This policy explains how appointments, booking deposits, payments, rescheduling and cancellations are handled at the clinic. These procedures are applied consistently, transparently and fairly to all patients.

1. Principles of Administrative Fairness

The clinic operates clear administrative procedures for appointment scheduling, deposits, payments and cancellations. These policies are applied consistently, transparently and without discrimination to all patients.

Clear administrative procedures allow the clinic to:

• manage clinical time efficiently
• ensure fair access to appointments for all patients
• minimise unused clinical capacity

These procedures are implemented in accordance with recognised UK healthcare governance and consumer fairness principles.

2. Appointment Requests and Tentative Booking Holds

Appointment requests are initially treated as provisional until confirmed.

Typical booking process

1. A patient requests an appointment date.
2. The clinic offers an available appointment slot provisionally, pending payment of the booking deposit =£150.
3. The appointment is held for 24- 48 hours only awaiting payment and confirmation

Payment methods

The booking deposit may be paid by:

• secure payment link
• bank transfer
• card payment over the telephone

3. Confirmation of Appointment

An appointment becomes confirmed for a specific date and time only when:

• the patient confirms acceptance of the offered appointment, and
• the required booking deposit is received by the clinic within 24-48 hours

Until both steps are completed, the appointment remains provisional.

4. Release of Unconfirmed Appointment Offers

Appointment slots may be held for up to 48 hours pending payment of the booking deposit.

If payment is not received within this period, the provisional reservation expires automatically, and the appointment slot may be released without further notice to the patient

Once paid, the deposit secures one specific appointment date and time.

If a patient responds after the 48 hours holding period, the clinic will check availability and offer the next available appointment if the original slot is no longer available.

*This system is widely used in private medical clinics to avoid blocking clinical time unnecessarily denying the service to other awaiting patients.

5. Booking Deposits

Purpose of the deposit/ aka a booking deposit/ appointment administration fee = of £150 is required to secure clinic appointment.

The deposit:

• reserves clinical time for a specific appointment date and time
• allocated to that particular appointment only

For the first consultation visit only, the deposit is credited toward the consultation fee (i.e. is deducted from the initial consultation fee on the day of attendance). It remains separate from any procedure or treatment fee

Relationship to treatment or procedure fees

The booking deposit is separate and independent from procedure or treatment fees.

If treatment is performed at the first visit, the deposit forms part of the consultation fee but remains separate from the procedure cost. If treatment is undertaken at a later date, the deposit remains independent from the treatment fee.

*All procedure costs are discussed and agreed after clinical assessment.
*This structure is commonly used in other private medical and aesthetic clinics

6. Validity of Booking Deposits

The booking deposit is assigned to the specific appointment date reserved for the patient.

Booking deposits are non-refundable except where adequate notice is provided (72 hours or more), the deposit may be transferred once. The rescheduled appointment must take place within two weeks of the original appointment date, subject to availability.

If further changes are requested or requested beyond the above-mentioned frame, then the clinic may require a new booking deposit to secure an appointment outside the 2-week period.

*This policy helps ensure fair access to appointments for all patients

7. Cancellation/Rescheduling Appointments

If the patient gives more than 72 hours’ cancellation notice, the deposit may either transferred (rescheduled) once only to a new appointment date, subject to availability) or be refunded on email request. The rearranged/alternative appointment must take place within 2 weeks of the original appointment date.

Any rescheduled appointment must take place once and within the two-week period from the original appointment date, subject to availability.

Further changes to the appointment or additional rescheduling requests outside this frame, the clinic will require a new booking deposit.

If cancellation is notified in less than 72 hours’ notice is given, the deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.

*This reflects the loss of reserved clinical time that cannot usually be reallocated at short notice.

8. Non-Attendance

Failure to attend a confirmed appointment without prior notice will result in forfeiture of the booking deposit.

If a patient wishes to arrange a new appointment following non-attendance, a new booking deposit will be required.

Repeated missed appointments may result in the clinic requesting pre-payment of booking fees plus the consultation fees= £400, before further appointments are accepted.

9. Refund Policy

-Deposits are not refundable in the following circumstances:

• for Cancellation notified in less than 72 hours
• more than one rescheduling request
• rescheduled appointment outside the two-week transfer period

Prepaid Treatment packages or multi-session procedures

If a patient decides to discontinue treatment:

• refunds may be issued only for unused or untreated sessions but NOT for treated sessions
• completed treatments or sessions are non-refundable

Courses of treatments are valid for 4 months from purchase where all treatment sessions must be used within this time frame.

For Non-Attendance (no show)

No refund

*This reflects the clinical preparation and resources involved in treatment planning.

10. Administrative Discretion

In exceptional circumstances (for example illness or medical emergencies), the clinic may exercise reasonable administrative discretion when applying booking or rescheduling policies. Such decisions are made case-by-case while maintaining fairness to all patients.

11. Payment Requirements for Clinic Visits

First consultation visit

Payment required includes:

• booking deposit (£150) paid in advance
• The Consultation fee £400.
• The booking deposit is deducted from the consultation fee at the first visit.
• Procedure fees, if applicable, are separate from consultation fees (will be mentioned after clinical assessment in advance of embarking onto any treatment)

Subsequent visits

Further clinic visits could be part of ongoing treatment course or a follow up visit or “Top up or maintenance visits or repeat course of treatment, all will require

• booking deposit (paid in advance to secure the appointment)
• procedure or treatment fees where applicable

12. Summary of the Appointment Booking Process

1. Patient requests an appointment.
2. Clinic offers an available appointment date.
3. Appointment is held provisionally for up to 48 hours.
4. Appointment becomes confirmed once the deposit is paid within 48 hours
5. Deposit is deducted from the consultation fee at the first visit.
6. Deposit remains separate from procedure fees.
7. Deposit is required to secure each clinic visit.
8. One rescheduling request within 2 weeks from the original date may be permitted with adequate notice (more than 72 hours)

المصادر

• Care Quality Commission – Regulation 17: Good Governance
• المجلس الطبي العام – الممارسة الطبية الجيدة
• UK Government – Consumer Rights Act 2015
• Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners – Professional standards for aesthetic practice