E#43 | Why Clinics Break at Scale | Business of a Clinic (BOAC)

In this episode of The Business of a Clinic, Jared speaks with Cameron Tudor, physiotherapist and founder of West London Physio, about what really happens when a clinician becomes a clinic owner.Cameron’s journey spans private practice in Australia, locum work in the NHS, building a clinic from one patient and one phone call, scaling to four clinics and around 50 staff, and later returning to a more focused single-clinic model.The conversation explores the hidden operational reality behind clinic growth: leases, personal guarantees, reception, bookkeeping, hiring, burnout, systems, checklists, patient follow-up, and the uncomfortable shift from being the clinician to becoming the entrepreneur.Jared and Cameron discuss why healthcare often has a logistics problem, not a clinical problem, and why efficiency should not be seen as cold cost-cutting. Done properly, efficiency allows clinicians to focus on care, gives patients a more consistent experience, and helps the business become more sustainable.They also unpack what breaks when clinics scale, why centralising culture too quickly can backfire, how SOPs and checklists protect the patient journey, and why clinic owners need to listen before trying to impose change.The episode closes with Cameron’s view on the future of MSK: rising patient demand, growing pressure on public systems, clinical care remaining deeply human, and the front desk evolving from admin processing into concierge-style patient support.In this episodeCameron’s journey from physio to clinic ownerStarting a clinic with one patient, one phone call, and a major lease liabilityWhy clinicians are often forced to become entrepreneursThe hidden jobs clinic owners inherit: receptionist, accountant, marketer, operatorWhy burnout forces clinic owners to think in systemsHow SOPs and checklists create consistencyWhy efficiency is better care, not just cost controlWho should own patient follow-up and recallWhy clinicians often resist admin-led follow-upThe tension between healthcare and “sales”What ethical selling looks like in private healthcareWhat breaks when scaling from one clinic to multiple sitesWhy listening matters when acquiring or integrating clinicsThe future of MSK and private practiceWhy the front desk may become more concierge than adminKey ideaClinics do not break because the clinical care is poor. They usually break because the systems around the care are not strong enough to scale.About the showThe Business of a Clinic explores how private healthcare clinics can grow by improving patient relationships, patient engagement, clinic operations, retention, follow-up, commercial systems, and the overall patient experience.