Rehabilitation · UK
Private occupational therapy in the UK, by HCPC-registered OTs.
Occupational therapy is about the activities of daily life - dressing, cooking, working, playing - not just movement of a body part.
Indicative pricing
What private occupational therapy costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner practices.
In short
£75–£150, with a written home programme every session.
| Service | Indicative range | Typical duration | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial OT assessment (clinic) | £120–£250 | 60–90 min | Written plan within a week |
| Follow-up session (clinic) | £75–£150 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Home assessment (falls, adaptations) | £120–£350 | 90 min–2 hr | Written report |
| Workplace ergonomic assessment | £250–£500 | 2–3 hr | Written report + plan |
| BAHT-certified hand therapy session | £80–£150 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Custom hand splint (materials + fitting) | £90–£200 | 45 min | Same visit |
| Paediatric sensory integration session | £90–£180 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Vocational / return-to-work assessment | £300–£600 | 2–3 hr | Written report |
Prices vary by therapist, by specialty (hand therapy and paediatric SI tend to sit higher), by clinic-versus-home visits, and by how many sessions you actually need. NHS OT is free at the point of use via GP or MDT referral.
The problem
The right OT, for the right daily activity.
Occupational therapy is one of the most misunderstood professions in UK healthcare - often confused with physio, personal care or social work. We fix that at the first email.
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Not sure it is OT you need?
If the goal is movement of a body part, physio is right. If the goal is dressing, cooking, working or playing again, OT is right. We say which - or both.
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Long NHS waits for specialists?
Hand therapy, paediatric sensory integration and neuro-rehab often carry long NHS waits. Private access is widely available.
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Need a home or workplace visit?
When it helps
When occupational therapy is the right call.
The situations we see most, plus a reminder of when OT is not what you actually need.
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Neurological rehabilitation
Post-stroke, TBI, spinal cord injury, MS, Parkinson’s or dementia - relearning daily tasks and adapting the environment.
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Musculoskeletal + hand therapy
Post-op hand surgery, arthritis, RSI, tendinopathies - with a BAHT-certified hand therapist where indicated.
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Paediatric OT
Sensory integration for autism or ADHD, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, handwriting, self-care and school participation.
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Mental health OT
Anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders - activity engagement, routine building, stress management, community reintegration.
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Older adult + falls prevention
Falls risk, dementia, hip-fracture rehab, cardiac rehab - home assessment, adaptations and graded exercise.
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Return-to-work + vocational
Workplace ergonomic assessment and graduated return-to-work planning after injury or illness.
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Environmental adaptations
Home assessment for wheelchair, grab rails, stairlift, wet room or kitchen adaptations - including Disabled Facilities Grant support.
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Red flag: this is not physio
OT is about what you need to do in daily life - dressing, cooking, working, playing. If the goal is movement of a body part, physiotherapy is the right call.
OT services
OT is a family of specialisms, not one service.
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Neuro-rehabilitation OT
ADL retraining, cognitive rehabilitation, environmental adaptation, splinting and wheelchair assessment after brain or spinal injury.
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Hand therapy (BAHT)
Post-op hand rehab, splinting, tendon and nerve injury, arthritis - delivered by a BAHT-certified hand therapist.
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Paediatric OT
Sensory integration, fine motor and handwriting, self-care skills, school participation for autism, ADHD, developmental delay or cerebral palsy.
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Mental health OT
Activity engagement, routine building, stress management and community reintegration for anxiety, depression, psychosis or eating disorders.
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Older adult + falls prevention
Home assessment, adaptations, exercise and dementia care - including hip fracture and cardiac rehab.
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Vocational rehabilitation
Workplace ergonomic assessment, graded return-to-work planning and employer liaison after injury or illness.
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Environmental adaptations
Home assessment for grab rails, stairlifts, wet rooms and kitchen adaptations - with Disabled Facilities Grant application support.
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Splinting + orthotics
Custom hand splints, rest and functional splints, made and fitted by a BAHT-certified therapist.
How OT actually works
What to expect from a course of OT - honestly.
Occupational therapy is a safe, low-risk profession. The things worth understanding are what it is (and is not), how goals are agreed, and where the actual change happens.
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Occupation-focused, not diagnosis-focused
A good OT starts with what you need to do in daily life, not the label on the referral letter. That is the whole point of the profession.
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Client-centred goal setting
Goals are agreed with you, usually with a tool like the COPM. If your goals do not appear in the plan, the plan is wrong.
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Evidence-based interventions
CBT-informed approaches for chronic pain, Bobath-based neuro-rehab, task-specific training. Sensory integration for autism has variable evidence - a good OT will say so.
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The home programme is where it works
One session a week is not therapy. The exercises and adaptations you do between sessions are what change function.
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MDT collaboration
OTs work alongside physio, speech and language therapy, psychology and medicine. Ask how they will talk to the rest of your team.
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Splinting done properly
A custom hand splint made by a BAHT-certified therapist is not the same as an off-the-shelf brace from a pharmacy. It matters after hand surgery.
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Not the same as personal care
An OT may recommend equipment or adaptations to make personal care easier - but the OT is not a carer. Social work handles care packages.
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Not the same as physiotherapy
Physio focuses on movement and rehabilitation of body function. OT focuses on the activities of daily life. Many people need both.
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Red flags
New weakness, sudden loss of function, or a fall with head injury are medical emergencies - call 999 or 111, not the OT.
Reading your OT plan
Your OT plan in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever specialism your OT works in, the written plan they send you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
The plan should read like it is about you - not a generic template.
If the goals in the plan are not the goals you actually care about, say so. A good OT will rewrite it.
- 01 Header
Occupations affected + agreed goals
The daily activities the assessment is about - dressing, cooking, work, driving, school - and the goals agreed with you.
- 02 Assessment
COPM scores + functional findings
The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure scores at baseline, plus cognitive, sensory or motor findings from the assessment.
- 03 Plan
Interventions, home programme, equipment
What the OT will do in sessions, what you will do at home, and any splints, equipment or adaptations recommended.
- 04 Impression
Number of sessions, review, discharge
Read this first: how many sessions are realistic, when progress will be re-measured, and what discharge looks like.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for private occupational therapy varies by insurer and by indication - usually funded when medically indicated (post-op hand therapy, neuro-rehab). Home adaptation assessments are often self-pay.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about occupational therapy.
Quick answers on what OT is, who it helps, what qualifications matter, and what it actually costs.
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What is occupational therapy, and how is it different from physiotherapy?
Occupational therapy helps you do the activities of daily life - dressing, cooking, working, playing, driving - despite illness, injury or disability. Physiotherapy focuses on movement and body function. Many people need both, and a good OT will happily work alongside a physio.
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Who can benefit from occupational therapy?
Anyone whose ability to do meaningful daily activities is affected - after stroke, brain or spinal injury, hand surgery, in autism or ADHD, in mental illness, in older age after falls, or when returning to work after a long illness.
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Is my occupational therapist properly qualified?
Specialist areas - hand therapy (BAHT), paediatric sensory integration, neuro-rehab - hold additional certification.
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How much does private occupational therapy cost in the UK?
An initial assessment is roughly £120–£250, follow-up sessions £75–£150, home assessments £120–£350, workplace assessments £250–£500, and BAHT hand therapy £80–£150 per session. Custom splints add £90–£200.
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Can I get occupational therapy on the NHS?
Yes - via GP referral or as part of an NHS multidisciplinary team in acute, community, mental health or paediatric services. Availability varies by area and specialty; waiting lists can be long, which is why many people go private for specialist areas like hand therapy or sensory integration.
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What is the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)?
A structured interview tool a good OT uses to agree the goals that matter most to you, and to score how well you feel you are doing them. It gets repeated at review, so progress is measured against your own goals - not a generic diagnosis.
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What is sensory integration therapy, and does it work for autism?
It is a paediatric OT approach for children whose sensory processing affects daily life. The evidence base is variable - some outcomes are supported, others are not. A good OT will be honest about what the current evidence does and does not show.
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Can an OT help with home adaptations and a Disabled Facilities Grant?
Yes. An OT can do a home assessment, recommend adaptations - grab rails, stairlift, wet room, kitchen changes - and support your Disabled Facilities Grant application with the written assessment your local authority needs.
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