Best VoIP Systems for Healthcare Professionals in 2025

RingCentral Ultimate is the best all-round voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone system for the healthcare industry, according to our group testing and research.

GP practices, medical clinics and hospitals all need to deal with intense call volumes (especially during the 8am appointment rush), and RingCentral proved to be reliable, secure and easy to navigate, offering crucial features like call queues, IVR and clear announcements.

In this guide, we compare UK plans from RingCentral, 8×8 Work, Vonage, Google Voice and Dialpad against what NHS and private services need: high-volume call handling, streamlined multi-channel comms, strong security and integrations with the tools your clinicians already use.

The Best VoIP Providers for Healthcare

These are the best VoIP providers for healthcare clinics at a glance, before we dive into reviews of each of the top-rated plans by those providers below.

1. RingCentral Ultimate: Best Overall VoIP Provider for Healthcare

What VoIP features does RingCentral Ultimate offer for healthcare providers?

RingCentral’s Ultimate plan brings the heavy-duty call-handling tools both NHS and private healthcare teams need to manage busy lines and reduce the 8am bottleneck (which is expected to remain even after the rollout of online booking).

These include multi-level IVR (virtual receptionist), call queues, ring groups, call screening/blocking and call flip to move a live call from desk phone to mobile mid-consult, which is ideal for handovers and escalation.

It also adds live coaching tools (whisper, barge and monitor) for training new operators, and advanced analytics/dashboards for tracking wait times and abandonment, which are key metrics highlighted by NHS England’s guidance on improving telephone journeys in general practice.

That guidance also stresses queue capacity, clear announcements, callback/position in queue and using call data to improve access. RingCentral’s features support all of that in the cloud (and get you away from legacy PSTN systems being retired in January 2027).

On security, RingCentral includes multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign on (SSO) options and encryption, plus a 99.999% availability design and enterprise compliance controls. One UK-specific caveat: business SMS isn’t available on UK RingCentral accounts, so if you plan to text appointment reminders from your main number, look at Dialpad instead.

Integrations are its clear USP and a major strong suit: the likes of Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams calling, and more are all covered, helping surface patient context to reception while keeping records GDPR-aligned in your primary systems. In total, there are over 500 tools available, which is far above any other option on this page.

Is RingCentral Ultimate right for your healthcare team?

RingCentral Ultimate suits medium/large practices and community services that field high call volumes and want deep analytics and live coaching, without stitching together add-ons.

✅ Best for healthcare teams that need:

• Robust queuing and IVR to smooth the morning surge and route by need (e.g. repeat prescriptions versus urgent), aligned with NHS guidance.
• Live coaching and visibility (whisper, barge and monitor) to train staff and improve first-contact resolution.
• Broad integrations (Salesforce/HubSpot/Zendesk/Teams) to keep staff on one screen.

❌ Consider other options if you need:

2. 8×8 Work: Best for Unlimited International Calling and Teams Integration

What VoIP features does 8×8 Work offer for healthcare providers?

8×8 Work is a strong fit where practices or NHS trust teams call across borders (for instance, locums, overseas clinics and research partners). It includes unlimited international calling to 40+ countries on typical UK quoted plans (plans are now private) and layers call monitoring, whisper and barge for coaching reception teams.

You also get integrated voice, video, team chat, voicemail transcription and rich analytics dashboards, all of which mean that measuring queue length, answer speeds and abandonment are possible against your access targets.

Compared with RingCentral, we’d say 8×8 is similarly capable for live coaching, while bettering Vonage’s advanced analytics and international minutes out of the box.

Security and compliance is a standout area for 8×8 Work, too. 8×8 lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and 27017 certifications, GDPR alignment, and other third-party attestations often requested by NHS IT and informational governance (IG) teams.

8×8 also offers Microsoft Teams voice options (Direct Routing and Operator Connect) if your clinicians already use Teams.

One limitation for UK surgeries is that SMS is not a UK feature. This isn’t unique to 8×8, but it is something it lacks. If SMS from your clinic number is essential, consider Dialpad. While not a feature, pricing is also bespoke, which makes it difficult to assess costs accurately before getting a quote based on your team’s needs.

Is 8×8 Work right for your healthcare team?

✅ Best for healthcare teams that need:

• Unlimited international calling (screening clinics, outreach, international staff).
• Real-time coaching (whisper and barge) and supervisor analytics for reception training.
• Deep compliance posture (ISO 27001/27017, GDPR) to satisfy IG reviews.

❌ Consider other options if you need:

3. Vonage Max: Best for Low-Cost UK Calling and Mobile Staff Workflows

What VoIP features does Vonage Max offer for healthcare providers?

Vonage Max builds on its core package, which brings unlimited UK outbound calling, desktop and mobile apps, and CRM integrations, to also offer mobile eSIM with a business mobile number and WhatsApp-ready workflows. These are handy for healthcare that involves outreach and community services, such as carer services for the vulnerable or disabled.

Compared with RingCentral and 8×8, Vonage is simpler but lighter on advanced coaching and analytics. Vonage also offers Teams compatibility, so it slots neatly into Microsoft-first estates, and on security, Vonage documents encryption and provides guidance for GDPR/HIPAA contexts, while enforcing multi-factor authentication at the account level.

While Max mentions “Unlimited SMS from your mobile,” Vonage notes that those SMS do not sync to the main VBC account. If your clinical ops depend on centrally logged SMS conversations, Dialpad is the safer bet.

Is Vonage right for your healthcare team?

✅ Best for healthcare teams that need:

• Low-cost, unlimited UK calling with straightforward setup.
• Mobile-first workflows (Max eSIM and business mobile number).
• Essentials plus basic CRM integrations at a lower price point than RingCentral and 8×8.

❌ Consider other options if you need:

4. Dialpad Enterprise: Best for UK SMS Reminders and AI Call Summaries

What VoIP features does Dialpad Enterprise offer for healthcare providers?

Dialpad stands out for built-in AI: live transcription, post-call summaries and searchable call records help administrators coach staff and monitor quality.

For UK healthcare, the big practical win is UK business SMS support (albeit MMS limited to US/CA), ideal for appointment prompts or links to NHS online services. This is something RingCentral and many others don’t support in the UK.

Dialpad also includes call monitoring, whisper and barge on higher tiers for live training, plus standard queuing, ring groups and IVR. Compared with 8×8 and RingCentral, Dialpad’s analytics are simpler, but its AI notes and UK SMS can boost productivity in small teams.

Security-wise, Dialpad documents encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access, GDPR tooling and MFA. That combination helps satisfy DSPT/GDPR expectations for clinical communications (with your own retention policies in place).

Is Dialpad right for your healthcare team?

✅ Best for healthcare teams that need:

• UK SMS to reduce ‘Did Not Attend’ occurrences (DNAs) with timely reminders and links.
• AI transcription/summaries to save admin time and improve handovers.
• Live training features (monitor, whisper and barge) without complex add-ons.

❌ Consider other options if you need:

5. Google Voice: Best for Healthcare Teams Using Google Workspace

What VoIP features does Google Voice offer for healthcare providers?

If your Trust or practice already uses Google Workspace, Google Voice is the cleanest fit. Admins can configure multi-level auto-attendants and ring groups to route calls by need or hours, and users get voicemail transcription, Google Calendar-aware routing (send to voicemail when a clinician is in clinic), and tight Google Meet/Calendar integration.

Given it’s inside the Google interface, Voice is a stronger fit for Workspace-native security, too, as well as auditability. That’s GDPR alignment, two-step verification, audit logs and retention via Google Vault. For nuisance calls, enhanced spam protection can label or auto-route suspected spam to voicemail, which is another useful tool for keeping lines free at peak times.

The downside is that Voice lacks the live call coaching features found on RingCentral and 8×8, as well as some advanced call-centre metrics. There’s also no SMS support, like other providers on this list, so Dialpad is the pick for that channel of communication with patients.

Is Google Voice right for your healthcare team?

✅ Best for healthcare teams that need:

• Workspace-native admin, security and audit (MFA, Vault, data loss protection (DLP)) with simple number management.
• Auto-attendants and ring groups to route by need and reduce transfers.
• Spam filtering to reduce low-value calls hitting reception.

❌ Consider other options if you need:

Buying Guide: What Healthcare Practices Should Consider When Purchasing a VoIP System?

There are a few areas that UK healthcare businesses should consider when looking to purchase and set up a VoIP phone system in 2025. Let’s run through them here:

• Design for the 8am surge: Pick cloud VoIP with multi-level IVR, call queues, ring groups, clear announcements and (ideally) queue position and callback. These are the levers NHS England highlights for improving telephone journeys and reducing abandonment.
• Meet UK security and IG expectations: Require GDPR alignment, encryption, MFA/SSO, audit logs, role-based access, data-processing terms and a clear data-retention policy. If you access NHS data/systems, ensure you can complete the DSPT.
• Plan for emergency calling: Confirm 999/112 availability, how location is handled for nomadic users, power-cut contingencies (e.g. battery/4G failover), and user notices about limitations, points Ofcom expects providers to address. Post instructions at reception and clinical areas.
• Support accessibility: Check compatibility with Relay UK (text relay/18001) and inclusive features (TTY alternatives, visual ring, captions and transcription) so patients with hearing and speech needs aren’t excluded.
• Integrate with your stack: Prioritise connectors for Microsoft 365/Teams or Google Workspace. Confirm CRM, helpdesk and enterprise resource planning (EPR) touchpoints (read-only screen-pops, ticketing) to keep staff in one pane of glass.
• Use SMS (or alternatives) to cut DNAs: If UK SMS from your main number isn’t supported, plan for email, app notifications (NHS App links) or third-party reminder tools.
• Build resilience: Ask for SLA uptime, multi-region data centres, 4G/5G or second-line broadband failover, automatic call forwarding to mobiles and exportable call logs for continuity.
• Numbering and porting: Confirm porting timelines for existing geographic/03 numbers, overflow rules across sites and primary care networks (PCNs), and caller-ID policies for withheld and anonymous calls.
• Analytics and coaching: Ensure real-time dashboards (average speed of answer, abandonment, peak intervals) and supervisor tools (monitor, whisper and barge) to train reception and improve first-contact resolution, key to NHS access goals.
• Future-proof for the PSTN switch-off: Choose an all-IP provider and review any legacy kit (fax, alarms, lift lines, telecare) that still depends on copper. UK switch-off completion is targeted for January 2027.

How Did We Find the Best VoIP Providers for Healthcare?