WMI PSYCHIATRY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Attendance of Appointments
Any patient who cancels an appointment or does not attend an appointment without providing at least two working days' notice (working days are Sundays to Thursdays) before the start of the appointment will be charged the full appointment fee.
If a patient attends an appointment late, the appointment will finish at the scheduled time and will not be extended.
If a patient attends more than 15 minutes late, the appointment will not proceed and will be treated as a non-attendance.
If a patient requests a video consultation, they must be in a quiet and private environment. No other individuals should be present unless they are attending to support the patient, act as a chaperone or have been invited by the clinician.
Any patient under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an appropriate adult. The expectation is that the accompanying adult will remain present throughout the consultation unless otherwise agreed with the clinician. Appropriate adults may include parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers, therapists or mentors.
Patients must attend appointments themselves unless otherwise agreed by a member of the clinical team. A third party cannot attend an appointment on behalf of a patient. Repeated failure to attend appointments may result in discharge from the clinic.
Follow Up Consultations
Patients are expected to attend follow up appointments as advised by their clinician. The frequency of follow up appointments will depend upon the patient's age, diagnosis, treatment plan and level of risk.
Failure to attend clinically required follow up appointments may result in discharge from the clinic and transfer of care back to the patient's GP or another appropriate service.
Payments and Fees
Payment for appointments is required in advance. Appointments will not be confirmed until payment has been received.
If an appointment takes place in a clinic room rather than online or as a home visit, an additional room booking fee may apply.
If a payment is made by card and a refund is subsequently issued, any card processing fees incurred by WMI Psychiatry may be deducted from the refunded amount where permitted by law.
Fees for support letters, reports, prescription requests and other administrative services are non-refundable once work has commenced.
Patients are responsible for familiarising themselves with the fees associated with their care. Current fees are detailed in clinic information packs and are available from the administration team upon request.
Online Services
Patients may access certain services through online booking systems, online forms and online payment facilities.
Patients are responsible for ensuring that the information they provide is accurate, complete and up to date.
Patients are responsible for maintaining access to the email address and telephone number provided to the clinic, as these may be used for appointment confirmations, forms, invoices, clinic correspondence and prescription-related communications.
Interpreters and Translation Services
Patients are responsible for informing WMI Psychiatry in advance if they require an interpreter for any appointment.
Where possible, patients are encouraged to arrange for a suitable independent interpreter to attend appointments. Family members or friends may be used as interpreters at the discretion of the clinician, although this may not always be appropriate, particularly where sensitive clinical information is being discussed.
WMI Psychiatry may be able to arrange a professional interpreter upon request. Additional charges may apply and patients will be informed of any costs in advance.
If an interpreter is required but has not been arranged prior to the appointment, WMI Psychiatry reserves the right to postpone the appointment if the clinician believes that a safe and effective assessment cannot be undertaken.
Accurate communication is essential for safe and effective assessment, diagnosis and treatment. WMI Psychiatry reserves the right to recommend or require the use of a professional interpreter where clinically necessary.
Patients remain responsible for appointment fees where an appointment cannot proceed due to the absence of a previously requested interpreter.
Confidentiality
Information shared with members of the WMI Psychiatry team may be shared with other members of the clinical team and with the patient's GP where clinically appropriate.
Information may also be shared with other professionals involved in the patient's care where clinically appropriate and in accordance with applicable legislation and professional guidance.
Confidentiality may be breached without consent where:
There is a significant risk to the patient or another person.
There are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult.
There is information relating to a serious crime or circumstances where disclosure is required by law.
Self-Harm and Risk
Any patient assessed as being at significant risk of harm to themselves or others may be referred urgently to the appropriate NHS or emergency services.
Where physical or mental health concerns require closer monitoring, patients may be required to attend follow up appointments at intervals determined by the clinician. Failure to attend these appointments may result in discharge from the clinic or referral to another service.
If a professional involved in a patient's care recommends an urgent clinical review, the patient may be required to attend an appointment within a timeframe determined by the clinician.
Any patient attending an appointment while significantly impaired by alcohol or illicit substances may have their appointment terminated and may be discharged from the service.
Abuse Towards Staff
WMI Psychiatry operates a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive, threatening, intimidating or aggressive behaviour.
This includes verbal abuse, written abuse, discriminatory language, harassment, threats, intimidation, false allegations, damage to property and physical aggression.
Patients or representatives engaging in such behaviour may be discharged immediately from the service.
Prescriptions and Follow Up Appointments
Patients are responsible for requesting repeat prescriptions in sufficient time before their medication runs out.
Patients should allow up to seven days for repeat prescription requests and requests for follow up appointments to be processed.
Repeat prescription requests are subject to an administrative fee.
The repeat prescription fee covers the administrative processing and clinical review of the request and is non-refundable once the request has been submitted.
Submission of a repeat prescription request does not guarantee that a prescription will be issued. Prescriptions remain subject to clinical review and may require a follow up appointment, additional monitoring information or further assessment if clinically indicated.
Where a prescription cannot be issued following clinical review, the repeat prescription fee will not be refunded.
Patients are advised to check prescriptions promptly upon receipt and notify the clinic immediately if they identify any concerns or errors.
Where a prescribing or administrative error has occurred, WMI Psychiatry will take reasonable steps to rectify the issue as quickly as possible. Reimbursement is not guaranteed. Any reimbursement will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with applicable consumer legislation.
Prescription collection and delivery arrangements may vary. Current arrangements will be communicated by the clinic.
Paper Records
WMI Psychiatry operates primarily as a paperless organisation, except where paper documentation is required by law or regulatory requirements.
Appointment confirmations, clinic letters, forms and other correspondence will usually be provided electronically.
Where confidential information is transmitted electronically, appropriate security measures and encryption systems may be used.
Transfer to NHS Care
Patients must remain registered with a NHS GP while under the care of WMI Psychiatry.
Where clinically appropriate, WMI Psychiatry may request that a GP enters into a shared care agreement and assumes responsibility for prescribing medication.
The decision whether to accept a shared care request rests entirely with the GP practice and WMI Psychiatry cannot require a GP to accept shared care.
Where a GP declines shared care, ongoing prescribing, monitoring and associated costs remain the responsibility of the patient and WMI Psychiatry unless alternative arrangements are agreed.
Patients may request referral or transfer to NHS services at any time. WMI Psychiatry will assist with such transfers where appropriate.
General
Clinical opinions, diagnoses, treatment recommendations and prescribing decisions remain at the discretion of the treating clinician and cannot be guaranteed in advance of an appointment.
WMI Psychiatry reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The most recent version will be made available upon request or through the clinic's usual communication channels.
The clinic does not provide an emergency or crisis service. Patients experiencing an urgent mental health crisis should contact their GP, local NHS mental health services, NHS 111 or emergency services as appropriate.
Routine emails, telephone calls and administrative queries will be responded to within reasonable timeframes but should not be used for urgent clinical matters.
Any concerns or complaints should be raised with the clinic as soon as possible so that they can be investigated and resolved through the clinic's complaints procedure.