Please take your time to read these terms and conditions carefully. They include important information about the Yorkshire Eye Specialists and the way in which we will provide your care. If you have any questions relating to these terms and conditions, please send them to [email protected] or telephone our administration team.
References to “we”, “us” or “our” mean the Yorkshire Eye Specialists LLP and references to “you” or “your” applies you as our patient and recipient of our services. References to the “hospital” apply to the hospital or clinic in which your treatment is undertaken.
Private medicine may be provided by us, the hospital and other independent practitioners, for example, anaesthetists.
1. Administration
1.1 An initial appointment can be made with one of our consultants following a referral from your optometrist, general practitioner or other medical professional or, if you prefer, you can choose to self-refer for an appointment without a referral letter.
1.2 All our consultants provide services direct to you on behalf of the Yorkshire Eye Specialists and not on behalf of the hospital at which you are being treated.
1.3 The selected facility you attend shall provide appropriate services, including accommodation and nursing support where necessary.
1.4 Fees for outpatient consultations are levied by us.
1.5 Fees for outpatient diagnostic tests may be levied by us or the hospital.
1.6 Fees for treatment can be billed traditionally, as in you are billed from each provider separately, or can be combined into a package, as in you are billed from one provider for your whole treatment who acts as an agent for the other parties involved.
1.7 Packaged billing is in place for some specific consultations, some outpatient diagnostic tests, some outpatient treatments and most hospital based surgical treatments.
1.8 Where package billing is in place, we will provide you with information in writing on what is included in your package and the cost.
1.9 Invoices may be raised for services that are not part of a package, and might include services provided by us, the hospital, independent medical practitioners, general practitioners and/or anaesthetists are additional to charges made by us and will be billed to you separately.
1.10 We have no responsibility or liability for the terms and conditions of business of any third party, independent practitioner or hospital.
1.11 We operate a price match guarantee. If you find a competitive fee for your treatment within a 15 mile radius of our facility location, we will match the rate given to you, subject to you providing written quote for the same treatment.
1.12 Personal expenses, including for example, newspapers, guests’ food and beverages, telephone calls (“expenses”), incurred at the hospital where your treatment takes place will be charged for and bills must be settled before you leave the hospital. Personal expenses are billed to you by the hospital.
1.13 We will not accept any liability for any loss or damage to any personal items or valuables. Please do not take any valuable items to the hospital which you are attending for treatment.
1.14 In the event of a medical emergency, you may be transferred to NHS care, subject to the emergency care protocol as defined by the NHS.
2. Prices and billing
2.1 Our consultation and outpatient fees are set out in our price list which is provided to you when you book your initial appointment.
2.2 We have independent and competitive fee schedules for both self funding and insured patients.
2.3 If you are self funding for your care, you will be billed according to our self funding fee schedule. You will receive an account directly from us for any and all consultation charges, consultant expertise and outpatient diagnostic tests or treatments utilising Yorkshire Eye Specialists’ equipment.
2.4 If you are covered by medical insurance, your insurer will be billed according to the appropriate Yorkshire Eye Specialists insurer fee schedule on provision to us of a valid pre-authorisation number from you. Your insurer will receive an account directly from us for any and all consultant charges, consultant expertise and outpatient diagnostic tests or treatments utilising Yorkshire Eye Specialists’ equipment.
2.4.1 If no valid pre-authorisation number is provided by you, you will be billed as a self funding patient pursuant to clause 2.3.
2.4.2 You should check with your insurer that you have adequate cover in place for your treatment. Only your insurer can confirm that your cover is adequate.
2.4.3 If an insurer has agreed to pay all or part of your account, any balance outstanding that the insurer does not pay is your responsibility and must be paid by you.
2.4.4 If we are unable to invoice your insurance company for outpatient diagnostic tests or outpatient treatments, we will provide you with information when you book your initial appointment and you will be treated as a self funding patient with respect of any and all outpatient diagnostic tests or outpatient treatments pursuant to clause 2.3.
2.5 Fees for services provided by us, the hospital, independent medical practitioners, general practitioners and/or anaesthetists are additional to charges made by us and will be billed to you separately unless they are covered by an agreed inclusive treatment package.
2.6 Self funding treatment packages
2.6.1 Following your outpatient consultation with your consultant, if you require treatment and are paying for yourself, we or the hospital may provide an inclusive treatment package quotation for this, which may be subject to a clinical pre-assessment, and the service you require. The quotation will remain valid for 60 days.
2.6.2 Our inclusive treatment package quotations are fully inclusive of your consultant’s fee, the hospital fee, your anaesthetist’s fee and may include a follow up consultation, which would be agreed with you beforehand in writing. Either we or the hospital will collect these fees as an agent on behalf of the other parties who are independent practitioners or businesses. Fees for services provided by medical consultants, general practitioners and anaesthetists outside of the charge quoted by us to you are additional.
2.6.3 The fees for the individual components of our inclusive treatment packages are for internal use only. We are unable to provide any breakdown of these package prices to you.
2.6.4 Our inclusive treatment package quotations are valid from the date of issue and will not change during the 60 day period but we reserve the right not to provide treatment if it is clinically not appropriate for us to do so.
2.7 Self funding where no treatment package is available
2.7.1 Following your outpatient consultation with your consultant, if you require treatment, are paying for yourself, and no inclusive treatment package is available for your treatment, we will provide you with a quotation for your consultant’s expertise and care only, including any follow up consultations, in writing.
2.7.2 We will provide you with a quotation and contact details for other independent practitioners or facility involved in your care, including, but not limited to, the hospital and, if applicable, your anaesthetist, who will in turn provide you with a quotation under their independent terms of business.
2.7.3 You will receive accounts payable separately from any independent practitioner or facility involved in your care, including, but not limited to, us on behalf of your consultant, the hospital and, if applicable, your anaesthetist.
2.8 Patients covered by medical insurance for treatment
2.8.1 Following your outpatient consultation with your consultant, if you require treatment and are covered by medical insurance, your insurer will receive accounts separately from any independent practitioner or facility involved in your care, including, but not limited to, us on behalf of your consultant, the hospital and, if applicable, your anaesthetist for your treatment unless there is an agreed package in place.
2.8.2 In the event there is an agreed inclusive treatment package in place with your insurer, we or the hospital will provide you with an inclusive treatment package quotation for this, which may be subject to a clinical pre-assessment and the service you require.
2.8.3 Our inclusive insurer treatment packages are fully inclusive of your consultant’s fee, the hospital fee, your anaesthetist’s fee and may include a follow up consultation, which would be agreed with you beforehand in writing. Either we or the hospital will collect these fees as an agent on behalf of the other parties who are independent practitioners or businesses. Fees for services provided by medical consultants, general practitioners and anaesthetists outside of the package quoted by us to you are additional.
2.8.4 The fees for the individual components of our inclusive insurer treatment packages are for internal use only. We are unable to provide any breakdown of these package prices to you or your insurer.
2.8.5 You should check with your insurer that you have adequate cover in place for your treatment. Only your insurer can confirm that your cover is adequate.
2.8.5 If an insurer has agreed to pay all or part of your account, any balance outstanding that the insurer does not pay is your responsibility and must be paid by you.
2.9 We reserve the right not to provide treatment if it is not clinically appropriate for us to do so.
2.10 Unless otherwise agreed, we reserve the right to change our fees and charges without prior notice.
3. Payment terms
3.1 Self funding patients
3.1.1 Our payment terms for outpatient appointments, tests and treatments are 14 days.
3.1.2 If you are not covered by medical insurance, our payment terms for our inclusive treatment packages require you to pay your account in full 7 working days (or 10 working days if paying by personal cheque to allow for clearance) before admission to the hospital and before receiving any treatment.
3.1.3 You can pay by debit/credit card, cheque or electronic transfer of funds, for example, BACS.
3.2 Patients covered by medical insurance
3.2.1 Direct settlement by insurance companies: If your insurer operates a direct settlement scheme, we will send your account and claim form to the insurance company for payment on your behalf. So that we can do this, you will need to obtain pre-authorisation, in advance, in respect of all tests and treatments that you are to receive. You will also need to provide us with a completed and signed claim form before you are discharged from hospital. If your insurance company does not pay the account in full within 14 days from the date you were discharged, outstanding balances will be notified to you by email or letter. You will have 14 days from the date of your email or letter to query this outstanding payment before you will be expected to provide immediate and full settlement of your account. A receipt will be provided on request.
3.2.2 No direct settlement scheme: If your insurance company does not operate a direct settlement scheme or if you are unable to provide us with a completed and signed claim form, you must pay your account in full 7 working days (or 10 working days if paying by personal cheque to allow for clearance) before treatment if attending as an inpatient or within 14 days of your appointment, test or treatment if attending as an outpatient.
3.3 Payment by third parties excluding solicitor requested work
3.3.1 If your company, employer or other third party, agrees to pay your account, a letter of authority must be produced when you are admitted to the hospital. The letter will need to confirm that your account will be paid in full within 14 days from the date you are discharged from the hospital. Should the company, employer or other third party not pay the account in full within 21 days from the date you were discharged, outstanding balances will be notified to you by letter. You will have 14 days from the date of your letter to query this outstanding payment before you will be expected to provide immediate and full settlement of your account. A receipt will be provided on request.
3.4 You will not be admitted to the hospital for treatment until we receive full payment or a valid insurer pre-authorisation or a letter of authority from a third party guaranteeing payment in advance.
3.5 In the event that payment is not received within a maximum of 60 days following your appointment, test or treatment, arrears will be passed to a third party debt collection agency for any outstanding debts or accounts in respect of services of expenses for recovery. Once this has taken place, we are not able to accept payment directly.
3.6 Additional fees in respect of administration will be applied to any debt or account which is handed over to a third party debt collection agency. Once this has taken place, we have no authority to remove these fees.
3.7 Where an overdue debt of 60 days or more remains on your account, we are not in a position to provide ongoing or additional services to you until the overdue debt is settled. If the debt remains overdue, we will make provision to refer you to another private provider or to the NHS to ensure you continue to receive the medical care you require.
4. Cancellation of treatment
4.1 If it is deemed clinically inappropriate for you to proceed with your planned treatment following a clinical pre-assessment, a full refund will be given.
4.2 If it is deemed clinically inappropriate for you to proceed with your planned treatment following your admission to the hospital, a full refund will be given.
4.3 For cancellation by you more than 14 days before your planned treatment, a full refund will be given.
4.4 For cancellation by you of between 14 days and 24 hours of your planned treatment, cancellation charges of 50% of the total fee will apply. A 50% refund will be given to you.
4.5 For cancellation by you within 24 hours of planned treatment, or you do not attend the hospital at the correct time, you will be liable for the full charge. No refund will be given.
4.6 No refund will be given if you decide to discharge yourself, at any time, against the advice if your consultant or the nursing staff.
4.7 Nursing clinical pre-assessment charges will be included in the quotation to you. If you decide not to go ahead with treatment after you have undergone the clinical pre-assessment, you will be charged separately for services as appropriate.
5. Yorkshire Eye Specialists inclusive treatment package
5.1 The following are included in your inclusive treatment package quotation when paying for yourself
- Your nursing clinical pre-assessment prior to admission
- All consultant fees for the duration of your admission to the hospital.
- All anaesthetist fees for the duration of your admission to the hospital.
- Any follow up consultation or diagnostic test as agreed with you beforehand in writing as part of your quotation.
- All hospital services, for example, room, nursing services, operating theatre charges.
- Charges for the agreed prosthesis where applicable.
- Medications and other materials used during your stay.
- All additional costs necessary to provide your treatment.
- Critical care charges including any transfer to NHS critical care facilities.
- Any outpatient treatment that you may require after your discharge from the hospital that is clinically required and related to the treatment, for example, removal of sutures or routine pathology where provided by us.
- Any re-admission to our selected hospital for medical complications arising from the original procedure, subject to following the post operative recommendations as set out by your consultant.
5.2 The costs associated with the following are not included in your inclusive treatment package quotation when paying for yourself
- Any initial outpatient appointment or diagnostic test.
- Any follow up outpatient appointment or diagnostic test other than as agreed with you beforehand in writing as part of your inclusive treatment package quotation.
- Personal expenses, including for example, newspapers, guests’ food and beverages, telephone calls.
- If you choose to remain an inpatient at the hospital after your consultant has advised there is no clinical reason for you to stay.
- Treatment of any other condition than that which was quoted to you.
- A replacement prosthesis where required due to normal wear and tear.
- Any long term care that may be required, for example, administering post operative or long term eyedrops.
- Any revision treatment of the original procedure which is not clinically required or deemed medically necessary by your consultant.
6. Policies and procedures
6.1 We have a complaints procedure and an access to personal data procedure in place, details of which can be obtained from our administration team.
7. General
7.1 These terms and conditions supersede all previous representations, understandings or agreements.