1. Skin55 Patient Terms & Conditions
1.1 These terms set out the basis on which you will be provided with treatment at Skin55 Limited (“Skin55”, “the Clinic”), the clinic at 55 Harley Street, London W1G 8QR.
1.2 Skin55 may update these terms from time to time, however changes to these terms will only apply to any new episode of care or treatment package that you receive, and you will be asked to agree to any new terms before they become effective for you. Note that any new terms will not apply to a treatment package which is partway through when the terms are changed.
2. Consultants
2.1 You will be under the care of the Consultant(s) you have been referred to. Your Consultant(s) may also involve other consultant(s) in your care. If appropriate, Skin55 staff, including nurses, will provide your care under your Consultant’s instructions.
2.2 Consultants involved in your Care are independent medical practitioners who are not employed by Skin55. Each Consultant involved in your Care will offer their respective Consultant Services to you directly as a private clinician under separate contractual arrangements to these Terms. As such, they are responsible for the Care that they prescribe, recommend or provide to you. In particular, if your Care includes any surgical procedure or intervention, then your Consultant(s) will be responsible for the surgical aspects of your Care.
2.3 Where we talk about, or refer to, the responsibility of your Consultant(s) in these Terms, this means that your Consultant(s) will be responsible (i) under the terms of their separate contractual arrangements with you (which may or may not be in writing) and/or (ii) for any negligence or wrongful act or omission in the Care they provide to you as part of their Consultant Services. Skin55 will not be liable for any act or omission of your Consultant(s) (or the company, partnership or other entity that employs or engages your Consultant(s)) in contract or otherwise for any part of the Consultant Services.
2.4 Unless we advise you otherwise, your Consultant(s) will charge you separately for their respective Consultant Services in connection with your Care (as per the terms of their separate contractual arrangements with you), including for their initial consultation with you. Your Consultant(s) will raise an invoice for their respective Consultant Fees and will send it directly to you.
2.5 In addition to the fee for your Consultant review, please be aware that there are sometimes other related fees charged which you should ensure you understand. Any diagnostic tests or investigations conducted as part of, or related to, your initial consultation for part of the Clinic Services will be charged to you separately by the Clinic as part of the Clinic Charges – these include charges for blood tests, pathology tests, diagnostics, radiology and other procedure fees.
2.6 Where our invoice includes the Consultant Fees for the respective Consultant Services provided to you while you are in the Clinic, and in any other instances where our invoice includes any Consultant Fees, we are acting as your Consultant(s’) agent only in collecting those Consultant Fees (the main reason for this approach is to reduce the number of invoices you will receive and payments you will need to make). Your Consultant(s) will at all times remain an independent medical practitioner.
2.7 Your Consultant(s) and their secretarial staff do not have authority from us or the Clinic to quote for any Clinic Charges. Any clinic prices mentioned by them are subject to written confirmation by the Clinic.
2.8 We have different packages applying to Insured and Self-Pay Patients, and so different exclusions will apply which you need to ensure you are aware of. Please check the relevant exclusions. You are responsible for the payment of your Care under all circumstances. If there are delays in settlement, there may be penalties, for example the charging of interest or the revoking of discounts, for which the patient will be liable.
2.9 You must ensure that you understand what your appointment includes from a cost perspective. If you are unclear, please check your appointment confirmation from your Consultant or speak directly with Skin55 Reception staff.
2.10 If you are a Self-Pay patient you will be charged at Skin55 Standard rates. You must pay the full balance on booking your appointment.
2.11 Where a third party such as an insurer or Sponsor is paying for your Care, you should either check your treatment limit with your insurer and that your authorisation covers all tests, scans, procedures and appointments at your appointment, or if you have a Sponsor, check they are willing to pay for your appointment and all other fees related to outpatients. You will be liable for any shortfall not paid by your insurer or Sponsor. Please see Parts A and B for more detail.
3. Payment
3.1 Subject to any alternative arrangements agreed with the Clinic, by email or in writing, you are responsible for settling the cost of your Care before your appointment.
3.2 If you book your appointment as a Self-Pay patient, we will not be able to change your payment status and bill your insurer instead. It is your responsibility to ensure that all details are accurate at the time of booking.
4. Methods of Payment
4.1 Payments can be made via bank transfer, major debit or credit cards.
5. Part A – Insured Patients
5.1 This section will apply if you are covered by private medical insurance.
5.2 You are responsible for ensuring your Care is funded by your insurer. The Clinic is not responsible for this verification. Insufficient documentation will prevent direct settlements and may result in the account being billed directly to you.
5.3 Specifically, whilst you will remain responsible for the payment of your Care where you have private medical insurance:
· We will, where possible, process the insurance claim for your care with your insurer, provided you have given us and your insurer all the information we and your insurer need to do so. If this information is incomplete or inaccurate, we may not be able to process your claim and you will need to pay for your Care, as set out in (c) below:
· Where we process your insurance claim and your insurer pays us direct, the rate agreed between Skin55 and your insurer will apply to your Care;
· If your insurer fails to settle our invoices (or any part of them) within 30 days of the date of issue we will assume that the outstanding amount will not be paid by your insurer and we may invoice you direct or debit the relevant balance from your credit or debit cards;
· If we invoice you for your Care or an element of it, you agree to pay us the amount invoiced within the time limits set out therein. If you do not think that we have invoiced you correctly, please let us know as soon as possible so we can deal with any mistake or misunderstanding;
· Skin55 will not be responsible for any insurer shortfall in cover. We recommend you confirm your policy limits with your insurer before you undertake your Care.
· It is your responsibility to confirm with your insurer in advance that your Care is covered by your insurance policy and Skin55 will not obtain any such confirmation on your behalf;
· Please note that some insurers use ‘Care Guidelines’ that may not match the professional medical opinion of the Consultants, nursing staff and other medical professionals providing your care. In some cases, this can mean that your insurer may not pay for certain parts of the Care you receive, and you will be required to pay for that part of your Care. In particular, you should note that treatment for complications may in some cases not be covered by insurance and in such cases, you agree to cover the cost of your Care;
· Please note that your insurance policy may not cover the cost of Sundry Items or other items, or it may only cover part of such costs. You will be required to pay for any such items not reimbursed by your insurers. Please check with your insurer as to what is covered and excluded;
· If you pay for your treatment and subsequently seek reimbursement from your insurer, and if no other rate has been expressly prevailing Self-Pay fees will apply, which can be provided on request;
· If no rate has been agreed between Skin55 and your insurer in respect of your care, the prevailing Self-Pay fees will apply to your Care.
· If you are authorised for a given procedure by your insurer and you choose to have a further procedure or different procedure which is not covered by your policy, you will be given a Self-Funding price for this procedure, charged at Skin55 standard rates. It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurer is made aware of the additional procedure(s) and that you are aware of the additional costs you may incur.
· When your insurer has stopped funding your Care, we will notify you and you will become a Self-Pay patient and will be expected to fund your Care yourself in line with our Self-Pay Patients terms and conditions (see Part C).
6. Part B – Sponsored Patients
6.1 Where you have a Sponsor who has agreed to pay for your Care, please ensure you have authorisation from them prior to booking your Care with us.
6.2 If a Sponsor has agreed to pay for your Care, we will require details of such party including your relationship with them and contact details for them. The Clinic reserves the right to verify your Sponsor’s identity and credit worthiness and any arrangement in place between you and your Sponsor before agreeing to provide Care.
6.3 You agree to provide all information requested by us to verify, to our satisfaction, details of any such arrangement including a letter of guarantee from your Sponsor confirming to us that they will cover the costs of your Care at Skin55 a minimum of ten (10) working days prior to your appointment date, or as soon as possible on booking your appointment.
6.4 If following our credit and identity checks on your Sponsor, the Clinic has made the decision not to accept your Sponsor as payor for your Care or in circumstances when your Sponsor has stopped funding your Care or you refuse repatriation (if relevant), we will notify you that you have become a Self-Pay patient and so will be expected to fund your Care yourself in line with our Self-Pay Patients terms and conditions (see Part C).
7. Part C – Self-Pay Patients
7.1 You are covered by this section if you are paying for your own Care. Following your initial consultation with your Consultant, you will be provided with a Treatment Letter by your Consultant containing a written self-pay Price Guide of the anticipated costs for your Care. Please note that any pricing estimates that are reflected on our website or on any other marketing material are general guide prices only. Please ensure you read the documentation carefully and make sure it reflects your agreed Treatment Plan and associated anticipated costs. Our prices will not cover the costs of your Consultant who will advise you separately of their fees.
7.2 It is not always possible to give an exact price for the Care you will receive at the Clinic and the total cost may depend on a number of factors, including any other medical conditions you may have. We will always try to provide an accurate estimate and if the cost of your care is likely to exceed this estimate we will try to notify you as soon as possible. You are responsible for the payment of all care you receive at the Clinic.
7.3 You will need to pay, prior to or on the day you attend the Clinic, the Clinic Charges and/or the Consultant Fees (as applicable). We require payment in full at time of booking .
7.4 Subsequent to your appointment, you may receive a further invoice from us for diagnostic tests or investigations conducted as part of your consultation, though we will endeavour to ensure that you are aware of the associated cost as soon as notified. If is your responsibility to ensure that you request notification of costs for all tests and investigations carried out by your Consultant as part of your Care; the Clinic has no responsibility to do so.
8. Payment Card Pre-authorisation
8.1 When you make payment to Skin55 for services we will retain authorisation for your payment card for future use.
8.2 Purpose: to retain payment details on file for self-pay patients to ensure that costs for appointments can still be met when the patient is not able to pay on site and to mitigate risk of no-shows, walkouts and bad debts.
8.3 Length of time held: pre-authorisation will be retained on file whilst the patient remains registered at Skin55. Authorisation can be removed at any time upon written request to billing-enquiries@skin55.co.uk. Each card will have its own natural expiration date upon which pre-authorisation will have to be re-requested.
8.4 Information held: the card details (including number, expiry date and CCV) are not themselves retained, purely the patient’s authorisation for us to charge that card. Excluding charges for no-shows, payment will not be taken until the patient provides approval to settle the invoice.
9. Cancellations
9.1 We will make every effort to provide the services on the date that is specified in your Treatment Letter. However, we cannot promise this, and we reserve the right to refuse your admission and/or appointment or to cancel or change the date of your admission and/or appointment.
9.2 There may be delays or cancellations for any reason, such as an event outside our reasonable control, for operational or technical reasons or because your Consultant(s) does not think it is in your best interest for medical reasons. Where this happens or where we refuse your admission, we will try to give as much notice to you as possible. Where possible, as appropriate, we will always try to rearrange any appointment or admission dates with you. Where we are required to cancel the appointment or refuse admission, any advance payment you have made for Services that have not been provided will be refunded to you. We will refund these amounts by electronic transfer only to the cardholder or person who made the original payment.
9.3 Please note we do not issue any refunds in cash.
10. Cancellation fees and additional payment terms
10.1 Please inform the Clinic as soon as possible if your appointment is not convenient for you. If you fail to attend an appointment without letting us know, or giving at least 48 hours’ notice, you will be charged a cancellation fee of £100. Please note that you’ll be personally liable for any cancellation fees, and cannot claim them through your insurance or sponsor. This is to cover our costs arising out of the short notice cancellation. Please note that Consultants may also charge a cancellation fee and, where this is the case, this will be covered in the separate contractual arrangements between you and the Consultant, and you should confirm what cancellation fees may apply with your Consultant directly.
10.2 We may cancel any appointment or admission date or any part of your Care at any time if you are a Self-Pay patient and you do not pay us when you are supposed to in accordance with your contract with us.
10.3 We reserve the right to determine if and when cancellation charges will be levied in accordance with these Terms.
11. Valuables
11.1 The Clinic does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for the loss of any cash or valuables belonging to the patients or visitors.
12. Overseas Patients
12.1 By signing an Admission Form and agreeing to these Terms you confirm that you have
12.2 leave to enter the UK, that you meet all relevant immigration criteria and that you have
12.3 made suitable arrangements for payment of your Care at Skin55. Skin55 may contact the UK Border Agency or Home Office (as relevant) to the extent necessary to clarify any information regarding your leave to enter or remain in the UK in connection with your Care.
13. Billing and Collections
13.1 Where a Self-Pay patient does not pay, or a patient liability arises on an insured, or sponsored, patient, payment is due within 14 days of invoice date. If all or part of an invoice remain unpaid within 14 days of the invoice date, at the Clinic’s discretion, interest can be charged. Furthermore, following a final demand, if payment remains outstanding then the invoice may be referred to a collection agent to recover debt as they see fit and include further collection charges and fees.
14. Definitions
Admission Form means the patient registration form you sign when attending any appointment at Skin55
Agreement means these Terms, any Admission Form, and any Consent Form
Applicable Law means any and all laws, regulations, guidelines and professional obligations applicable to the provision of Care or the performance of services for you
Care means care, treatment, diagnosis, services and goods provided by us, excluding Sundry items
Consent Form means the medical consent form you will sign before any particular procedure/treatment following your Consultant’s explanation of your procedure/ treatment and any associated risks
Consultants means all consultants, surgeons and anaesthetists involved in your Care including your named consultant, in each case as the context requires
Price Guide means the anticipated and estimated costs of your Treatment Plan according to the terms of the Treatment Letter
Privacy Policy means the Clinic’s privacy practice regarding how we handle and protect your personal data
Sponsor means an employer, or other third party, as identified to us by you
Terms means these Patient Terms and Conditions
Treatment Letter means the letter or email that you receive regarding your Treatment Plan
Treatment Plan means the treatment, tests and/or procedures that will be carried out at the Clinic
