Patient Terms and Conditions

Brook Preventative Care ("BPC") is the trading name of Brook Preventative Health Limited ("BPH").

BPC provides and coordinates preventative healthcare programmes designed to help individuals better understand their current health, identify relevant health risks and make informed decisions about their future health and healthcare.

BPC is a separate business from The Brook Surgery Limited ("TBS").

BPC is not itself registered with the Care Quality Commission ("CQC") to provide regulated clinical activities.

Where your BPC programme involves clinical assessment, medical advice, interpretation of clinical results, recommendations concerning investigation or treatment, or other regulated clinical services, those clinical services are provided by appropriately qualified clinicians acting through The Brook Surgery Limited.

TBS is registered with the Care Quality Commission and is responsible for the clinical services provided to you through its clinicians, including the clinical governance of those services.

BPC's role includes the organisation, administration and coordination of your preventative care programme and access to relevant clinical and diagnostic services.

BPC provides a personalised, clinician-led approach to preventative healthcare.

Depending upon your circumstances, your programme may include:

• collection and review of information about your health, lifestyle, family history and relevant risk factors;
• preventative health assessment;
• consultation with a clinician;
• physical measurements or examinations where appropriate;
• blood or other laboratory investigations;
• imaging or other diagnostic investigations;
• assessment of health risks;
• interpretation and discussion of results;
• recommendations concerning lifestyle, prevention or health optimisation;
• recommendations for further investigation;
• recommendations to consult your own GP or another healthcare professional;
• referral to an appropriate GP, consultant or other specialist; and
• follow-up consultation where appropriate.

The investigations or services recommended will depend upon your individual circumstances and clinical assessment.

No particular investigation, scan, test, treatment or referral is guaranteed to form part of your programme.

BPC provides preventative healthcare services.

It is not a replacement for your own GP or usual medical care.

BPC and TBS do not assume general responsibility for the management of all aspects of your health merely because you participate in a BPC programme.

You should maintain an appropriate relationship with your own GP and other healthcare professionals responsible for your ongoing care.

BPC is principally intended to assess health and health risks in people seeking preventative healthcare.

It should not be used to delay or replace medical assessment of symptoms, new medical problems or deterioration in an existing condition.

If you develop symptoms or are concerned that you may be unwell, you should seek appropriate medical advice promptly rather than waiting for a BPC assessment, test, scan or result.

BPC is not an emergency medical service.

If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 999 or attend an appropriate emergency department.

Participation in BPC does not replace:

• NHS screening programmes;
• routine vaccinations;
• health surveillance recommended because of your age or medical history;
• ongoing treatment;
• medication reviews;
• follow-up recommended by your GP or specialist; or
• any other established medical care.

You should continue to participate in NHS screening programmes for which you are eligible and continue existing medical treatment and follow-up unless an appropriately qualified healthcare professional advises otherwise.

Preventative investigations can provide useful information but no screening programme, blood test, scan or other investigation can provide complete certainty about your present or future health.

Testing may result in:

• a normal result;
• an abnormal result;
• a false-positive result;
• a false-negative result;
• an uncertain or inconclusive result;
• identification of a risk factor;
• an unexpected or incidental finding;
• identification of a condition which might never otherwise have caused symptoms or affected your health ("overdiagnosis"); or
• a recommendation for further investigation or surveillance.

A normal result does not guarantee that you do not have, or will not subsequently develop, a medical condition.

You should therefore not ignore future symptoms because previous BPC investigations were normal.

Some investigations which may be considered appropriate following an individual clinical assessment are not recommended by the UK National Screening Committee ("UK NSC") or the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ("NICE") for routine screening of the general population.

Where relevant, this will be explained to you.

The fact that a test is not recommended for population screening does not necessarily mean that it is inappropriate for a particular individual. The potential benefits, limitations, risks and consequences of undertaking an investigation will be considered in the context of your individual circumstances.

You are under no obligation to undergo an investigation recommended or offered to you.

Before undergoing an investigation, you may be provided with information specific to that investigation.

Depending upon the investigation, this may explain:

• its purpose;
• what the investigation involves;
• its potential benefits;
• its limitations;
• material risks;
• reasonable alternatives;
• whether choosing not to undergo the investigation is a reasonable option;
• whether it involves ionising radiation;
• risks associated with contrast agents, medication or other substances where relevant;
• the possibility of false-positive, false-negative, uncertain or incidental findings; and
• the possible need for further investigation.

You should read any Patient Information Leaflet or other information supplied to you.

Where specific consent is required, you will be asked to provide it before the investigation proceeds.

You may ask questions and may withdraw your consent before an investigation is undertaken.

BPC and/or TBS may arrange investigations through independent laboratories, imaging centres and other diagnostic providers.

Those organisations may provide their services under their own terms and clinical governance arrangements.

Where an investigation is clinically recommended by a TBS clinician, TBS remains responsible for the clinical management of the result in accordance with its clinical governance procedures, but this does not make TBS responsible for acts or omissions of an independent diagnostic provider for which that provider is legally responsible.

Where appropriate, you may also be required to accept the diagnostic provider's own terms and consent procedures.

Clinical results arising from investigations arranged as part of your BPC programme will be reviewed in accordance with TBS clinical governance procedures.

How and when results are communicated will depend upon their nature and clinical significance.

Routine results may be communicated electronically or as part of your preventative health report or follow-up consultation.

Results requiring more immediate attention may be communicated directly to you by telephone or another appropriate method.

It is important that the telephone number, email address and other contact information you provide are accurate and kept up to date.

Preventative investigations sometimes identify abnormalities which were not expected and which may be unrelated to the original reason for undertaking the investigation.

These are commonly referred to as incidental findings.

An incidental finding does not necessarily mean that you have a serious medical condition. However, some findings require further assessment before their significance can be determined.

This may result in recommendations for:

• repeat testing;
• additional blood tests;
• further imaging;
• monitoring or surveillance;
• consultation with your own GP;
• specialist consultation;
• biopsy or another diagnostic procedure; or
• treatment.

Finding an abnormality can sometimes cause anxiety and may result in additional investigations which ultimately show that no clinically important condition is present.

By choosing to undergo preventative testing, you acknowledge that this is a possible consequence of screening and diagnostic investigation.

Where a result is considered clinically significant, a TBS clinician will determine the appropriate clinical response.

Depending upon the circumstances this may include:

• discussing the result with you;
• recommending further investigation;
• recommending that you consult your own GP;
• making or facilitating a private referral;
• recommending urgent medical assessment; or
• directing you to emergency services.

The appropriate pathway will depend upon the nature and urgency of the finding.

Where further assessment is recommended, BPC and/or TBS will explain the recommended next step and, where agreed and appropriate, may assist in arranging or facilitating onward referral.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the cost of subsequent consultations, investigations, referrals or treatment is not included in the price of your original BPC assessment or programme.

If you elect to pursue further investigation or treatment privately, additional charges may therefore apply.

You may choose to discuss findings or recommendations arising from your BPC assessment with your NHS GP or another NHS service.

We can, with appropriate authority and where clinically appropriate, provide relevant clinical information to your GP.

However, BPC and TBS cannot guarantee that an NHS clinician or service will:

• agree with a recommendation made through BPC;
• accept a private investigation as sufficient;
• arrange a recommended investigation;
• repeat or undertake additional testing;
• accept a referral;
• provide treatment; or
• fund further investigation or treatment through the NHS.

Decisions about NHS care are made independently by the relevant NHS clinician or organisation according to their own clinical judgement, policies and eligibility criteria.

You may therefore incur additional costs if you choose or need to continue investigation or treatment privately.

Where TBS recommends further medical assessment, investigation or treatment, it will take reasonable steps appropriate to the clinical circumstances to communicate that recommendation to you.

Where clinical responsibility for a particular issue is transferred to another healthcare professional or provider, responsibility for subsequent management of that issue will ordinarily pass to that healthcare professional or provider once the referral or transfer has been appropriately made and accepted.

You remain responsible for attending appointments, responding to communications and following up recommendations made to you.

If you decide not to pursue recommended investigation, referral or treatment, that decision may be recorded in your clinical record.

To enable safe and appropriate care, you agree to:

• provide information that is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge;
• tell the clinician about relevant symptoms, diagnoses, medications, allergies and medical history;
• provide relevant family history where known;
• notify us of material changes in your health;
• provide accurate contact information;
• respond to important clinical communications;
• attend agreed appointments;
• read information supplied concerning investigations;
• ask questions where you do not understand information provided;
• inform us if you do not wish information to be shared with another healthcare professional; and
• seek medical attention when advised to do so.

Incomplete or inaccurate information may affect the appropriateness of recommendations made to you.

Healthcare involves clinical judgement and uncertainty.

Recommendations made by TBS clinicians will be based upon the information reasonably available at the time, the clinician's professional judgement and relevant evidence and guidance.

A recommendation does not guarantee a particular health outcome.

Likewise, no clinician can guarantee that preventative intervention will prevent a particular disease or condition from developing.

Where treatment or medication is considered appropriate, this may be:

• discussed with your own GP;
• provided through TBS where clinically appropriate;
• provided by another GP; or
• managed by an appropriate specialist.

Any prescribing will be subject to the prescribing clinician's independent clinical judgement.

Participation in a BPC programme does not create an entitlement to a particular medicine, treatment, referral or investigation.

Fees applicable to your programme will be communicated before purchase or booking.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, fees for subsequent investigations, specialist consultations, treatment, prescriptions or other services are additional.

Where third-party diagnostic services are included within a package, the scope of those services will be identified when the package is purchased.

Your cancellation and refund rights will be explained during booking and will be subject to applicable consumer law.

Where BPC has incurred costs on your behalf for an investigation, appointment, diagnostic service or other service which has already been provided or which cannot reasonably be cancelled, those costs may be deducted from any refund where permitted by law.

Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory consumer rights.

BPC and TBS take the confidentiality and security of your information seriously.

Information concerning your health constitutes particularly sensitive personal information and will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and professional confidentiality obligations.

BPC and TBS are separate organisations and may each act as a data controller for different aspects of your information and services.

TBS maintains clinical records relating to clinical services provided through its clinicians.

Information may be shared between BPC, TBS, diagnostic providers and other healthcare professionals where this is necessary and lawful for the provision, coordination or management of your healthcare.

Further information is contained in the applicable Privacy Notice.

Read the Privacy Notice →

Where appropriate, we may recommend that information arising from your BPC assessment is shared with your usual GP.

We strongly encourage you to ensure that your usual GP is aware of clinically significant findings, changes in medication and important recommendations affecting your ongoing healthcare.

There may be circumstances in which a healthcare professional is professionally or legally required to disclose information without your consent, including where necessary to protect you or another person from serious harm or where disclosure is required by law.

Clinical information will be treated confidentially in accordance with applicable law and professional obligations.

Access will be limited to people who reasonably require the information for legitimate purposes including provision of healthcare, administration, clinical governance and other lawful purposes.

If your complaint concerns clinical care, clinical advice, a TBS clinician, interpretation of results or another aspect of the regulated clinical service, it will be handled through The Brook Surgery Limited's clinical complaints procedure.

Complaints relating solely to BPC administration, billing or other non-clinical services will be handled by BPC.

Where a complaint involves both organisations, BPC and TBS may coordinate their response where appropriate.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

BPC is responsible for the services which it itself provides.

TBS is responsible for the regulated clinical services which it provides through its clinicians.

Independent laboratories, imaging providers, specialists and other third-party healthcare providers remain responsible for services which they themselves provide.

Neither BPC nor TBS can guarantee a particular clinical outcome or that an investigation will identify every existing or future medical condition.

Nothing in these Terms affects any rights or remedies which you have under applicable law.

Preventative medicine and clinical evidence continue to develop.

BPC and TBS may therefore modify the investigations, pathways, clinical protocols, diagnostic providers or other components of the programme where appropriate.

Changes will not affect clinical care already agreed with you without appropriate consideration and communication.

Website content, programme materials, reports and other BPC materials may be protected by intellectual property rights.

They are provided for your personal use and may not be commercially reproduced or distributed without permission.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory rights you may have as a consumer.

For clinical matters arising from services provided by TBS:

By using BPC services, you confirm that you have had the opportunity to read these Terms.

Acceptance of these Terms does not constitute consent to every medical investigation or treatment which may subsequently be recommended.

Appropriate clinical consent will be obtained separately where required.