TERMS and conditions.

Who we treat

The clinic offers an adult-only service to those aged 16 and over. We do not treat children. This is a Private Medical, outpatient service for patients stable enough to attend a clinic environment and obtain a specialist consultation or receive one of our treatments/interventions.

Who we do not treat

We strictly would not see or treat acutely unwell patients, for example those with severe symptoms that need immediate hospital attention. E.g. acutely decompensated heart failure, an ongoing arrhythmia, ongoing chest pain, sepsis, DKA, marked endocrine instability, delirium and so on. We would advise you to contact the emergency services in such circumstances. We do not offer an immediately-responsive ‘out of hours’ or ‘on-call’ service.

Treatment Refusal and Zero Tolerance

We reserve the right to refuse treatment on professional and/or ethical grounds. Our practitioners are indemnified, regulated Healthcare Professionals (GMC, NMC, HCPC, GDC). We would not recommend treatment if it is deemed inappropriate, not expected to yield satisfying results or may risk more harm than good. We do not offer treatment to those under 16 years of age. We have a zero tolerance policy towards any violence, aggression or abuse (all forms) towards our staff - offending parties will be removed from the premises, with the involvement of the Police if necessary, and banned from the service.

Clinic Environment and Security

There are CCTV security cameras overlooking the main entrance and the fire exit at the bottom of the staircase. We ask that all clients and visitors respect the clinic environment. We take no responsibility for any items left behind or lost at the practice. We cannot watch or take responsibility for any accompanying children in the waiting area, so we advise that another adult is present to accompany any children under 12 years of age. Children are strictly not permitted in the treatment rooms.

Disabled Access

The clinic is located within a historic building with stair access to all floors. Unfortunately, we can only see patients than can comfortably climb up and down at least one flight of stairs to our medical floor. We are working hard to expand our service into a venue with more ground floor clinical space. Please ensure you disclose any functional limitations when making your enquiry.

COVID-19 and infection control policy

We follow UK government guidelines on practice restrictions during any pandemic, and would be making announcements as advised in the case of evolving restrictions. We generally ask that you try to attend alone, unless you need escorted to your appointment for a valid reason. This limits unnecessary crowding in the clinic and reduces the risk of infection spread. Please do not attend if you have infective symptoms. We can provide you with a mask if necessary (e.g. you are immunosuppressed or have a chronic cough). There is disinfectant hand gel in the waiting area which we would encourage you to use.

Self-referral

You may refer yourself via our contact form to any of our clinicians and tests but not directly to:
-Echocardiography
-Holter Monitoring
-Implantable Loop Recorders
-Specialised blood tests (e.g. NTproBNP, male/female hormone panels)
The above tests require that you first have a consultation with the relevant Specialist. We would advise you in such case.

When referring yourself, we advise that you bring along any clinical information you already have on your medical history (e.g. previous clinic letters, test results, etc). We advise that you inform your GP that you have obtained a private consultation and/or test. Following your encounter, your Practitioner will issue a correspondence letter to you and your GP detailing your assessment, diagnosis and any key test results (this is considered best practice). We may seek further information from your GP/NHS records, if necessary for your care, with your permission.

Discussing your results

Results of tests requested by your referring clinician (e.g an Echocardiogram requested by your GP) will be directed back to them, a copy of the result will also be sent to you. We would advise you and your referring clinician should further Specialist input be recommended in a follow-up appointment (e.g. to discuss and act on abnormal findings).

If you request, or have been recommended a test during a consultation with one of our Specialists, you need to book a follow-up consultation to discuss the results and recommendations.

Chaperone policy

You have the right to a chaperone present during your consultation and/or treatment. If you require one, we can arrange for a trained member of staff to chaperone, if you notify us early (ideally before or at the time of booking). We also have the right to demand a chaperone to be present in certain situations. Please feel free to contact us on admin@hourglasswellbeing.com if you have any queries or concerns about our chaperone policy.

You can read our full Chaperone Policy [here].

ATTENDING YOUR APPOINTMENT

You will receive an email confirmation with the date, time and location of your appointment, as well as details of your Practitioner. Please arrive on time. In the case of late arrival, we are still happy to see you, but we reserve the right not to ‘run over’ and disrupt the patients following your appointment.

Cancellation and Rescheduling

We would appreciate if you notify us of any cancellation or rescheduling as soon as possible. We have a 48hr policy. Cancellation or rescheduling less than 48hrs from your appointment time will incur a £50 fee.

DAMAGE OR LOSS TO HOLTER MONITORS

Our Holter (heart rhythm) monitors are supplied and analysed by an external company who penalise Hourglass Wellbeing for their loss or damage, with a £1000 + VAT fine. Therefore, loss or damage to these monitors incurs a fine of £1000 + VAT to the patient supplied with the device.

Payment

All payments are made in the clinic using Card only. We accept all major cards including American Express. We do not accept cash or cheque.

Payment is made up front at the clinic for all consultations prior to seeing your Specialist, and prior to receiving any tests.

If you request, or have been recommended a test during your consultation, you are required to book and pay for your follow-up consultation up front at the clinic. This will be necessary to discuss and action your results. Your Specialist has the responsibility to address all results and this involves correspondence to your GP or potentially onward referral for a procedure, where applicable. Specialist-guided tests will not be offered if follow-up costs/appointments are refused.

Private insurance

Self-funded patients are welcome to access all of our services. Some of our practitioners are recognised by major health insurance providers such as BUPA, AXA, Vitality, Aviva and Cigna. Please let us know how you would like to fund your care, when lodging an enquiry. Certain services may not be covered by a particular specialist or insurance provider. We will confirm this in our response.

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint about your experience and we will do our best to resolve it as fully and as rapidly as possible. Complaints in the first instance can be made directly by emailing us on admin@hourglasswellbeing.com. Your Practitioner and the Hourglass Wellbeing Clinical Director will work hard to arrive at a satisfying resolution. The Practice Manager of the clinic where the procedure took place will be notified. Please allow up to 7 working days for a full response and plan of action. We will always handle your complaint fairly, courteously and confidentially.

Our clinic is regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). You have the right to lodge a formal complaint to HIS should you have any concerns:

Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Glasgow Office: Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2NP
Edinburgh Office: Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9EB
Telephone number: 0141 225 6999

You can read our full Complaints Policy [here].

Meeting Language and Cultural Requirements

At Hourglass Wellbeing, we are committed to providing inclusive, respectful, and culturally sensitive care to all our patients. We recognize the diverse cultural backgrounds and language needs of our community and strive to ensure equitable access to healthcare services.

Language Support

With enough notice, we provide access to professional interpretation services for patients who require assistance in languages other than English. This includes in-person interpreters, telephone interpretation, or video interpretation services where appropriate. Within our staff we have English, Arabic and Polish speakers.

Key information, including consent forms and patient education materials, will be available in multiple languages to ensure comprehension and informed decision-making.

Cultural Sensitivity

Our staff are trained to respect and understand different cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions that may influence healthcare preferences.

We encourage open dialogue with patients to accommodate cultural considerations, such as gender-specific care preferences or dietary restrictions, within the scope of medical practice.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

We actively seek feedback from patients to improve our understanding of cultural and linguistic needs.

Efforts are made to recruit staff from diverse backgrounds to better reflect and serve our community.

By adhering to these principles, Hourglass Wellbeing aims to foster a welcoming environment where every patient feels valued, understood, and empowered in their healthcare journey.