While the UK primary care sector outperforms the national average on payment practices, a closer look reveals a significant gulf between the best and worst payers.
The range between the top and bottom payers is enormous – over 60 points, indicating wildly different approaches to invoice settlement within the same sector. The concentration of strong payers in the dental care sector (Oasis and Xeon Smiles) suggests potential industry-specific best practices worth investigating, but whether those are applicable to other types of primary care is another question.
The South West demonstrates a significantly higher average payment score (87.8/100) compared to the other regions, suggesting possible area-specific efficiencies or differing priorities around prompt payments. In contrast, the North West lags behind with an average of 59.2/100, despite having the largest sample size of six companies, perhaps hinting at systemic challenges in the region.
If you are struggling to get paid, try this late payment calculator to see how much you could be owed in compensation.
Despite outperforming the UK average by 14.6 points, the spread between the top and bottom primary care payers – a staggering 60.37 points – reveals a worrying lack of consistency in payment practices.
© 2026 Payment Check Ltd
Registered Address: 3rd Floor Suite 207 Regent Street London W1B 3HH
Made by Alastair Campbell