Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before attending your consultation.
By scheduling an appointment, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. If you do not agree to any part of these terms, please contact us to discuss your concerns prior to booking an appointment.
Fees
Consultation fees
a. Initial Outpatient or Remote Consultation: The fee for an initial consultation of up to 30 minutes duration will not exceed £250.00 during normal clinic hours.
b. Follow-up Outpatient or Remote Consultation: The fee for a follow-up consultation of up to 15 minutes duration will not exceed £200.00.
c. Inpatient consultations: The fee for an initial or follow-up inpatient consultation is the same as for outpatient consultations during weekdays from 9:00 to 19:00. Initial inpatient consultations outside these hours or on weekends will incur an additional charge of £100.
d. Inpatient care: The fee for daily inpatient care will not exceed £200 per day.
Please note that ad hoc consultations outside clinic times may incur an additional charge of £100, which you will be informed of at the time of booking.
Other fees
Following your consultation, you may need certain tests (e.g., blood tests, lung function tests, or imaging such as X-ray, MRI, or CT scan) to help diagnose or monitor your condition. If the test is undertaken by the clinic or hospital (i.e., I have requested the test but not performed the test myself), the fees for those tests will be determined by the clinic or hospital and charged to you, or your private medical insurer, separately by the hospital or clinic. For prices of these investigations, please contact the clinic or hospital directly. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of the fees before agreeing to have the tests.If you are insured, please ensure that you seek authorisation for tests as required by your policy. By agreeing to have tests or investigations performed, you acknowledge and accept responsibility for any costs incurred.
Private Medical Insurance
If you have private medical insurance, please contact your insurer before your consultation, to check the terms of your policy, particularly the level and type of cover you have, including any reimbursement limits on individual consultation fees. I am recognised by most private medical insurance companies, including Aetna, BUPA, Cigna, Allianz, AVIVA, AXA, Healix, Vitality, and WPA. It is your responsibility to obtain necessary authorisations from your insurance company ahead of your scheduled consultation. Any fees incurred as a result of insufficient or no authorisation from the insurance company will be your responsibility.
Liability for Payment
a. Self-funding Patients: If you are a self-funding patient, you are required to make payment within 24 hours of making your booking. If your appointment is scheduled within 24 hours of the booking, payment must be made within 6 hours of the booking or before your appointment, whichever comes first. If you are unable to make payment online or via bank transfer within these timeframes, you must contact the practice to discuss and agree upon alternative arrangements. If payment is not received within the specified timeframe and no prior arrangements have been made, your appointment may be subject to cancellation unless you contact us to provide a valid reason for the delay.
All subsequent invoices for services issued by either myself or the hospital must be settled within 30 days from the invoice date. Should any portion of the invoice remain unpaid after this 30-day period, the clinic may, at its discretion, apply an interest charge of 4% per annum above the Bank of England base rate. Following a final demand, any outstanding balances will be referred to a debt collection agency for recovery as deemed appropriate. This could include the application of additional collection charges and fees or escalation to the small claims court.
b. Sponsored Patients: Dr Ricardo Jose and the clinics accept direct settlement arrangements only with third parties with whom there is an agreement. If such an agreement is not in place, you will be asked to settle the account ahead of your consultation and seek to recover the sum from the sponsor. Where an agreement is in place, we must have a letter of guarantee specific to this consultation and / or treatment.
c.) Insured patients: It is your responsibility to secure the necessary authorisations from your insurance company prior to your scheduled consultation. Should any fees be incurred due to a lack of, or insufficient, authorisation from the insurance company, these will fall under your responsibility and must be settled within 30 days from the date the invoice is issued.
Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy
You must provide at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or rescheduling of appointments. Failure to provide such notice will result in you being charged the full fee for the missed appointment. For appointments on a Monday, the notification must be received before 1 pm on the preceding Friday. Please note that insurers or sponsors will not cover a cancellation fee so you would be invoiced directly. This policy ensures that appointment slots can be allocated to other patients who require consultations. Refunds will not include credit card processing fees incurred during the payment.
Video and Telephone Consultations
For video or telephone consultations as your first appointment, you must provide a signed consent form, confirming that the consultation is not for a medical emergency and that you agree to the remote consultation terms and conditions. The consent form will be sent to you by email, and the consultation will proceed upon receipt of the completed and signed form.
Follow-up Consultations
You are requested to book follow-up consultations to discuss the results of any tests or investigations carried out and treatment plans. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to ensure that this consultation is booked after your tests are carried out. This ensures proper evaluation, diagnosis, and management of your medical concerns.
Privacy and Confidentiality
I am committed to protecting your privacy and confidentiality. We comply with all relevant privacy laws and regulations, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information on how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information.
Sharing of Clinical Correspondence with Your NHS General Practitioner
Unless you expressly direct me otherwise, it is my standard practice to share clinical correspondence relevant to your care with your National Health Service (NHS) General Practitioner (GP). This sharing of information is based on the availability of your NHS GP’s contact details to me, hospital, or clinic responsible for your care at the time the correspondence is generated.
Automatic Sharing: If your NHS GP details are known to me, the clinic, or hospital, we will, in the absence of explicit instructions from you to the contrary, share clinical correspondence with your NHS GP to ensure a coordinated approach to your healthcare.
Responsibility to Provide GP Details: In circumstances where I do not have your NHS GP’s contact details and you wish for your clinical correspondence to be shared with your GP, you are required to provide these details either before or at the time of your consultation. Failure to do so may impede my ability to share important clinical information with your NHS GP.
Your Directive: You retain the right to instruct me not to share clinical correspondence with your NHS GP. Such directives must be explicitly communicated to me in writing. Once received, I will comply with your wishes and refrain from sharing clinical correspondence, unless required by law or in circumstances where there is an overriding public or patient safety interest.
Limitation of Liability
I am committed to providing the highest standard of care in accordance with the guidelines set by the General Medical Council. While our team strives to deliver the best possible outcomes, we cannot guarantee specific results or outcomes for each individual patient due to the inherent variability and complexity of medical conditions and treatments. If you have concerns about the care provided, please contact us immediately to discuss the matter, and we will work to address your concerns.
Governing Law
These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes relating to these terms and conditions or the provision of services will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Amendments
I reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. Any changes will be posted on the website and will be effective immediately. Your continued use of our services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms and conditions.