The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare)

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing to undergo your treatment and care at The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare). Our priority is providing you, as our patient, with the highest quality personalised treatment. These Terms should be read carefully. They are aimed to give you peace of mind. Please take some time to read this document and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

1. GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR ALL PATIENTS

1.1 These Terms and Conditions form the basis of the Agreement between you and The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare).

1.2 Please read this paperwork carefully and take the opportunity to ask questions of our team at this stage.

1.3 Your Consultant will carry out a consultation with you to determine the treatment that you should have and let you know their recommended treatment plan. It is your responsibility to ensure that the planned treatment accurately reflects your wishes as discussed with your Consultant in relation to your care.

1.4 Following your initial consultation with your Consultant, if you decide to continue with the treatment proposed by your Consultant (or as described in your Treatment Plan, if you are given one), you may be asked to either:

(a) pay the full amount set out in your Treatment Plan if your Care is scheduled to take place less than five (5) working days from the date of your initial consultation; or (b) for patients whose Care is being funded by a third party (including an insurer or sponsor) you may be asked to pay any other amounts agreed with The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare), as specified in the relevant Treatment Letter; or (c) pay an allowance (deposit) towards your care.

(d) You will be required to pay any shortfall made by your insurer.

Your Agreement with The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare).

1.5 By registering with us, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If there is any conflict between these Terms, or Privacy Policy, these Terms will take precedence followed by the Privacy Policy. If there is any inconsistency between this Agreement and any marketing material, this Agreement will take precedence. The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) may update these Terms from time to time however any changes will only apply to any future visits and you will be asked to agree to any new Terms before they become effective for you. Note that any new Terms will not apply to any Treatment Plan which is part-way through when the Terms are changed.

Consultants

1.6 While at The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare), you will be under the Care of the Consultant you have been referred to, who may also involve other Consultants in your Care, if appropriate. The The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) staff, including clinical support staff or other allied health professionals, will provide your Care under your Consultant’s instructions.

1.7 Consultants involved in your Care are independent practitioners, are employees of The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) and maintain their own professional and medical negligence insurances. Accordingly, other than in relation to obligations under the Privacy Policy, The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) will not be liable for any act or omission of a Consultant (or the company or partnership that employs or engages the Consultants). The Consultant will be responsible for the Care he/she gives you.

Risk of Clinical Complications

1.9 The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) and your Consultants will do their best to ensure a satisfactory outcome, no clinical procedure is entirely risk-free and the results of any particular treatment cannot be guaranteed. If you have any concerns or queries you should discuss these with your Consultant.

The The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) Standard Rates

1.10 Unless you have made an arrangement to pay a Fixed Price or Guide Price or care package then The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) Standard Rates will apply to your Care.

Payment

1.11 Subject to any alternative arrangements agreed with The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare), you are responsible for settling the cost of your Care before you are admitted or shortly after leaving. We may ask you to pay when you come into the clinic, when you make your appointment, or when you are being discharged. When paying through our payment plans you will be responsible for making payments for the duration of the plan, normally 1 year unless otherwise specified or until the value of the agreed totals are met. Early cancellation of any payment / gocardless agreement will require settling of any outstanding balances on demand.

Methods of Payment

1.12 Payments can be made via bank transfer, major debit or credit cards or through our tailored payment plans.

1.13 If you are paying the full balance of your Fixed Price or a deposit towards your Guide Price we can accept personal cheques provided they are received by us no later than 7 working days after your treatment has been agreed. Cheques should be made payable to The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare). Please quote the name of the patient and the reference number on the reverse of the cheque and send to: The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) 39 Lovely Lane Warrington WA5 1LZ.

Cancellation and Refunds

1.16 The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) may charge cancellation fees if you do not provide adequate notice of failure to attend. You are free to change your mind about any course of treatment at any time. We ask that you give at least 24 hours notice should you need to cancel. You will need to pay for the Care that you have received up until the point of cancellation and/or any other reasonable costs that The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) has incurred. This will be charged at The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) standard rates and this will include the full cost of any bespoke items that have been pre-ordered on your behalf, such as bespoke prosthesis or orthoses.

1.17 If you have already paid for your Fixed Price Package or a made a deposit, we will refund your payment, less any amount that you owe to The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) and/or a third party consultant. Please note that we will pay any refund (by cheque or electronic transfer) only to the cardholder or person who made the original payment. We do not pay cash refunds.

1.18 If your Consultant cancels your Treatment Plan because they consider it is not in your best interests for medical reasons, and you have already made a payment, we will refund that payment, less any amount that you owe to The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) and/or a third party consultant, in line with 1.17 above.

1.19 The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) reserves the right to decline patients for treatment. Any such decisions would usually be based on ensuring, for example, the safety of our patients or staff, however such decisions will be made at our sole discretion.

Rescheduling

1.20 Following cancellation by you or your Consultant, for whatever reason, if you would like to reschedule your Care please contact us and we will be happy to arrange an appointment at a time convenient to you.

Non Attendance and & late cancellation

1.21 If you need to reschedule an appointment we are always happy to do so. Appointment confirmation and reminder texts and emails are sent to every patient who has provided the correct contact details. You will normally be asked for these when you register for the first time.

If you do not attend without giving at least 24 hr notice a non attendance fee will be applied to you account which should be cleared before further appointments can be offered. If you attend late beyond your appointment time you may not be seen. You should understand that our clinics are busy and by seeing patients who are late impacts on every other appointment thereafter. For that reason your treatment may need to be rescheduled and is done so at our discretion. Repeat non attendance will result in no further appointments being offered.

Children Receiving Treatment

1.22 Where a person signs any consent form as a parent or guardian on behalf of a child under the age of 18 who is under their care, they agree that they will be bound by these Terms, even if that child breaches, or is not bound by, any part of these Terms. In these circumstances, the references in these Terms to “you” and “your” shall include, as well as the child, the parent or guardian of such child in so far as such references relate to any obligation to pay for any care provided by The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) to that child. Minors under the age of 16 are required to have a responsible adult with them in order for treatment to be provided.

Confidentiality

1.23 We respect the confidentiality of all of our patients. We will treat all information provided to us by you as confidential and, subject to the terms of our Privacy Policy will not disclose any such information to any person outside of The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) without your express consent or as otherwise required by law. In the interests of privacy for all of our patients we also request that you keep confidential any information or knowledge that you acquire during your visits to our clinic including the identity of other patients that you may meet in our common areas.

Data Protection

1.24 We will process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, a copy of which is available at the footer of this website.

By completing and signing the agreement / consent form you agree to the processing of your personal data in accordance with the consent form and our privacy policy.

Notices and your contact details

1.25 It is important that you keep us updated of any changes in your contact details. Where we have not been informed of any change of contact details The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising as a result of the same.

Assignment

1.26 The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) may transfer and assign your Agreement to any person who acquires all or substantially all of the assets of The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare).

Third Party Rights

1.27 Except for you and The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) or any insurer or third party to the extent agreed by The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare), no person will have any rights under or in connection with these Terms.

2. PATIENTS WITH PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE OR A THIRD PARTY SPONSOR

Before your treatment

2.1 If you have private medical insurance you will need to speak to your insurer in advance of your treatment to get confirmation that your Care is covered by your insurance policy. We would recommend that you ask your insurer if there are any exceptions within your policy.

2.2 You will need to provide us with details of your insurer, your registration number, your level of cover, scheme details and your pre-authorisation number which your insurer will provide to you.

2.3 Where you have a Sponsor who has agreed to pay for your Care please ensure you have authorisation from them prior to booking your Care with us.

2.4 You agree to provide all information requested by the The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) to verify, to our satisfaction, details of any such arrangement including a letter of guarantee from your sponsor confirming to us that they will cover the costs of your Care at The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) a minimum of five (5) working days prior to communing your treatment.

Payment

2.5 You agree with The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) that you will pay for your Care. Whilst you will remain responsible for the payment of your Care, where you have private medical insurance or a third party has agreed to pay for your care;

(a) We will, where possible, process the claim for your Care with your insurer or Sponsor, provided you have given us and your insurer or Sponsor all the information we need to do so. If this information is incomplete or inaccurate, we may not be able to process your claim and you will need to pay for your Care, as set out in (c) below;

(b) If your insurer or Sponsor fails to settle our invoices (or any part of them) within thirty (30) days of the date of the invoice we will assume that the outstanding amount will not be paid by them and you will become immediately liable for payment in full. We may invoice you direct or debit the relevant balance from your credit or debit cards in accordance with the process set out in paragraph 1.12; (d) If we invoice you for your Care, or for an element of it, you agree to pay us the amount invoiced within 30 days. 2.7 If no rate has been agreed between The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) and your insurer or Sponsor in respect of your Care, The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare) Standard Rates will apply to your Care.

2.6 If you pay for your Care and subsequently seek reimbursement from your insurer or Sponsor, and if no other rate has been expressly agreed between you and The Foot Hub (Podiatry and Healthcare), standard rates will apply to your care. You must pay the full balance a minimum of three (3) working days prior to your scheduled treatment date.

What your insurance may not cover

2.7 Some insurers use care guidelines that may not match the professional medical opinion of the consultants, nursing staff and other medical professionals providing your care. In some cases this can mean that your insurer may not pay for certain parts of the Care you receive, and you will be required to pay for that part of your care. In particular you should note that treatment for complications may in some cases not be covered by insurance and in such cases you agree to cover the cost of your Care.

2.8 Your insurance policy may not cover the cost of sundry Items or other items such as specialist equipment, like crutches, off loading boots or orthoses, or it may only cover part of such costs. You will be required to pay for any such items not reimbursed by your insurers at the time you receive them.

2.9 If you are authorised for a procedure by your insurer and you choose to have a further procedure which is not covered by your policy, you will be given a Self-Pay guide price for this procedure. It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurer is made aware of the additional procedure(s).