Terms and conditions

The Clinic
1. Physio Services at the Clinic are provided by OBU student physiotherapists supervised by fully-qualified physiotherapists who are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and are members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. The primary purpose of the Clinic is to provide placements to OBU student physiotherapists as part of their degree.
2. By booking an appointment at the Clinic you understand and agree that your Physio Services may be provided by an OBU student physiotherapist under supervision or that a student may be present to observe your Physio Services. (For further details please see 5 below.)
3. Physio Services provided at the Clinic are restricted to musculoskeletal conditions and include:
  1. detailed assessment
  2. diagnosis,
  3. treatment planning,
  4. exercise prescription,
  5. manual therapy,
  6. movement re-education,
  7. taping,
  8. electrotherapy.
4. You may be asked health evaluation questions before your appointment. To manage supervising physiotherapist and student caseloads, this maybe in the form of a short questionnaire or similar document, and will be stored on Nookal (see below for further details).
Treatment by Student Physiotherapists
1. Supervision: All treatments provided by student physiotherapists are supervised by registered physiotherapy educator-practitioners. Please note that as per Chartered Society of Physiotherapy guidance, the level of supervision for a student physiotherapist varies, and supervision does not require the supervising physiotherapist to be present in the treatment room at all times.
2. Scope of Treatment: Student physiotherapists will conduct assessments, treatments, and exercises as part of their training, within the scope of their current level of education. A supervisor will be present to oversee the process.
3. Treatment Plan: A treatment plan will be discussed with you before treatment begins.
4. Attendance at Appointments: As a teaching clinic, student physiotherapists may be present at or indeed carry out any appointment at the Clinic, as the Clinic provides placements for these student physiotherapists as part of their degree course.
5. Occasionally, other students (such as those studying for degrees, apprenticeships or other courses provided by OBU in the field of healthcare), or physiotherapy students from another Higher Education Provider or similar provider of equivalent courses, or a person who is undertaking work experience, may also be present at appointments. You will be informed before your appointment if students other than OBU student physiotherapists will be present at your appointment, and you may request that they are not present during your appointment.
Consent for Treatment
1. Informed Consent: Before treatment begins, you will be required to confirm verbally that you consent to your treatment being conducted by a student under supervision, and that you understand the nature of the treatment being provided. This will be recorded on your clinical notes at the first appointment.
2. Treatment Modifications: If at any time during the appointment you feel uncomfortable with the treatment or have concerns, please speak to the student physiotherapist or to the supervising physiotherapist.
Video Recording for Clinical Observations
1. Recording of Sessions: In some cases, treatment may be recorded for educational or training purposes. You will be asked for consent before any recording takes place. All recordings will be on your personal device.
Treatment Outcomes and Risks
1. Risks and Complications: As with any medical treatment, there may be risks or side effects associated with physiotherapy treatment and no particular treatment result can be guaranteed.
2. Supervising physiotherapists cannot be contacted outside of your appointment. If you start to feel unwell after attending your appointment, or you start to experience symptoms that have not been explained to you as a likely side effect of treatment or are different to those explained to you, please contact your GP, call NHS 101, or in cases of serious illness or emergency, call 999.
Clinic Etiquette and Expectations
1. Punctuality: Please arrive 10–15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete any required forms and to ensure that the treatment starts on time.
2. Dress Code: Please wear appropriate clothing for the treatment (e.g., loose-fitting clothes for musculoskeletal treatment).
3. Health and Safety Protocols: You may be asked to follow specific health and safety protocols (e.g., mask-wearing, sanitisation) depending on the current health guidelines or local regulations applicable to the Clinic or Physio Services.
4. Observation of the Affected Body Part: In some cases, you may be asked to expose the affected body part (e.g., arm, leg, back) for the assessment or treatment. Please be prepared to follow the student physiotherapist or supervising physiotherapist’s instructions regarding this. Please speak to the supervising physiotherapist if you have any concerns about privacy or comfort.
Making a booking: Nookal
1. Clinic bookings are made through a third-party provider of booking and clinical note handling services: Nookal Practice Management software, provided by Nookal Pty Ltd (Nookal), and for secure payments, Stripe Payments Europe, Limited (Stripe) via Nookal.
2. Before you leave the Clinic’s website you will be asked to confirm that you accept and agree to these T&Cs as governing the provision of Physio Services to you at the Clinic.
3. When you leave the Clinic’s website you will be directed to Nookal’s booking website. Your use of the Nookal website is subject to Nookal’s website terms and conditions, privacy policy and cookies policy. Payments made with Stripe via Nookal may be subject to Stripe’s terms and conditions, privacy policy and cookies policy.
Appointment Booking and Confirmation
1. Booking Requirement: All appointments must be booked in advance through the Clinic’s online booking system (provided by Nookal). No bookings can be made by phone, or in person. In order to access the booking system you will not need to set up an account with Nookal, but will need to provide some details such as name, email and contact number to Nookal in order to make a booking.
2. A contract between you and OBU for Physio Services is formed at the point you pay for your Physio Services. A separate contract will arise in respect of each booking.
3. Please check that the booking details are correct before confirming the booking. OBU is not responsible for any mistakes.
4. Appointment Confirmation: Patients will receive a booking confirmation via email.
5. Availability: Appointments are subject to availability and may be limited, for example, due to the Clinic's schedule and student training programs.
Cancellations, no-show policy, late arrival
1. If we have to cancel your appointment, we will refund you the Fee paid for your appointment. OBU has no further liability to you for any other losses that you might incur.
2. Cancellation Notice: Cancellations or rescheduling of appointments by you must be made at least 24 hours in advance through the Nookal website. Please rebook through the Nookal website.
3. Late Cancellations or No-show Fees: no refunds will be provided if you fail to attend or are late arriving for your scheduled appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours' notice.
4. If you arrive late for your appointment, it will be in the supervising physiotherapist’s absolute discretion whether to proceed with your appointment or not. Appointments will not be extended beyond their end time because you have arrived late. Please note that it may not be possible to complete any or all treatments if you are late for your appointment.
5. Termination of appointments: If treatment ceases as it is felt that you are not following advice you will still be liable to pay for that appointment in full. If you wish to stop an appointment without a justifiable reason you will still be liable to pay for that appointment in full. If an appointment stops because you have become unwell a reasonable agreement will be made together. If an appointment stops because of your therapist’s personal reasons you will not be charged.
Payment and Fees
1. The fees for Physio Services (Fees) are as set out on the Nookal website.
2. Our Fees may change at any time in our absolute discretion, but any changes will not affect existing bookings.
3. Payment Methods: Payment is due at the time of booking through Stripe via Nookal.
4. You are required to pay for the treatment you receive. If you mistakenly or deliberately book a lower cost appointment than you require, you will be sent an invoice for the additional cost which you will be required to pay within the time stated on the invoice or within 30 calendar days (whichever is the shorter period).
5. Refunds: Payment is non-refundable for appointments that are attended, except in exceptional circumstances where the clinic may offer a partial refund or credit at OBU’s discretion.
Private Health Insurance
1. The Clinic does not arrange nor accept payment directly from Private Health Insurance. All payments must be made by you, in accordance with these T&Cs. If you wish to recoup any such payments from any Private Health Insurer, that is a matter for you to decide upon and arrange.
Patient Information and Confidentiality
1. Patient Information: As explained above, you will be asked to provide personal information, including health history and treatment goals, which will be used solely for the purpose of providing placements to the student physiotherapists and Physio Services to you.
2. Confidentiality: All personal and medical information shared during the treatment process will be kept confidential, in accordance with data protection legislation.
Data protection
1. In order to make a booking for Physio Services, and as part of your appointment and treatment, OBU and Nookal will process your personal data and some special category data (for example information about your health).
2. Processing of this personal data and special category data is necessary in order to make a booking through the online booking system, make payment for Physio Services, and to receive Physio Services. The recording of accurate notes of treatments is an important part of the Physio Services that are provided to you at the Clinic, and may require details about your health to be processed – these notes are held on Nookal.
3. When making a booking for Physio Services through Nookal, OBU is the Data Controller and Nookal is the data processor of your personal and special category data. In making a booking, and also in attending an appointment:
  1. You consent to the processing of your personal data and also expressly consent to the processing of any special category data (for example data relating to your health) by OBU and by Nookal (and as applicable, by Stripe) for the purpose of providing booking, payment, and Physio Services to you.
  2. You consent to the transfer of your personal data or special category data by Nookal outside of the United Kingdom to Ireland. Any such transfer shall be in accordance with Nookal’s privacy policies and UK data protection legislation, in order to provide you with the Nookal online booking, payment and clinical notes services.
  3. When you are making a booking on behalf of a person of ages 16 or 17, you confirm that you are that person’s parent or guardian and you consent on their behalf to the collection, storage and processing of their personal data and special category data.
4. You should consult OBU’s privacy notice and also Nookal’s privacy notices for further information about the processing of your personal data.
5. Where you have any questions or concerns about the processing of your personal data or special category data by OBU, please contact infosec@brookes.ac.uk.
6. Stripe’s terms and conditions and privacy policies will also apply to your use of their payment services
Children
1. The Clinic does not treat children under the age of 16.
2. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult during their appointment. The responsible adult should remain present for the duration of the session and may be required to assist with any treatment instructions or exercises, as appropriate. Bookings for children under the age of 18 should be made by their parent or guardian.
Liability and Disclaimer
1. Nothing in this contract limits or excludes liability for:
  1. Deliberate default;
  2. Death or personal injury caused by negligence;
  3. Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
  4. Any liability that cannot legally be limited.
2. Subject to clause 15a, OBU shall not be liable to you for any damages or losses you may incur arising from any Physio Services, or from your attendance at the Clinic, or the attendance of any person accompanying you.
3. No specific outcomes or results of treatment are guaranteed.
Clinic Contact Information
1. Bookings for the Clinic are made through the Nookal website. The Clinic does not have a receptionist or administrator.
2. If you need to contact the Clinic please email thephysioclinic@brookes.ac.uk. Please note that this inbox is not checked throughout the day and should not be used for any booking or other services that are provided by Nookal.
Comments and complaints
If you wish to contact the Clinic to make a comment or complaint about your Physio Services or about the Clinic, please email thephysioclinic@brookes.ac.uk. Please note that this inbox is not checked throughout the day.
Intellectual Property Rights
Subject to any contrary clause in OBU’s intellectual property policy, any and all intellectual property rights which are the property of OBU before this contract shall remain the property of OBU, and any and all intellectual property rights that may arise from the provision of Physio Services to you, shall be the property of OBU.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These T&Cs and the Physio Services provided to you are governed by English law and the Courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in respect of any claim arising under or in relation to these T&Cs and Physio Services.
Variations
OBU may vary these T&Cs at any time in its absolute discretion. Where variations are made, a fresh copy of the terms and conditions will be uploaded to the Clinic’s website. Please refer to the date at the top of the terms and conditions for confirmation of the version which applies to your booking.
Miscellaneous
1. These T&Cs represent the entire agreement between OBU and you, to the exclusion of any other terms and conditions, whether in writing or verbally or by conduct.
2. The parties do not intend to benefit any third party under this contract whether by the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise.
3. Failure to implement or enforce any of these terms does not constitute a waiver either on that occasion or on any other.
4. Where a provision in this contract is declared unenforceable by a competent court, it shall be severed, and all other provisions shall remain effective and the severed provision shall endure to the fullest extent permissible.
5. OBU may procure Oxford Brookes Enterprises Limited (OBEL) to provide the Physio Services to you. OBEL is a trading subsidiary of OBU.