribing medicines for you.

If an injection or a prescription is offered, open the physiotherapist's HCPC entry and look for the annotation. hcpc-uk.org →

VAT

Physiotherapy is exempt from VAT only when the physiotherapist is on the HCPC Register and the main aim of the treatment is your health; otherwise it is standard-rated at 20%. A practice with VAT taxable turnover above £90,000 must be VAT-registered and show VAT as its own line on anything it sells outside the exemption.

Check the physiotherapist on the HCPC Register, and ask the practice for its VAT number if anything on the bill carries VAT. gov.uk →

“Are you on the HCPC Register as a physiotherapist, and what is your registration number?”

A good answer: A number that brings up their name on the HCPC Register. A physiotherapist expects the question.

“What will the first physiotherapy session include, and how long is it?”

A good answer: A history, a physical examination, an explanation of what they think is wrong and a plan — usually longer than a follow-up, and priced as such.

“How many sessions do you expect, and how will we know it is working?”

A good answer: An honest estimate with a review point, and a measure you both agree — range of movement, pain on a task, a return-to-run date.

“What will you do in the session, and what will I do at home?”

A good answer: A mix of hands-on treatment and exercise, with a clear home programme. Weeks of massage alone with no plan is a warning sign.

“When would you refer me back to my GP or for a scan?”

A good answer: Specific red flags a physiotherapist screens for, and a willingness to say 'this needs a doctor' rather than book another session.

“Do you treat this kind of problem often?”

A good answer: Pelvic health, neurological and sports problems are specialist areas of physiotherapy; a good physiotherapist says when someone else would be better placed.

“Can you come to me, and what does a home visit add?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no, the extra charge for travel, and what equipment they bring.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends — the HCPC-registered physiotherapist you booked or a colleague, employed or subcontracted
  • The first assessment and each follow-up priced separately, with the length of each
  • Home-visit or travel charge stated, if they come to you
  • Anything sold on top named — taping, braces, orthotics, an exercise app
  • The practice's VAT number, and VAT shown only on items outside the health exemption
  • The cancellation and late-arrival terms, in writing before you pay for a block
  • Whether a report or letter to your GP or insurer is included or extra

Walk away if

  • They are not on the HCPC Register, or the name on the Register does not match
  • They call themselves a 'physio' but describe a different qualification when asked
  • A large block of sessions must be paid up front before any assessment
  • No home exercise plan, just repeated passive treatment
  • They promise a cure or discourage you from seeing your GP
  • They will not say how their indemnity is arranged
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£60
HIGH
£90

What a physiotherapist costs: £40–£90 per session

Physiotherapists price by the session, with the first assessment longer and dearer than follow-ups; specialist areas and home visits cost more. Physiotherapist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Physiotherapists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. HistoryQuestions about the problem, your health, medicines and what you want to get back to doing. Bring scans and letters.
  2. ExaminationMovement, strength and specific tests on the painful area — wear clothes that let them see it.
  3. Explanation and planWhat they think is wrong, what they will do, how many sessions and how you will measure progress.
  4. TreatmentHands-on work where useful, then exercise. You should leave knowing what to do at home.
  5. ReviewEach follow-up checks progress against the plan; if it is not working, the plan changes or you are referred on.

HCPC
The Health and Care Professions Council — keeps the Register that protects the title 'physiotherapist'.
Annotation
A note on an HCPC entry showing an extra entitlement, such as prescribing.
Assessment
The first, longer appointment: history, examination and plan.
Manual therapy
Hands-on treatment — mobilising joints and working soft tissue.
Home exercise programme
The exercises you do between sessions; usually the part that makes the difference.
Self-referral
Booking without a GP referral — normal for private physiotherapy.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the plan and the exercisesThe written home programme, the diagnosis they gave and the number of sessions used — useful if the problem comes back or you see someone else.
Test what changedRepeat the movement or task that hurt at the start. You should be able to see the difference you agreed to measure.
Ask about a reviewA good physiotherapist sets a point to check in, or tells you plainly that you no longer need them.
Share how it wentA short review of the physiotherapist — punctuality, care, value — is what others read. Use the make-it-right step first if anything needs putting right.

STEP 1Tell the physiotherapist in writingKeep it to the date, what happened and the remedy you want. The duty of reasonable care and skill in section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 binds any physiotherapist in business, and if the treatment missed it, section 54 entitles you to have it put right free or to pay less.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate a booked physiotherapist below four stars and you are asked whether to send it to them first; we follow it through. Then you review.
STEP 3A concern about a physiotherapist's practiceThe HCPC takes concerns about registered physiotherapists from members of the public, and investigates anyone using a protected title such as 'physiotherapist' without being on the Register.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is still owedIf the physiotherapist will not refund or put it right, a small claim needs no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a physiotherapist: questions people ask

Anyone calling themselves a physiotherapist must be on the HCPC Register — it is an offence to use the title otherwise, in all four UK nations. A sports therapist or massage therapist is not a physiotherapist, whatever the treatment looks like.

Search the HCPC Register at hcpc-uk.org: choose 'physiotherapist', enter the surname or registration number, and check the entry is current.

No — you can book a private physiotherapist directly. If you are claiming on health insurance, check whether your insurer wants a referral first.

£40 to £90 a session, typically around £60. First assessments cost more than follow-ups, and home visits add travel. The physiotherapist price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above for prices from physiotherapists near you.

Not normally. Treatment from a registered physiotherapist aimed at your health is exempt from VAT under VAT Notice 701/57.

Tell the physiotherapist straight away and in writing. A physiotherapist in practice owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; concerns about their practice can go to the HCPC.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: Sports PhysiotherapyHow to hire: OsteopathHow to hire: ChiropractorHow to hire: Sports TherapistHow to hire: Occupational TherapistHow to hire: Podiatrist / ChiropodistHow to hire: Sports MassageHow to hire: DietitianAll 701 hiring guides →

Physiotherapists near you

Physiotherapists in LondonPhysiotherapists in ManchesterPhysiotherapists in BirminghamPhysiotherapists in GlasgowPhysiotherapists in BelfastAll physiotherapists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HCPC — professions and protected titles
  2. HCPC — check the Register
  3. HCPC — misuse of title
  4. HCPC — professional indemnity
  5. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  10. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.1 Meaning of a health professional; 2.3 Exempt medical services
  11. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register