Exploring the experiences of UK-based private physiotherapists when running and progressing a physiotherapy business: A hermeneutic phenomenological study

Aim: To explore the experiences of UK-based private physiotherapists when running and progressing a physiotherapy business. Design: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Participants: Six UK-based private physiotherapy practice owners were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured video interviews (2 per participant), audio-recorded and transcribed. Field notes, respondent validation and a reflexive diary were used. Data underwent line-by-line analysis, identifying codes and themes. Constant comparison of data, codes and themes occurred throughout. Peer review was utilised, small sections of data and all emerging codes were independently reviewed. Results: Three interconnecting themes. Working for myself: participants highlighted the freedom, flexibility and independence of business ownership, whilst acknowledging the additional pressures/challenges associated with this. Evolution of a practice: business growth was slow, requiring income supplementation initially. Successful growth often utilised luck and unexpected opportunities. Working with others: participants faced decisions regarding solo or joint ownership, when/what additional staff were required, whether staff should be employed or self-employed, and how to appropriately manage/support staff. Conclusions: Private practice ownership brings an array of benefits and challenges. Areas for future research include exploring the stresses of private roles and business ownership, the evolution of private physiotherapy practices, small-scale business partnerships, and employment vs self-employment. Contribution of the Paper: • This research suggests that although private practice ownership brings increased freedom, flexibility, and job satisfaction, this is tempered by an array of increased pressures and responsibilities. • Practice growth was gradual, often involving luck and unexpected opportunities. • Clinic owners face challenging decisions regarding the selection, management and support of additional staff.