Market update

The sector is having a slower stretch this week and through June. Patient bookings across the market are running about 14% softer than the month before, and the most recent full week came in around 16% below the recent eight-week average. This is entirely expected. Late June and early July sit right on the edge of school holidays, summer holidays, and the tail end of half-term. Clinics always see a dip here. If your own numbers feel quieter, that's the market this week, not your clinic. Search demand for MSK services has softened a little too. This is consistent with the booking picture and the holiday overlap. The Bank of England has held rates steady at 3.75%, and inflation remains gentle at 2.8%, so there's no new macro pressure on discretionary spend this week. The quietness is seasonal. Expect the pattern to hold through early July as school holidays roll out across the country. Things should begin to normalise again from mid-July onwards as routines settle back in.