Aesthetic clinic reviews and testimonials: a UK checklist.
Seven practical checks for collecting, displaying and responding to patient feedback without weakening trust.
1. Keep evidence that each testimonial is genuine
For every testimonial used in the clinic’s own marketing, retain a record connecting the words to a real person and showing that the published wording reflects what they said. Keep appropriate contact details and the original source, date and permission record. If a quote is shortened, do not change its meaning.
ASA/CAP guidance says marketers must hold documentary evidence that a testimonial or endorsement is genuine, unless it is obviously fictitious, and hold contact details for the person or organisation giving it.
2. Substantiate treatment claims separately
Separate a patient’s personal opinion from any objective claim a reader may take from it. Statements about efficacy, duration, safety, recovery or a medical condition need the same appropriate substantiation as claims written directly by the clinic. A testimonial is not, by itself, evidence for the outcome it describes.
Review the headline, surrounding copy, imagery and selected extract together. A subjective quote can create an objective overall impression when paired with a treatment name or promise-like caption.
3. Make incentives and relationships clear
Do not present an owner, investor, employee, practitioner, ambassador or paid creator as an independent customer. Make any commercial connection clear where the endorsement appears.
Avoid offering payment, discounts, free services or other benefits in exchange for a Google review. Google treats incentivised reviews as fake and misleading content. UK law also addresses reviews that conceal the fact they were incentivised.
4. Ask for honest reviews without filtering for praise
Use a consistent request process based on a genuine customer experience. Do not ask only patients expected to leave five stars, discourage negative feedback or offer a benefit for changing or removing criticism.
Document when requests are sent, who is eligible and what message is used. A neutral process is easier to audit and more credible than one based on staff judgement about whether a patient seems happy.
5. Do not publish reviews in a misleading way
If the clinic publishes reviews on its own website, consider the complete presentation: which reviews are included, how ratings are calculated and whether older feedback is still representative. Do not create an impression of balanced feedback while quietly suppressing genuine negative reviews or giving positive feedback disproportionate prominence.
CMA guidance says traders that publish consumer reviews must take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove banned reviews and false or misleading review information.
6. Treat photos and outcome stories as separate claims
A genuine review does not automatically validate a before-and-after image, an efficacy claim or an implied typical result. Record consent and provenance for patient imagery, preserve an accurate description of the treatment and timing, and assess the complete presentation against the relevant requirements.
Do not use a review to imply every patient will receive the same outcome. Link the review workflow to the clinic’s approval process for before-and-after material.
7. Respond without exposing patient information
Use a short response template that thanks the reviewer without confirming treatment details, medical history or whether the person is a patient. Move complaints and sensitive discussions into an appropriate private channel. Do not include information in a public reply simply because the reviewer disclosed it first.
Flag a Google review only when it appears to breach the platform’s policies—not merely because it is negative or the clinic disagrees with it. Keep an internal record of the response and outcome.
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