Booking Conditions

N.B. Our experience indicates that when poor outcomes from treatments occur there is a strong correlation with a lack of medical-grade skincare. It is necessary that patients follow the skincare regime prepared by their practitioner. This is to ensure the best possible chance of acceptable results being achieved. Further, where combination treatments are recommended, but not followed, results will be substandard. Patients who do not follow the advised pre and post-care instructions, as well as the skincare and treatment regime, should expect that their results will be adversely impacted. It should be noted that treatment results cannot be predicted or guaranteed (and in some instances no visible changes may occur) and a refund or financial compensation will not be offered unless we are found to be at fault through a material failure in how the treatment was performed, an act of negligence, or a breach of our duty of care. 

Patients who follow all of the advice given by their practitioner will be offered appropriate support which will be determined through a consultation process with the clinical team, external experts (where necessary), and the device or product suppliers. Patients may ask for an independent assessment of their results which will be completed internally. An external review is not offered until all internal procedures have been exhausted.

(1) Bookings:

1. Bookings are made on a first-come-first-served basis.
2. Bookings are not confirmed until payment of the required fee is received. 
3. We may in some instances hold an appointment open for a period of time (maximum 24 hours) to allow a fee payment to be made, however, we reserve the right to reallocate any unconfirmed appointments at any time and without notice.

(2) Fees & Charges:

1. A minimum fee (per hour) of £50 is required to secure an appointment with a therapist and a minimum fee (per hour) of £100 with a doctor. Following an appointment, the fee will be credited toward any treatment completed within 28 days (including treatment had on the day but excluding product purchases).
2. Fees not used within 28 days of the appointment time will be forfeited. Fees cannot be used for product purchases or transferred to other patients.
3. Appointments for treatments require a fee to be paid equal to the greater of: (1) the minimum fee for a therapist or a doctor appointment (above); (2) the minimum fee per hour multiplied by the treatment time including any preparation time associated with the treatment and which includes time allocated to providing pain management or carrying out ancillary services such as imaging (e.g. a 2.5-hour treatment with a therapist will require a deposit of £125); (3) 20% of the cost of the treatment; (4) 20% of the cost of the course of treatments (where the appointment that is booked is part of a course).
4. Full payment for treatments or courses costing £1000 or more must be made on the same day and prior to treatment being performed.
5. All accounts are to be settled prior to leaving the clinic. Unpaid accounts will incur additional charges including interest and reasonable costs of debt recovery.  
6. Dermal filler review appointments do not include any complimentary syringes and any adjustment to your treatment will be charged at the full cost of the product used. 

(3) No Right to Demand Treatment:

1. A booking does not guarantee treatment will be provided and the decision to treat will be based on a medical assessment and the professional opinion of our staff.
2. Your suitability for treatment will be determined by our staff and we cannot carry out a treatment where contraindications, allergies, or other factors (including psychological concerns) might result in an adverse outcome.
3. If you have paid for a consultation, please be aware that the outcome of the consultation may be information and advice only. 
4. The decision to offer treatment is at the discretion of the doctor, or therapist, and whose decision is final.

We are a very busy clinic that invests in world-class treatments, devices, staff training, full and thorough insurance policies, and ensure compliance with all necessary operating standards, including, but not limited to, health and safety, along with many other fixed operational costs.  While we make every effort to provide a flexible and patient-focused service we cannot operate a viable business when patients fail to attend appointments or do not provide sufficient notice of changes or cancellations. Our cancellation fees represent a contribution toward the sunk cost, lost time, and overheads incurred from missed appointments.

The cancellation fee is set at a level that compensates the clinic for the lost time and resources only. We do not profit from cancellation fees and would in all instances prefer to see patients attend their appointments. A cancellation fee will be charged to patients unless the following minimum notice periods, which afford the clinic a reasonable opportunity to reallocate the appointment, are adhered to:

1. A minimum of 48 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule any appointment of one hour or less
2. A minimum of 72 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule any appointment of more than one hour except for CoolSculpting which requires a minimum of 7 days’ notice.

The cancellation fee is equal to the fee due for the appointment which has been missed as set out in (2) above. Missed follow-up appointments for injectable treatments will not incur a fee however, to rebook a subsequent follow-up appointment a fee of £100 is required to be paid. 

In exceptional circumstances management may waive the cancellation fee. Should a patient consider extenuating circumstances apply then a formal request must be made in writing together with sufficient evidence in support of the claim.

(5) Skin Consultations:

1. Skin consultations with therapists will incur a non-refundable and non-redeemable fee of £50 for skin consultations where the patient has not undergone any treatment in the clinic in the last six months. 
2. Patients are entitled to one complimentary follow-up every six months where at least £500 has been spent on skincare products in the same six-month period and where the patient is not undergoing any treatment in the clinic.
3. Please note we are unable to offer support to patients who have purchased skincare products elsewhere or who have not regularly and recently purchased their products from our clinic.
4. Missed skin consultations or those not rescheduled with at least 48 hours’ notice, regardless of whether you have purchased your products from us or not, will incur a cancellation fee of £50. 
5. Our doctors do not offer skin consultations and all skin protocols are managed by a therapist under the doctor’s supervision.

(6) Product Purchases:

1. Products recommended by our therapists are part of a treatment protocol that will include several different products.
2. Non-adherence to a complete skincare protocol is not evidence of the failure of a product to perform. Regardless, the performance of any of our skincare products is not guaranteed and cannot be determined following short-term use.
3. Any faults or concerns regarding a product should be reported to the clinic as soon as possible.
4. Reports should be sent in writing and include a full description of the concern along with photographs of the product. If the fault is due to a reaction to a product then a photo of the reaction will be required in order to process a replacement. Without a photo of your reaction a replacement will not be offered.
5. Refunds or replacements will be given for physical faults with any of our products and which will be in line with your statutory rights. 

(7) Abandoned Treatment:

1. Patients who choose not to complete treatment at the required settings or are unable to follow the necessary pre, post, or pain management protocols, and once the treatment has commenced, will be required to pay for the treatment in full.
2. Courses, or part thereof, that are not completed due to any action taken, or not taken, by a patient will be lost and no partial refund will be offered. Courses must be completed in a timely manner and in line with the required protocol and prior to expiry. Missed or delayed treatments are likely to impact the treatment outcome. Patients are expected to adjust where necessary their other commitments to ensure compliance with a treatment protocol. The clinic can become very busy, and appointments can at times be limited. Please be aware of this when deciding to proceed with treatment.
3. Where a course is interrupted, through no fault of the patient, then the course may be extended, or a credit equal to the value of the remaining treatments offered. The decision to extend or change a course is at the discretion of management.

(8) Refunds:

1. Refunds are routinely not offered once a treatment has been booked as time and resources are allocated well in advance. However, a reasonable cooling-off period will be offered but in all instances, the cancellation policy must be followed.
2. Where a refund is made it will be made after deducting associated transaction costs, fees, or bank charges – subject to a minimum handling fee of 2%. 
3. Refunds are never offered when a service has been provided (including the writing of private prescriptions) or retail products have been removed from the premises. 

(9) COVID Vaccines:

1. Patients should not schedule their appointments close to the time of their vaccinations. Treatments cannot be performed either two weeks before or two weeks after COVID vaccinations – this is in line with ACE Group Guidelines.
2. Cancellation fees will not be waived for patients suffering side effects from a vaccine as vaccinations should only be booked outside the two-week buffer and in consideration of your appointment. If you book a vaccination please consider you might feel unwell and reschedule your appointment accordingly.

(10) Price Quotes & Estimates:

1. Prices given by our reception team and prior to the consultation with a doctor, therapist or aesthetic practitioner are estimates only.
2. Only prices quoted by either a doctor, therapist, or aesthetic practitioner and following an in-person consultation will be honored within three months of issue unless the treatment protocol is revised in which case the patient can proceed under the quoted protocol and at the quoted price but must accept that the treatment results will be affected. 

(11) Late Arrivals:

1. Late arrivals may not receive treatment – Berkshire Aesthetics staff will always do their best to provide full treatment but cannot keep other patients waiting.
2. If you arrive late and your appointment cannot be completed a cancellation fee, in line with (2) above, must be paid prior to your appointment being rebooked.
3. Where your appointment cannot run on time due to a fault of the clinic then your appointment will be rescheduled without charge. N.B. Please note, that our appointments are booked with sufficient time for each patient however, patients can suffer adverse events or reactions and must be properly treated. We ask that you consider that your treatment might be delayed due to incidents earlier in the day. While we make allowances in the diary, which anticipate a certain level of patient delays, we must ensure the correct and proper treatment is given to every patient in our care.

(12) Attending Your Appointment:

1. Children, family, or friends are not permitted to attend the clinic with you. A chaperone may attend your appointment, but we ask that you notify us of this at the time of booking as we have limited space in reception. Alternatively, we have staff trained as chaperones and one of our team can be made available to attend your appointment with you. Please let us know of this requirement when booking.
2. We cannot provide supervision of children and they are not permitted in the treatment areas under any circumstances.
3. It is important that you provide all the medical history asked of you. Berkshire Aesthetics and its staff will not be held liable for any damage, loss, or injury caused because of any false, incorrect, or withheld information or due to the failure to follow instructions from the doctors or any of our staff prior to, during, or after your treatment.
4. For any treatment bookings, you are strongly advised not to consume alcohol or any recreational drugs at least 48 hours before or after your appointment. If you have consumed alcohol or any other substances not listed on your medical form, you must alert the doctor or therapist as it may not be safe or recommended to proceed.

(13) Bullying & Harassment of Staff:

1. The clinic has a zero-tolerance policy regarding rude, threatening, or aggressive language and behaviour from patients on the phone, in person, via email, and online.
2. Patients are expected to treat our staff with common professional courtesy and respect.
3. Any bad language or rude, threatening, or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.
4. Any patient considered to be behaving in an unacceptable manner will be given one warning before being asked to leave and their treatment will be cancelled (without refund)
5. Any incidents where a patient has been asked to leave will be investigated by the Registered Manager and a report shared with the patient. A possible outcome of the investigation is the patient is excluded from the clinic.
6. Refunds will not be given where treatment is not completed due to the action of a patient.  

(14) Guaranteed Outcomes:

1. Our treatments are medical and while we make every effort to assess a patient’s suitability for treatment, and provide the best possible patient care, we do not and cannot guarantee treatment outcomes, and no claims are made, or is it implied that any treatment will be successful. 
2. Once a treatment has been performed a refund cannot be provided. However, where appropriate, and in the opinion of the Medical Director, further or different treatment may improve the outcome then this might be offered to you at a marginal cost.
3. Patients who have not followed the skincare programme designed by our practitioners and purchased skincare throughout their treatment from us will not be supported where treatment results are not as expected.

(15) Pain Management Protocols:

1. I understand that by waiving the recommended pain management by my Doctor/Senior Aesthetics Practitioner, I will not hold Berkshire Aesthetics responsible for the outcome of my treatment.
2. By not following the recommended pain management protocol the required treatment protocol may not be delivered, depending on individual pain threshold, and the results may not be optimal.
3.  The expected outcome may not be achieved and no subsequent treatments will be offered in lieu.