Terms and Conditions

Please read these terms and conditions carefully. By accessing and using our website, any content and features and purchasing or using any product or services on our website, in our clinics or in a studio at one of our clinics, you indicate your acceptance of these Terms, our Privacy Policy (accessed via www.perfectbalanceclinic.com/privacy-policy) and any other notices, guidelines and rules published by us.

Medical Examination

Should you visit us for services they are provided to individuals of all ages regardless of gender, colour, ethnicity, creed, national origin, or disability. The purpose of physiotherapy and all our services is to treat disease, injury and disability by examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis and intervention by use of rehabilitative procedures, mobilization, massage, exercises, and physical agents to aid the patient in achieving their maximum potential within their capabilities and to accelerate convalescence and reduce the length of functional recovery.

All procedures will be thoroughly explained to you before you are asked to perform them. Response to all our therapies and interventions varies from person to person; hence, it is not possible to accurately predict your response to a specific modality, procedure, or exercise protocol. Perfect Balance Clinic does not guarantee what your reaction will be to a specific treatment, nor does it guarantee that the treatment will help resolve the condition that you are seeking treatment for. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the physiotherapy treatment may result in aggravation of existing symptoms and may cause pain or injury. It is your right to decline any part of your treatment at any time before or during treatment, should you feel any discomfort or pain or have other unresolved concerns. It is your right to ask your physiotherapist about the treatment they have planned based on your individual history, physiotherapy diagnosis, symptoms, and examination results. Consequently, it is your right to discuss the potential risks and benefits involved in your treatment.

Complaints Policy

Perfect Balance Clinic values the views of all clients, and welcomes comments and suggestions from our clients. We endeavour to provide a service of the highest standard at all times, in relation to service delivery and our commitment to work in partnership with our clients, to deliver their healthcare in a way that meets their needs.

Our company director will ensure all comments and suggestions are communicated to the lead clinician and produce a quarterly and annual report for The Board of Directors. Our company director is the key contact for our clients to deal with any problems that may arise, including client complaints.

A formal complaints policy is available to all clients upon request. Below is an outline of our complaints policy.

• Clients are encouraged to give their feedback, at times when clients wish to make a complaint; the process will be managed by the company director. If a client raises a matter of concern with a member of staff, the members of staff should advise the client of the complaints policy and direct the client to the company director. When the company director is on planned or unplanned leave alternative arrangements will be made to manage the complaints procedure.
• Clients are advised to address their complaint in writing to Perfect Balance Clinic David Lloyd Hatfield Mosquito Way Hatfield Herts Al10 9AX
• All complaints will receive written confirmation within two working days upon receipt of the complaint, outlining the stages of the investigation.
• A full response will be made in writing within 20 days of receipt of the complaint, outlining the investigation process, steps taken and outcomes and actions taken following the investigation of the complaint.
• All complaints will be investigated by the company directors, with an investigation report to be presented to The Board of Directors. Complaints will be correlated with the annual results of the client satisfaction survey, to enable the directors to review and assess service delivery and the views of our clients.
• Perfect Balance Clinic acknowledges complaints as a serious matter, and is committed to rectify areas that may cause concern or dissatisfaction for our clients.
• A summary of complaints and the outcomes will be presented at team meetings, to ensure relevant areas of concern, action taken, and changes in practice as a result of the complaint investigation, are communicated to all members of staff and associates.

Under 18s

A parent or legal guardian will need to be present during all appointments unless prior written confirmation has been provided to the clinic.

Payment information

Payment must be made in advance of treatment for all services unless you have an exclusive account with us. Payment must be made in advance for all running clinic sessions and some group sessions that we offer.

Late payments policy

Please note that late payment of invoices (30 days after treatment) will be subject to an additional charge of £15.

Offers and promotions

All offers and promotions cannot be exchanged for any cash value. The promotion and offer or voucher should only be used by the intended person and as such we may ask for ID proof from the person producing the voucher to verify they are the recipient. Promotions and offers cannot be shared between individuals.

All vouchers unless otherwise dated are to be used within 1 year of their receipt or known release from the clinic to an event or promotion.

All packages purchased are non-refundable and are to be used within 1 year of their receipt. A session will be taken if there is a late cancellation (as per our cancellation policy).

All offers and promotions may be subject to special arrangements or exclusions and Perfect Balance Clinic reserve the right to offer ‘introductory’ sessions to specific practitioners which may exclude some self-employed practitioners and the company directors. Where possible a full list of who the offer applies to can be provided in writing prior to your appointment.

Each customer is entitled to one introductory or promotional booking.

Refund and cancellation policy

24 hours notice is required for cancellation of appointments, otherwise, a full charge will be incurred. If we can fill your appointment within short notice (under 24hrs) there will be no charge, otherwise appointments incur a full fee. Missed sessions without the 24 hours notice will be fully chargeable as if intended. For refunds of equipment purchased equipment must be returned (unopened, unused and not damaged) within 14 days of purchase with proof of purchase.

Packages are non-refundable.

Using your Private Medical Insurance Policy

If you are planning to use private medical insurance (pmi), please contact your insurer as soon as possible and before your first Perfect Balance appointment to ensure you meet the terms of your policy.

The procedures of insurance companies differ and some require the policyholder/patient to obtain a GP referral before they grant authorisation to commence treatment. Most private medical insurers cover osteopathy, physiotherapy, and podiatry but other treatments, eg sports massage, pilates, and rehab will not be covered. Please check the terms of your policy with your insurer.

Naturally, if you are in pain you wish to be treated as quickly as possible and we wish to offer the earliest available appointment to start you on the road to recovery.   However, please be aware that insurance authorisation can not necessarily be applied retrospectively. Please tell us when you book your first appointment that you intend to use pmi to claim for your treatment.   In order to book your appointment with an appropriate practitioner, we need to know which insurance company it is.

We need you to provide us with the following:

1. Name of insurance company
2. Policy or Membership number
3. Claim reference/Authorisation code for this course of treatment
4. Which part of the body (eg left shoulder, lower back, etc)
5. Number of sessions/budget authorised
6. Details of any Excess due

Some insurers do not cover the full fees for treatment.   Once we have your authorisation details we can invoice at the fee agreed by Perfect Balance with your insurer.   Until we receive the authorisation details we will invoice at our standard rates and you may be liable for the costs.

We will send your invoices to your insurance company directly for payment once we have all the details. Your insurance company may inform us that the invoices are your liability, for example, due to excess, shortfall, benefit limit exceeded. In this case, please settle your account with Perfect Balance within 30 days of notice.

Your practitioner may recommend an alternative treatment to speed your recovery and this may not be covered by the original authorisation.   For instance, an osteopath may recommend you go on to see a physiotherapist or podiatrist or vice versa. Please check with your insurer and obtain a fresh authorisation if necessary.

Sometimes it may be a simple matter of holiday cover by one practitioner for another;  it is preferable for you to be treated by another practitioner recognised by your insurer so you can continue claiming.   Please remind us to book you with an appropriately recognised practitioner.

If you have any questions relating to your private medical insurance it is best to direct them to your insurance company in the first instance. We will do our best to assist you in the claim process.

Data Protection Policy

We take data protection seriously; please let us know of any changes to your personal data e.g. name, contact details, insurance company, person registered on account, this helps us ensure your records are kept accurate and up to date.

Requesting your medical records or information we hold about you via a Subject Access Request (SAR)

We use a standard form to make it easier for us to recognise a genuine request and make it easier for the individual to include all the details they might need in order for us to locate the information they want. Click the link below to access the SAR template. You can also make an SAR request verbally, please contact our reception team to action.

SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST FORM

If the SAR is valid, we will action without delay and at the latest within one month of receipt. Where the request is complex or numerous we will action within three months.

Accessing personal data on someone else’s behalf

A person is only entitled to their own personal data unless they are acting on behalf of someone. If information is being requested via a third party e.g. a solicitor, GP surgery or insurance company acting on behalf of a client or by an individual wanting someone else to act on their behalf, we will need to be satisfied that the third party making the request is entitled to act on behalf of the individual. It is third parties responsibility to provide evidence of this entitlement. This could be in the form of:

• Written authority to make the request
• General power of attorney

If we feel that the individual may not understand what information would be disclosed to a third party who has made a SAR on their behalf, we will send the response directly to the individual rather than the third party. The individual may then choose to share the information with the third party after having a chance to review the information.

Requests for information about children

Even if a child is too young to understand the implications of SAR rights, the data held about them is still their personal data. It is the child who has a right to access the information held about them, even though in the case of young children these rights are likely to be carried out by a parent/guardian.

Before responding to a SAR for information held about a child we will consider whether the child is mature enough to understand their rights – if the answer is yes then we will respond directly to the child rather than the parent. When considering cases that are borderline, as advised by the Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk) we will also take into account:

• The child’s level of maturity and ability to make decisions like this
• The nature of the personal data
• Any court orders relating to parental access or responsibility that may apply
• Any duty of confidence owed to the child or young person
• Any consequences of allowing those with parental responsibility access to the child’s or young person’s information
• Any detriment to the child or young person if individuals with parental responsibility cannot access this information
• Any views the child or young person has and whether their parent should have access to information about them

Identifying the requester

In order to avoid personal data being sent accidentally or as a result of deception, we have a duty of care to ensure we know the identity of the requester. We will, therefore, ask for enough information to judge whether the person making the request is the individual to whom the personal data relates to or a person authorised to make a SAR on their behalf.

If the identity of the person making the request is obvious to us we will not request a lot more information, however, we will not assume that, on every occasion, the person making the request is who they say they are.

We may in some circumstances ask for documentation providing evidence of birth or a passport and check that we have the requesters correct postal or email address (or both) before supplying any information in response to a SAR.

Animals Policy

Only guide dogs are permitted within the clinic.

Team Safety

We believe everyone has the right to work in an environment free from harassment and abuse. Our staff are dedicated to your care, and we expect all interactions to be respectful. Harassment of any kind will result in immediate action, including refusal of service.