Reed Alternative
Reed sends 26 million candidates. Most of them are wrong for you.
Reed's scale is its selling point — and its weakness. 26 million registered candidates across every sector means your clinical role competes with everything from barista to barrister. The Practice Standard reaches only registered healthcare professionals looking for private practice work.
About Reed
Reed.co.uk is the UK's largest native job board with 26 million registered candidates and 70,000 new CVs uploaded weekly. It covers every sector and role type. Reed Healthcare is a separate recruitment agency division — not the same as the Reed.co.uk job board. For private healthcare practices, Reed's scale creates noise rather than value.
The problems
Why practices move away from Reed
No healthcare filtering or credential verification
Reed's 26 million candidates include everyone. There's no mechanism to verify that someone applying to a clinical role is actually registered with their professional body. Practices report receiving applications from entirely unrelated sectors.
Pricing that escalates quickly
Reed's headline price of £89 +VAT per listing is for minimal visibility. Useful placement costs £199–£799 +VAT. A monthly subscription at £100+ unlocks CV access but the database is not healthcare-filtered.
Reed Healthcare is an agency, not the board
Reed Healthcare (the recruitment agency) and Reed.co.uk (the job board) are separate products. If you've dealt with Reed as a recruiter, the job board experience is completely different — and the agency's 15–25% placement fees still apply.
NHS-heavy candidate pool
Healthcare professionals on Reed are predominantly searching for NHS or general employment roles. Private practice vacancies sit alongside NHS band roles with no distinction, reducing candidate quality for private practices specifically.
Side by side
Reed vs The Practice Standard
| Feature | Reed | The Practice Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per listing | £89–£799 +VAT | £149 +VAT per listing |
| Candidate verification | None | Registered professionals only |
| Private practice focus | No — all sectors | Yes — exclusively |
| Disciplines covered | All sectors | 88 regulated healthcare professions |
| Candidate pool | 26M, unfiltered | Private practice seekers only |
| Multi-discipline private hiring | No specialist support | Yes — all disciplines in one place |
Post your first role for £149 — private practice only.
All 88 regulated professions. 12 UK regions. Candidates always free.
Get started — from £149Common questions
Is The Practice Standard cheaper than Reed?
At the level of visibility that matters, yes. Reed's basic listing at £89 +VAT delivers minimal reach. Meaningful placement on Reed costs £199–£799 +VAT. The Practice Standard is £149 +VAT with full placement across all relevant profession and region pages.
What about Reed Healthcare — is that different?
Yes. Reed Healthcare is a recruitment agency (separate from Reed.co.uk) that charges placement fees of 15–25% of salary. The Practice Standard is a self-serve job board at £149 per listing — no agency involvement, no placement fee.
Can I post multiple disciplines on The Practice Standard?
Yes — all 88 regulated private healthcare professions in one platform. A mixed practice posting dental, aesthetics, and physiotherapy roles can manage everything from one dashboard.