Terms of Engagement

These terms of engagement form the contract between the Practice and the patient. They set out the boundaries of the relationship between the practitioners and the patient. Please authorise your consent by filling the information below.

Terms of Engagement between Dr Indra Specialist Functional Medicine Practice (“the Practice”) and the Patient

It is very important that you read these Terms of Engagement and understand them completely as the Practice will rely on you having done so.

ABOUT FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

The key to functional medicine is treating each person as an individual and getting to the root cause of health problems. It’s a systems-orientated approach to assessing the whole patient and engages both the patient and the doctor in a therapeutic relationship. Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not an isolated set of symptoms.

As a functional medicine practice, we spend time with our patients listening to their histories and looking at the interactions of the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex chronic conditions. This offers a powerful new clinical model for assessment, treatment and prevention of chronic disease.

Practitioners consider each individual to be unique and recommend personalised nutrition and lifestyle programmes rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. It must be noted that the outcomes from the nutritional changes may vary between patients with similar health problems and following similar nutritional programmes.

ABOUT OUR CLINICIANS

Our functional medicine GPs are primarily dealing with your chronic health problems. They can work alongside other medical professionals and health care professionals with your consent. Our standards of professional practice in medicine are governed by the GMC Code of Professional Practice.

Our coaches take into consideration all aspects of your wellbeing – including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relational and financial – to provide you with the tools and empowerment to set personal goals to make positive and lasting changes in your life to move towards overall wellness.

Nutritional therapy is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of health, and individual care. Nutritional therapy practitioners use a wide range of tools to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. This approach allows them to work with individuals to address nutritional balance and help support the body towards maintaining health. Nutritional therapy is recognised as a complementary medicine and is relevant for individuals with chronic conditions, as well as those looking for support to enhance their health and well-being.

Nutritional therapists consider each individual to be unique and recommend personalised nutrition and lifestyle programmes rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Practitioners never recommend nutritional therapy as a replacement for medical advice and always refer any client with ‘red flag’ signs or symptoms to their medical professional. They will also frequently work alongside a medical professional and will communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in the client’s care to explain any nutritional therapy programme that has been provided.

Mental health pathway

The mental health pathway provides multi-disciplinary support for patients with primary mental health difficulties where a root-cause resolution approach is used alongside psychological assessments and psychiatric interventions to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis or mood instability. Patients requiring psychological interventions are signposted to experienced psychotherapists outside the clinic after assessment and with patient consent. All patients in the pathway are encouraged to continue with their current treatment and keep their primary care provider or NHS team involved. Note that any risk and safeguarding information is communicated with the relevant people as needed.

As valued members of our integrative team, our patients benefit from the expertise of an Integrative Psychotherapist and an Integrative Pharmacist, each contributing unique perspectives and approaches to holistic healthcare.

Integrative Pharmacist

Pharmacists are regulated in the UK by the General Pharmaceutical Council [GPhC] who set out the professional standards to all those registered, which is a necessary requirement to practice. Integrative pharmacists take a border holistic view of medicines to consider the deeper impacts of lifestyle, food, micronutrients and overall well being. Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy are classed as complementary therapies to work alongside other modalities to give a personalised approach to healthcare. As a practitioner I am a member of Association Ayurveda Academy UK covered by insurance to practice in the UK.

Integrative Psychotherapist

Integrative Psychotherapy is where the psychotherapist works with the whole of you (mind, body and spirit, including their thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physiological systems) using therapeutic tools from a wide range of evidence-based psychotherapy and wellness techniques, such as (but not limited to) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), hypnotherapy, mindfulness, stress management. Each session is unique and tailored to your needs in that moment. The overall aim is to help you address any imbalances in your life, reconnect with your innate mental health and peace of mind, and step into your future feeling more hopeful and joyful.

OUR PACKAGES AND MEMBERSHIPS

Please refer to our website for full details of programmes and memberships, including pricing of programmes and testing. 1

Note that all testing is an additional cost.

Assess / Assess: Mental Health Pathway

This is a four-week journey and all appointments must be taken within that four-week period to enable you to have the best support possible. Based on your assessment consultation, we may recommend some lab tests.
When you have completed the Assess package, you will then be recommended a follow-on option:
Your health plan will include

• Identification of potential root causes of your symptoms
• A nutritional plan to support your health
• An assessment of lifestyle imbalances to be addressed
• A supplement protocol to consider

Assess & Transform / Assess & Transform: Mental Health Pathway

Membership is for a four-month period and appointments should be used within the relevant month and cannot be carried over.

Assess, Transform & Thrive / Assess, Transform & Thrive: Mental Health Pathway

Membership is for a ten-month period and appointments should be used within the relevant month and cannot be carried over.

Working with an individual practitioner

We also offer the following appointments. Please refer to our website for further details and pricing:

• 45-minute appointments with a functional medicine doctor
• 3-month nutritional therapy programme
• Functional health assessment comprising a 45-minute initial review with a functional medicine doctor followed by a 30-minute review of test results. Testing is an additional cost.

1. Please note that we undertake a review of our pricing each year in [September] and prices may be subject to change.

THE PATIENT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO THE FOLLOWING:

• All patients are encouraged to continue with their current treatment and keep their primary care provider or NHS team involved and are made aware that any risk and safeguarding information is communicated with the relevant people as needed.
• You must be registered with an NHS GP for your routine and acute medical care. You consent to us contacting your GP regarding any aspects of your case. However, if we deem you to be a threat to yourself or others, we have a duty to contact your GP even if you do not consent.
• Prior to your initial appointment you should provide a basic patient summary and medication list which can be requested from your GP practice
• If you are unclear about changes to your nutritional plan/supplements /medications, you should contact the practice for clarification.
• You must contact the practice should you wish to continue any specified supplement programme for longer than the original agreed period, to avoid any potential adverse reactions.
• Recording consultations using any form of electronic media is not allowed without the written permission of both the Doctor and the Patient.
• We may charge an administration fee for the ordering, processing and interpretation of products and/or functional medicine testing
• You agree that implementing any or all parts of our coaching service is entirely at your own risk. You expressly assume the risks of participation or engagement in any lifestyle changes or choices made in connection with your coaching sessions, and you take full responsibility for your life and well-being and all decisions made before, during and after coaching. In the event that you become ill while participating in one of our coaching programmes, you hereby release, discharge and waive any and all claims for liability against your coach arising from your participation in any activities, including but not limited to physical activity or exercise, nutrition choices, stress management, or lifestyle changes related to or arising out of my engagement in and under such health coaching, now and in the future.
• If you are working with any other health care providers, or start to work with any other health care providers during your care, you will notify the practice
• You consent to your case being discussed within the practice’s Collaborative Care meeting to support your health plan
• You understand that while we are following evidence-based medicine and NHS guidelines as much as possible, we are also stepping outside this guidance and you consent to this approach.

Privacy Policy

Please review the Practice’s Privacy Policy and GDPR Consent.

Cancellation Policy

• Payment and forms must be received 48 hours before your appointment. If payment or signed consent forms are not received, your appointment will be cancelled, unless prior notification has been received.
• We require 48 hours’ notice of cancellation or the full cost of the appointment will be charged.
• If your appointment is part of a programme of care package or membership and you do not advise us of cancellation 48 hours in advance, no refund will be provided and you will not be able to reschedule that appointment. If you do give us the required notice of cancellation, we will help you reschedule your appointment but note that all appointments within a package or membership must be completed within the time frame for that programme.
• If you are unable to attend your face-to-face appointment because of adverse weather conditions, please contact our Patient Manager (Tel: 0749 669 2137) who will arrange for you to have a video consultation instead.