This document sets out the terms and conditions governing the agreement between Compass Elective Health Ltd (the company, us, we) and yourself (you, the patient, the client). The contract is subject to the laws of England and Wales except as otherwise stated. In the case of a dispute between you and a service provider you may be obliged to seek resolution in the courts of the domicile of the service provider.

Compass Elective Heath will search and provide options for medical treatment abroad, bearing in mind the expressed preferences of the client. We will use out best efforts to obtain several (from two to many) quotations for specific medical treatment according to information provided to us concerning your medical history and condition, including your financial resources. Medical treatment costs vary widely so you may be unwilling to pay double the cost for two per cent extra quality of care or you may have personal reasons for your choice of medical provision which, if communicated to us in advance, we will make our best efforts to honour. We nevertheless reserve the right to refuse your custom if we feel that your choice is not in your best interests.

Our fees. On acceptance of your request we require an initial deposit payment of two hundred pounds. This is returnable if we do not find a clinic which in our view is suitable to treat your medical condition. You will be required to complete a medical questionnaire and forward your medical history and all diagnostic tests, and to agree that we may contact your GP or consultant to obtain any necessary CT or MRI scans, X rays, blood tests and any other pertinent medical information. In the absence of pertinent information we may suggest private diagnostic services in the UK. An MRI scan costs about two hundred pounds, for example and prices are declining.
On receipt of our quotations you decide on your preferred course of treatment. Our quotations will include information on the hospital or clinic, the qualifications and experience of the supervising doctor and other information such as private rooms with or without bathroom / w.c., the expected level of English speaking staff, and other information we consider useful to you.
As you make your choice of clinic you will pay in advance for the service quoted. Our fees are a minimum of two hundred pounds, or fifteen per cent (15%) of the hospital / clinic quotation.
For example: 1. Simple abdominal hernia repair, quoted at GBP 300. Cost to the patient GBP300 + GBP200 (our fee) + airfare and transport + accommodation.
2. Complex spinal surgery, quoted at GBP9,000 Cost to the patient GBP9,000 + GBP 1,350 (including initial deposit) + airfare, etc Payment must be received in full before travelling, otherwise the journey will be in vain.

In order to obtain a firm commitment from any treatment facility you must agree to provide a fair and honest description of your condition. This transparency is important and any lapse or reservation of any other condition that might affect your treatment (co-morbidities, allergies, etc) may affect your treatment and require an increase in the price charged.

In respect of patient confidentiality we warrant to make our best efforts to protect your data (by anti hacking, firewalls, or simply by keeping your data on physical disc and wiping it from all internal hard drives) and in no case will we divulge, sell or communicate your data to any unrelated party. Note that we will be obliged to forward your data to the clinics we initially select, but this will be end to end encrypted. If your circumstances change between acceptance of an offer of treatment and travel to the clinic you must inform us. This includes not only about your medical condition but any change in companion, means of transport, etc. Obtaining up to date medical information from the NHS is often difficult for bureaucratic reasons. If the data is not available or considered out of date the proposed clinic may require pre-operative diagnostic tests. These may reveal a need for additional treatment. In both cases an increase in price is likely, including our fees. It is in your interest to supply your data in advance. We can recommend private diagnostic services in the UK prior to travel.

Chronic medical complaints are often treatable. However, the ideal combination of freedom from pain, increased mobility, improved mood, desirable changes in appetite, more muscle and less fat, and regain of lost youth are not all available at once. You agree to observe the recommendations of the treating physician before travelling and after your operation. Post-operative treatments such as physiotherapy may not be available on the National Health and you are advised to budget for such necessities.

Cancellation. If you cancel within one month of your departure your medical fees may be forfeited. We will do our best to offer alternative dates or clinics but this may involve considerable extra cost. If the cancellation is ordered by the clinic your fees will be refunded, less your GBP200 deposit. Again, we will do our best to provide an alternative. In the case of force majeure – flight cancellation, industrial action, sickness of treating physician, plague, war, riot, fire, vulcanism, meteor strike, bankruptcy, civil commotion, Foreign Office advice, border closure, inclement weather, act of God or any event beyond our control – we will require a refund from the medical provider and forward this to you less our GBP200 deposit. Again, we will do our best to find an alternative. If you refuse all alternative options proposed no refund will be granted.

Medical catastrophe. While extremely rare, some operations go very badly. You must agree that any claim for medical negligence must be heard in the country where the operation was conducted and that your claim is against the clinic / hospital / physician. In no case can Compass Elective Health be held responsible for having directed you, in good faith, to a clinic where you suffered any medical accident. You must also be forewarned that compensation claims in other countries nearly always result in lower monetary awards. These usually are limited to consequential loss without punitive damages. Claiming under another (home) jurisdiction may not be possible under the terms of the agreement you sign on arrival for your operation. In all events the liability of Compass Elective Health shall be formally limited to the fees received.

Changes to your treatment plan. It may be necessary to adjust the date of treatment due to circumstances such as the need to treat trauma at the receiving hospital, which may delay your elective surgery or treatment. You are therefore strongly advised to book open tickets for travel which can be changed at short notice, to make adjustable arrangements for your absence (care of other family members, pets, security patrols, etc). Documentation requirements for travel are onerous, changeable and often country specific even in the EU, so you must ensure that you have all the correct documents for travel, not forgetting in-date vaccination certificates.

In every case you will be obliged to sign consent forms at the destination hospital. We will endeavour to provide these in advance, in English. You are advised not to sign any form or contract in a language you do not understand and to demand a translation.

Companions. We believe it is useful and important to have a friend, companion or family member to accompany you. We do not normally make arrangements for their convenience, though we may informally advise on hotels and aspects of local interest. The presence of a companion is important for reassurance and comfort, but it is not expected that he or she should engage in the duties of an auxiliary nurse.

Your stay in the country may be prolonged either by choice or recommendation of the treating physician. This may involve additional diagnostic tests, physiotherapy or other auxiliary treatments. Be prepared for such requirements.

All medical interventions carry a degree of risk. You are considered to be an adult in full competence to accept the risks as laid out by the treating physician. In the case of minors the consent of the responsible adult must be provided at least two weeks in advance, and preferably before or at the time of acceptance of our quotation. If for any reason – the parent / guardian adjudged incompetent, dissent from a parent, court ruling, frivolous objection – consent is withdrawn after the acceptance of our quotation the contract will be voided and no refund will be made.

Language. Your treating physician will speak good English. We cannot guarantee that this is the case for all nursing staff. If you have any difficulties in communication – a strong regional accent, illiteracy, hearing or sight impairment – that may require additional translation or sign language services you must inform us in advance so that we can arrange for the necessary specialist to attend. This will incur additional cost and our consequent 15% fee.

Dispute resolution. In the event of any disagreement it is in the interests of all parties to attempt an amicable resolution before engaging expensive foreign national or international legal proceedings. We will assist in finding a compromise. A suggested first point of contact is the European Union dispute procedure which can be found here There are other services available. If all efforts fail we will supply any relevant records tp the court but will not attend, neither on behalf of one party or the other.

Post operative. On your return home you will be provided with a summary of your treatment and an assessment of its outcome. You may also be prescribed drugs which may or may not be honoured by your pharmacist. You must communicate your new health status to your GP and if necessary ask him to adopt or adapt the drug regime. Other recommended treatments such as physiotherapy should be followed according to the instructions of your physician to achieve the optimum outcome from your medical adventure.

NHS / DHSS refunds. You must be aware that your chances of getting a refund from the NHS to compensate you for their inability to treat you are extremely small. This is because the scheme for refunds is both extremely slow and highly restrictive. The “S2 route” covers state hospitals only, which we generally advise against for quality and reservation reasons. We recommend only private clinics or university hospitals. Logically, private provision would not exist unless it was better than state services. Therefore you must allow for significant expense which you may not recover.