Terms of Service

Summary of key terms

• Physit provides physiotherapy to adults and to young people aged 12 to 17. Treatment takes place at the patient’s home, workplace or care facility, or at our treatment room in 11 Hurlingham Studios, London, SW6 3PA
• Before any treatment begins, your physiotherapist will explain the proposed treatment, its risks and the available alternatives. You may decline or stop treatment at any time.
• Appointments must be cancelled or rearranged at least 24 hours in advance. Cancellations made with less notice, and missed appointments, are charged at the full appointment fee, unless the appointment can be reallocated or exceptional circumstances apply.
• Payment is due within 7 days of each appointment, by bank transfer or online payment link. Cash and cheques are not accepted.
• Travel costs are normally included in our fees. Where an additional travel charge applies, the amount will be confirmed at the time of booking.
• Where treatment is funded by an insurer, solicitor, case manager, employer or care facility, you remain responsible for any amount the funder does not pay.
• Physit does not provide emergency care. In an emergency, call 999. For urgent medical advice, contact NHS 111.

Part 1: Our terms

What these terms cover

This document sets out how Physit Limited provides physiotherapy to you, and what we each agree to. The terms apply from the moment we confirm your first appointment, and to every appointment after that unless we send you a newer version. You book one appointment at a time: there’s no minimum number, and you can stop at any point.

Throughout, “we”, “us” and “Physit” mean Physit Limited. “You” means the patient and, where someone else has agreed to pay, such as a parent or guardian, that person as well. Part 2 adds a few terms that depend on how your treatment is funded.

About Physit

• Physit Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, company number 08276116, with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ.
• Get in touch on 0204 570 2391, at info@physit.co.uk or through https://www.physit.co.uk
• Every Physit physiotherapist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which regulates the profession, and “physiotherapist” is a protected title. You can check any of us on the register at hcpc-uk.org.
• Our physiotherapists are also members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
• We work to the HCPC’s Standards of conduct, performance and ethics, and only within our scope of practice.
• Our professional indemnity (clinical malpractice) insurance is with James Hallam and covers treatment in the United Kingdom.

What you can expect from us

Your physiotherapist will:

• treat you with the care and skill you’d expect of a qualified, registered physiotherapist
• base your treatment on current evidence and professional guidance
• keep you informed about your assessment, your plan and how you’re progressing
• keep clear clinical records and look after your information (see Part 3)

Physiotherapy works differently for everyone, so we can’t promise a specific outcome or recovery time. We’ll be honest about what we expect and review your plan as you go.

Who we see

We see adults, and young people aged 12 to 17. If what you need is outside our scope of practice, or needs urgent medical attention, we’ll tell you and point you to the right service.

Young people aged 12 to 17

• A parent or guardian with parental responsibility accepts these terms and pays for treatment.
• Under-16s must have a parent, guardian or an adult the parent or guardian chooses at every appointment. Patients aged 16 or 17 can decide whether they’d like someone with them.
• Most 16- and 17-year-olds can give their own consent to treatment. Under-16s can too, if the physiotherapist is satisfied they fully understand what’s involved. If not, the parent or guardian decides.
• Where it’s appropriate, we’ll involve parents or guardians in decisions about care.
• If we’re worried about a young person’s safety, we’ll act under our safeguarding policy, which can include telling the relevant authorities.

Agreeing to treatment

Nothing happens without your agreement. First, your physiotherapist will explain:

• what they recommend, and why
• how it should help, and any significant risks or side effects
• the other options, including choosing no treatment

Treatment may involve mobilisation, manipulation, manual therapy, soft tissue massage, acupuncture, exercise prescription and other techniques. Ask as many questions as you like. You can change your mind at any time, say no to any part of your treatment or stop altogether, and you don’t need to give a reason.

When someone can’t decide for themselves

Patients who have mental capacity make their own treatment decisions (for under-16s, see Young people aged 12 to 17). Where a patient aged 16 or over lacks the capacity to decide about their treatment, we follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005:

• the decision can be made by someone holding a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare, or by a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection with authority to make it
• if there’s no such person, the physiotherapist decides what is in the patient’s best interests, after talking to family, carers and others involved in their care

A relative or carer can accept these terms and agree to pay on a patient’s behalf, but that is not the same as consenting to treatment. We record who accepted the terms and on what basis.

Photos and videos

Sometimes a photo or short video helps us assess you or track your progress. We’ll always ask first, and it’s fine to say no. Any images go into your clinical record and are used only for your care. Using them for anything else, such as teaching or publicity, would need your separate written permission.

Having someone with you

Because we see you at home, at work, in your care facility or at our treatment room, you’re welcome to have a relative, friend, colleague or carer with you as a chaperone at any appointment. Under-16s must always have a parent, guardian or nominated adult present (see Young people aged 12 to 17).

Urgent medical help

Physit doesn’t provide emergency care. In an emergency call 999. For urgent advice, call NHS 111 or your GP. If your physiotherapist spots signs that need urgent attention, they’ll tell you where to go.

Booking and appointments

Each appointment is confirmed by email, with the date, time, and name of the treating physiotherapist. We can see you at home, at your workplace, in your care facility or at our treatment room in 11 Hurlingham Studios, London, SW6 3PA.

What we ask of you

• Tell us about your health, medical history and any medicines, and let us know if anything changes. We can only treat you safely if we have the full picture.
• Be ready at the agreed time and place.
• Follow the advice and exercises your physiotherapist gives you, and any safety instructions.
• Be courteous to our team, as we will be to you.

When we come to you

Whether we’re visiting your home, workplace or care facility, please:

• make sure we can get in at the agreed time, for example by sharing door codes or letting reception know we’re coming
• clear enough space for treatment to be carried out safely
• keep pets in another room while we’re there
• not smoke in the room during the appointment
• tell us about any parking restrictions, and whether anyone there has an infectious illness

If your physiotherapist can’t get in, or can’t treat you safely when they arrive, we’ll count it as a missed appointment (see Cancelling or moving an appointment), unless it was beyond your control.

When we may end treatment

We can end an appointment or stop seeing you if:

• anyone is abusive, aggressive or discriminatory towards our team
• the place we’re treating you in isn’t safe
• invoices remain unpaid after we’ve sent reminders
• what you need falls outside our scope of practice

Whenever we can, we’ll tell you why and suggest where else you could get help.

If we need to change an appointment

Occasionally we may need to cancel or move an appointment, for example if your physiotherapist is unwell. We’ll let you know as early as we can and find you another time. There’s never a charge for an appointment we cancel. If we’re running late, we’ll keep you posted.

Our fees

You’ll find our current fees at https://www.physit.co.uk/pricing and we’ll confirm the fee when you book. If our fees go up, we’ll give you at least 30 days’ notice before the new fee applies.

Travel

Travel is usually included in our appointment fees. For some bookings an extra travel charge applies. We’ll tell you the amount when you book, before you confirm, and it won’t change on the day.

Paying your invoice

• Please pay each invoice in full within 7 days of the appointment.
• You can pay by bank transfer or through the secure online payment link on your invoice. We can’t accept cash or cheques.
• Our bank details are shown on every invoice. We will never ask you to pay into a different account by email, text or messaging app. If you get a message like this, don’t pay. Call us on [phone] to check.
• If an invoice is still unpaid 30 days after its due date, we’ll add a one-off charge of 7% of the unpaid amount. You’ll get a reminder from us first.

Cancelling or moving an appointment

If you need to cancel or move an appointment, please give us at least 24 hours’ notice by phone, email or text. We count the notice from when your message reaches us.

We won’t charge if we can offer the slot to another patient, or if you couldn’t attend because of something serious, such as sudden illness, a hospital admission or a bereavement. Insurers and other funders generally won’t pay for late cancellations or missed appointments, so unless yours has agreed to, the charge is yours to pay.

Keeping in touch

We’ll contact you by phone, email, text or messaging app to arrange appointments and send invoices. Please keep messaging apps for appointment arrangements only: don’t use them to send clinical details or photos, or to ask for clinical advice. We’ll only send you news about our services if you’ve opted in, and you can opt out whenever you like.

Who we share information with

What you tell us stays confidential. When you agree, we share what’s relevant with others involved in your care, such as your GP, a consultant or care staff, and with whoever is funding your treatment (see Part 2). We would only share information without your agreement where the law requires or permits it, for example to protect someone from serious harm. Part 3 explains how we use and protect your information, and your rights.

If something isn’t right

Your will find our complaints procedures at https://www.physit.co.uk/complaints

Our responsibility to you

We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer as a foreseeable result of us breaking these terms or not using reasonable care and skill. We aren’t responsible for loss or damage that couldn’t have been foreseen. None of this limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law says can’t be limited.

Updates to these terms

From time to time we’ll update these terms, for example when the law or our services change. We’ll let you know about any update before your next appointment. If you don’t want to continue under the new terms, you can stop treatment and only pay for appointments you’ve already had.

Law that applies

English law applies to these terms, and the courts of England and Wales can hear any legal dispute about them.

Part 2: Funding your treatment

How your treatment is funded changes a few of the terms. If a funder doesn’t pay for part of your treatment, the patient, or the person who agreed to pay, settles the rest.

Self-funded

• You pay the fees, travel charges and cancellation charges set out in Part 1.
• Each invoice is due within 7 days of the appointment.

Private medical insurance

• We accept Bupa Global (formerly BUPA International), WPA and Cigna International.
• Let us know before your first appointment that you’ll be claiming on your insurance.
• We can bill your insurer only once they’ve issued a pre-authorisation number and confirmed how many sessions they’ll cover. Please send us both before your first appointment. Until then, you’ll be treated as self-funded.
• We then bill your insurer directly for the sessions they’ve authorised.
• You pay whatever your insurer doesn’t, for example:
  • an excess or co-payment on your policy
  • sessions beyond the number authorised
  • treatment your policy excludes
  • late cancellations and missed appointments
  • anything left unpaid if your insurer turns down or withdraws your claim
• If we know a session isn’t covered by your authorisation, we’ll tell you before booking it.

Personal injury claims (solicitor or case manager)

• Where a solicitor, case manager or claims insurer refers you, they normally pay us under a separate agreement.
• If you agree (see the acceptance form), we’ll send them treatment reports, attendance details and invoices.
• Treatment that starts before they’ve confirmed in writing that they’ll pay is your responsibility.
• [If funding stops, for example because your claim doesn’t succeed or is withdrawn, you may have to pay for treatment you’ve already had.] We’ll always tell you before any further appointment is billed to you.
• Anything outside what they’ve authorised is yours to pay, unless they agree to cover it.

Funded by your employer

• Your employer is billed for the treatment they’ve authorised.
• They’ll only hear what they need to manage your referral: whether you attended, how many appointments you’ve had and the invoices[, plus a brief progress summary and advice about work if you agree].
• Detailed clinical information goes to your employer only if you agree.
• Any appointments beyond what your employer has authorised are yours to pay, unless they agree otherwise.

Part 3: Privacy Policy

You will find our Privacy Notice at: https://www.physit.co.uk/privacy-notice