Initially an accurate diagnosis is the prerequisite of successful and safe treatment.

On your first visit, a detailed case-discussion and history will be taken, together with a physical examination; this may require the Osteopath to ask you to remove some of your clothing.

Please come to your appointments prepared.  Effective Osteopathic examination/treatment is generally assisted by the patient removing some items of clothing. Because Osteopaths take the whole body’s mechanisms into account, it is helpful to examine or treat areas other than exactly where you may be experiencing pain. For example, effective examination/treatment of an ankle injury may require attention to the knee, hip or lower back.  Similarly, a shoulder issue may require examination/treatment of the neck, as well as upper and lower back areas.  You are welcome to bring loose clothing, sports tops, leggings or shorts to wear if you wish, but please do tell the Osteopath if you are not comfortable with any request to remove clothing, as your free agreement is essential. 

The Osteopath will then explain their findings/working diagnosis to you and answer any questions you may have.  If Osteopathic treatment is appropriate, then courses of action will be discussed with you and your verbal agreement sought. An agreed course of action is called your ‘treatment plan’. No treatment may be given without such agreement (consent), and the Osteopath will regularly check that you are content with the treatment techniques being applied. It is likely that treatment plans will alter as you improve or your condition changes and could sometimes involve referral for further tests (such as x-ray or MRI) or to another practitioner if necessary.

Please remember that if you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment do not hesitate to ask at your appointments or to contact your practitioner on the clinic number/email.  It is not uncommon for patients to forget explanations they have been given regarding their condition, as well as exercises or advice.  If this is the case, we will be happy to discuss things again before your next visit.  Occasionally, people do experience some increased stiffness or pain in the first 24-48 hours after treatment, and you will have been informed on how to deal with this if it occurs.  However, if you are still unclear, or if any discomfort is more severe or continues longer than anticipated, please do contact us and we will advise you.

Withdrawal of consent: as a patient, you have the right to stop examination or treatment at any time, should you wish to. 

Outcomes: your practitioner will do their very best to help you and will advise you on likely outcomes, unfortunately as with any other medical intervention, there can be no guarantee of improvement in your condition.

Chaperones - you are welcome to bring a friend or family member with you to appointments.

We ask for children under 16 to always be accompanied by an appropriate adult. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic those who wish to be accompanied, or who need to accompany a child, will need to advise us no less than 24 hours prior to the appointment. Safety measures will then be discussed with the patient and the chaperone. The practitioner will then decide in each specific case whether it is in the attendees’ best interests to visit the clinic.

PATIENTS WITH PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurers generally give an authorisation code for your course of treatment.  However, this is not a guarantee of full or even partial payment to your practitioner. Please advise the Osteopath of any excess amount on your policy as this, and any other outstanding fees not covered by the insurance company, are then your responsibility and must be paid directly to the clinic.

 DATA PROTECTION

We take the security of your personal information extremely seriously. All the information we hold about you is confidential and will be stored securely. If your practitioner needs to take any information about you away from the clinic (for example, a CD of scan images), they will ask your permission to do so. Similarly, if it is necessary to contact a third party (most likely another health professional) regarding your condition, this will only be done with your permission, and the method of such contact cleared with you beforehand.  The only instances when a practitioner may break confidentiality is when there are very good reasons to do so that would be in your or the public’s interests – for example, in the case of serious crime prevention. 

Data Protection and COVID-19: As is the case with all other clinical services at this difficult time, in certain circumstances, in order to look after your healthcare needs we may urgently be required to share your personal information, including medical records, with clinical and non-clinical staff who belong to organisations that are permitted to use your information and need to use it to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  This enables public health organisations to monitor the disease, assess risk and manage the spread of the disease. Please be assured that we will only share information and health data that is absolutely necessary to meet yours and public healthcare needs.

For clarification about confidential information and public health: https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/covid-19-response/data-and-information-governance/information-governance/copi-notice-frequently-asked-questions/ 

CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS

We aim to ensure your experience at our clinic is helpful and professional.  If you feel unhappy in any way regarding your visit, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can try and rectify the issue.  If you prefer to speak with a different practitioner to the one you have seen, then please make this clear when you call, email or write and it can be arranged.

Please contact us if you wish to be provided with our full Complaints Policy.

If necessary, we have an allocated Osteopathic mediator from another practice whom you are welcome to contact if you prefer.  Her name is Dr Mathilde Konczynski, and she can be contacted on 0333 800 8404. 

We aim to deal with all concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible.

However, if your concern is not dealt with to your satisfaction by the clinic or any mediator it provides, the final port of call would be to contact the General Osteopathic Council, which is the statutory regulator of all Osteopaths in the UK. www.Osteopathy.org.uk, 0207 357 6655.