Val Clinic is a private healthcare provider which charges fees for all its services. Patients will be informed of the need to pay for treatment, consultations, and incurred expenses at Val Clinic. These payments are non-refundable.

For consultations with a medical doctor, full payment of doctor's fees is required. Consultation may be declined if full payment is not received.

Additional investigations or treatments will result in extra charges, which will be communicated to you before they are carried out. Should you choose not to pursue an investigation suggested by our doctor, you release Val Clinic and the Doctor from any liability.

In case of a lost prescription, a duplicate may be re-issued by the Doctor at an additional cost, subject to their discretion.

Val Clinic and the Doctors engaged via our services are not responsible for inaccuracies in medication prescriptions resulting from incorrect information provided by you.

If you encounter any issues with our services, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible. You can request a leaflet explaining our complaints procedure from any practice staff member.

The Doctors overseeing your care operate as independent practitioners. Val Clinic will not be held responsible for any actions or oversights of a doctor. The Doctor will be accountable for the care they provide to you.

Val Clinic has the authority to impose a cancellation fee if you cancel your appointment within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment. The cancellation fee will be £50 or the total cost of the care you were supposed to receive, whichever is greater.

We will not disclose your information to any third party unless you provide consent. Exceptions to this rule include situations where a patient is deemed a threat to themselves or others, or when mandated by a court order.

Patients have the right to access their health records in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our staff are entitled to a workplace free from violent, threatening, or abusive conduct. Under no circumstances will any form of violent, threatening, or abusive behaviour be tolerated.

We reserve the right to deny access to our service in case of violent, threatening, or abusive behaviour or if you are unwilling to make payments or require emergency or specialized treatment beyond our capacity to provide.

VAL CLINIC is the data controller of the personal data you provide. We have appointed Dr. Valentina Mihaylova Nikolova as Data Protection Lead and they will have day to day responsibility for ensuring that we comply with the Data Protection Legislation and for dealing with any requests we receive from individuals exercising their rights under the Data Protection Legislation.

• Identity data such as your first name, middle names, last name, marital status, title, date of birth and gender
• Contact data such as your address, email address and telephone numbers
• Financial data including your bank account and payment card details
• Special categories of data including information about your medical background and health and diversity/equality information such as your race andethnicity

• NHS Trusts
• Independent Contractors such as dentists, opticians, pharmacists
• Other Private Sector Providers
• Ambulance Trusts
• Social Care Services
• Local Authorities
• Education Services
• Fire and Rescue Services
• Police
• Other 'data processors'

Val clinic will retain your personal data for 6 years in case a contract claim arises in line with our data retention policy. Your information will be kept securely at all times. Following the end of the relevant retention period, your files and the personal data covered by the retention period will be permanently deleted or destroyed.

• Access to your data: You have the right to ask us to confirm that we process your personal data, as well as having the right to request access to/copies of your personal data. You can also ask us to provide a range of information, although most of that information corresponds to the information set out in this data privacy policy. We will provide the information free of charge unless your request is manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive, in which case we are entitled to charge a reasonable fee. We may also charge you if you request more than one copy of the same information. We will provide the information you request as soon as possible and in any event within one month of receiving your request. If we need more information to comply with your request, we will let you know.
• Rectification of your data: If you believe personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you can ask us to rectify that information. We will comply with your request within one month of receiving it unless we do not feel it is appropriate, in which case we will let you know why. We will also let you know if we need more time to comply with your request.
• Right to be forgotten: In some circumstances, you have the right to ask us to delete personal data we hold about you. This right is available to you:
  • Where we no longer need your personal data for the purpose for which we collected it
  • Where we have collected your personal data on the grounds of consent and you withdraw that consent
  • Where you object to the processing and we do not have any overriding legitimate interests to continue processing the data
  • Where we have unlawfully processed your personal data (i.e. we have failed to comply with UK GDPR)
  • Where the personal data has to be deleted to comply with a legal obligation There are certain scenarios in which we are entitled to refuse to comply with a request. If any of those apply, we will let you know.
• Right to restrict processing: In some circumstances, you are entitled to ask us to suppress processing of your personal data. This means we will stop actively processing your personal data but we do not have to delete it. This right is available to you:
  • If you believe the personal data we hold is not accurate – we will cease processing it until we can verify its accuracy
  • If you have objected to us processing the data – we will cease processing it until we have determined whether our legitimate interests override your objection
  • If the processing is unlawful
  • If we no longer need the data but you would like us to keep it because you need it to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim
• Data portability: You have the right to ask us to provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format so that you are able to transmit the personal data to another data controller. This right only applies to personal data you provide to us:
  • Where processing is based on your consent or for performance of a contract (i.e. the right does not apply if we process your personal data on the grounds of legitimate interests)
  • Where we carry out the processing by automatedmeans We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event within one month from the date we receive it. If we need more time, we will let you know.
• Right to object: You are entitled to object to us processing your personal data:
  • If the processing is based on legitimate interests or performance of a task in the public interest or exercise of official authority
  • For direct marketing purposes (including profiling)
  • For the purposes of scientific or historical research and statistics In order to object, you must have grounds for doing so based on your particular situation. We will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate that there are compelling, legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms or the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Automated decision-making means making a decision solely by automated means without any human involvement. This would include, for example, an online credit reference check that makes a decision based on information you input without any human involvement. It would also include the use of an automated clocking-in system that automatically issues a warning if a person is late a certain number of times (without any input from HR, for example). We do not carry out any automated decision making using your personal data.

If you think we have processed your personal data unlawfully or that we have not complied with UK GDPR, you can report your concerns to the supervisory authority in your jurisdiction. The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”). You can call the ICO on 0303 123 1113 or get in touch via other means, as set out on the ICO website: ICO-concerns.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the ways in which we process your data, please contact: Val Clinic, 39 Frederick Road, Rainham, RM13 8NJ, Phone: 01708701155, email: info@valclinic.co.uk

• We are committed to providing a fair and efficient process for addressing and resolving patient complaints
• Our objective is to address complaints promptly, impartially, and with respect for patient confidentiality.

Our Complaints Policy is readily accessible to patients through various channels, including our website, prominent displays in waiting areas, and availability of printed copies upon request.

We have established a straightforward and convenient process for patients to submit complaints, which can be done in person, by phone, by email, or in writing.

We have a well-defined procedure in place for handling complaints, outlining the responsibilities of staff members involved and providing clear instructions on documentation and escalation.

We promptly acknowledge receipt of complaints and maintain regular communication with complainants, keeping them informed of the progress and expected timeframe for resolution.

Complaints are thoroughly investigated, considering all relevant information and involving appropriate staff members or departments. Our commitment to impartiality and fairness guides the investigation process.

We maintain strict confidentiality when handling complaints, ensuring that personal information and complaint details are treated with utmost confidentiality and shared on a need-to-know basis only.

We strive to achieve a satisfactory resolution to complaints, which may involve an apology, explanation, corrective action, or implementation of changes to clinic procedures, as deemed necessary.

We provide a clear escalation process for unresolved complaints, including information on external bodies, such as the General Medical Council (GMC) or the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to which patients may escalate their complaint if needed.

Feedback from complaints is highly valued, as it helps drive continuous improvement in our clinic operations and patient care. Insights gained from complaints are utilized to implement necessary changes and prevent similar issues in the future.

For submitting complaints, patients can reach us through our dedicated complaints email address: complaints@valclinic.co.uk

The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace a consultation with a qualified medical practitioner.

 

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of information you have read on this website!

 

Val Clinic cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage, or injury that arises from the use of this website. Nevertheless, every reasonable effort is taken to ensure that the information published on this website is accurate and instructional.

This website provides links to other websites for the convenience of our users. We are not responsible for the content of these websites, and inclusion of these links does not imply endorsement or affiliation. We do not endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on this website.

There are 4 main models of the doctor-patient relationship; the paternalistic model, the informative model, the interpretive model, and the deliberative model (Emanuel and Emanuel, 1992). As well as the various models, different aspects of the doctor-patient relationship have been identified which includes but is not limited to; confidentiality and informed consent, shared decision making, physician superiority/conversational dominance, conflict of interest, transitional care, and finally, other involved individuals. The General Medical Council (GMC) has published advice to doctors in order to ensure that doctors are aware of the standards expected of them (GMC, 2013). The British Medical association (BMA) also provides career advice and support to any physician regarding key issues (BMA, 2017).

The use of this website only for information does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Any communication with the administrators or contributors of this website does not create a doctor-patient relationship.

 

Emanuel, E. J. and Emanuel, L. L. (1992) 'Four Models of the Physician-Patient Relationship', JAMA, 267(16), pp. 2221-2226.
BMA (2017) Confidentiality and health records tool kit: @theBMA. Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/confidentiality-and-health-records/confidentiality-and-health-records-tool-kit
GMC (2013) Good medical practice: General Medical Council, Regent's Place, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN. Available at: http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/index.asp

We make every effort to ensure that this website is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to this website, or the sites to which it links. We accept no responsibility for any damages arising from the loss of use of this information.