Clinic Policies

Information about Telehealth Consultations:

• Telehealth is the use of video call or video conferencing software in order to carry out dietetic consultations remotely. This differs from face-to-face consultation as we will not be in the same room as each other during the consultation.
• Some parts of the consultation involving physical examinations (i.e. body weight) may be conducted at your location, and we can discuss these measurements during the consultation.
• The main benefits of telehealth consultations are increased flexibility for both parties in terms of the timing and location of consultations.
• The main risks related to telehealth consultations include technical difficulties, interruptions, unauthorised access or communication difficulties.
• We will ensure that your privacy is protected by ensuring nobody else can hear the consultation and using secure and encrypted software. See our Privacy Policy for more information about this. 
• If an issue arises with technology which we can not fix during the consultation, we can revert to a phone consultation or rearrange the consultation if needed.
• Recording of telehealth sessions in the Dietetically Speaking Clinic is not allowed without the written permission of both the client and the Dietitian.
• Clients are responsible for the implementation of the advice provided by Dietitians in the Dietetically Speaking Clinic. 
• A Dietitian’s role is to translate the science of nutrition into practical information and to advise on food and nutrition-related issues. If issues arise in a session beyond this scope, we will highlight this and can signpost or refer you to the appropriate healthcare professional.
• All new clients must complete the consent form we send you at least 24 hours before your initial consultation. 

Cancellation Policy

• We ask for 48-hours notice for appointment cancellation or rescheduling in order to avoid a late cancellation fee of the full consultation price.
• Discovery call no shows or last-minute cancellations may be offered one more opportunity for a discovery call, after that no more discovery calls will be offered (although extenuating circumstances will be taken into account)
• 4-session appointment packages are valid for a maximum of 4 months, 8-session packages are valid for a maximum of 8 months and 12-session packages for 12 months. However, these packages are likely to be used up sooner than this if appointments are booked more regularly than every 4 weeks (i.e. every 1-3 weeks is often recommended for those struggling with their relationship with food).

Communication Policy

• We endeavour to communicate effectively with all of her clients and to answer all genuine messages and emails in a timely manner. Response times will depend on capacity.
• In the event of any technical difficulties during consultations, we may suggest restarting devices, trying a different device or using doxy.me or a phone call as a secure back-up option.
• Our Dietitians have a duty of care to contact relevant authorities if you disclose information which suggests that you may be at risk of harming others.
• We not respond to offensive, attacking or irrelevant messages, or to comments messages with no connection to nutrition or dietetics treatment.  
• Inappropriate communication may lead to termination of your access to dietetic services from the Dietetically Speaking Online Clinic. If deemed necessary, the police may also be contacted (for example in cases of threatening or inappropriate communication).
• We do not provide personal dietary advice to anybody via social media platforms, including current clients.

Complaints Policy

Should you wish to make a complaint about the services you received in the Dietetically Speaking Clinic, please email this to: maeve@dieteticallyspeaking.clinic

In this email, please include:

• Details of your complaint
• When this occurred
• The names of those involved in the complaint (where applicable)
• How you would like this to be resolved or any suggested future actions

Will endeavour to respond to complaints within five working days. However, for more complex issues this may need to be extended to 20 working days, in which case we will email you to notify you of this. If there is a delay in this process for any reason this will be explained via email and an updated time scale will be provided. 

We endeavour to resolve all complaints to the full satisfaction of the complainant. 

But if you are unsatisfied after your complaint has been dealt with, you can find additional options via:

• HCPC Raising Concerns: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/concerns/raising-concerns/  
• BDA Raising Concerns: https://www.bda.uk.com/about-dietetics/what-is-dietitian/raising-concerns.html 

These policies were last updated in July 2023