When you attend for Consultations with Oak Tree Obstetrics you are entering into a contract with Oak Tree Obstetrics Limited (“OTO”). The following terms and conditions outline the basis of this contract, none of which affect your statutory rights.

Services

Consultations

OTO consultations provide support, advice, and guidance pre-conception and for maternal/birthing person and fetal wellbeing during pregnancy. Postnatal consultations will focus on maternal/birthing person’s wellbeing. All consultations are completed by a registered doctor specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology utilising National Guidance and specialist expertise. It may be identified that the care that you may require would be more appropriate with a specialist team within the NHS in addition to support from OTO and you will be guided on how and when to access this additional care. Examples of such are maternal medicine, fetal medicine, multiple pregnancy, perinatal mental health teams, diabetes care etc.

During the Consultation a blood pressure will be performed and a urine dipstick test (to check for protein and infection) to assess the mother/birthing person’s wellbeing. An assessment of your baby’s wellbeing will be performed either by ultrasound scan (see Ultrasound section below) or by listening into your baby’s heartbeat (from 16 weeks onwards). After all Consultations you will be provided with a summary of the consultation and any further information leaflets or links to sources of information. These can be stored alongside your hand-held NHS maternity records in pregnancy.

OTO will not have access to your NHS maternity or medical records. Please provide as much information as possible during Consultations so that thorough and accurate assessments and guidance can be given. For information on previous pregnancies and birth you can request a copy of your notes by contacting the NHS trust through their Access to records department.

If any acute concerns regarding your health or your baby’s health were identified during a consultation, OTO would ensure the necessary assessment and ongoing care required is arranged with your NHS Trust. OTO will pass on the necessary information and results that would facilitate this.

Consultations will mainly be face to face but can be arranged virtually via Microsoft Teams. Antenatal Consultations that are virtual will not be able to have assessment of blood pressure, urine dipstick assessment or listening or scanning of the baby.

During Consultations it may be necessary to perform an examination. This may be an internal examination such as providing a cervical assessment and sweep or assessing the perineum and pelvic floor. A trained female chaperone can be requested for examinations.

OTO consultations will be planned consultations at pre-determined points of the pregnancy and postnatally. We will aim to provide the consultation at the within 1-2 weeks either side of the scheduled gestation they are planned for.

Midwifery Care

Those booking for the Full Journey will need to be booked with their local NHS Trust and will be assigned a Community Midwife. The Midwife will provide care alongside the consultations provided by OTO. We would share information with the community midwife who is caring for you.

Screening

All screening will be performed either by the NHS trust that you are booked with or from another private provider of your choosing. Oak Tree Obstetrics can give advice and guidance on the screening offered in pregnancy and provide details of private providers.

Assessment of Fetal Growth

For those that require additional assessment of their baby’s growth in pregnancy these will be primarily performed by the NHS Trust. Growth scans performed alongside OTO Consultations will be supplementary to these. If there is any concern regarding a baby’s growth or wellbeing on an ultrasound scan performed alongside OTO consultations then this will be highlighted to the NHS Trust maternity department providing care.

Acute “emergency” care”

It will be necessary for you to receive assessment and care from your NHS care provider for acute situations e.g. bleeding in pregnancy, pain in pregnancy, altered fetal movements, concerns regarding pre-eclampsia or obstetric cholestasis etc. For those booked onto the Full Journey Package, OTO will be able to provide non-urgent information and guidance via email only ( response within 72 hours) but will not be able to provide telephone advice. All emergency advice and care must be sought through the NHS trust that you are booked with. We can support you by sending a copy of your scan and an accompanying letter to your NHS care provider, but it is your responsibility to arrange your further care.

Telephone advice

OTO will be able to provide information and guidance via email only to women booked on the Full Journey and will respond within 72 hours. OTO will not provide any telephone advice and all acute concerns should be discussed with the booking NHS Trust’s Community Midwife or Maternity Triage.

Diagnostic tests during pregnancy

OTO are unable to perform blood tests, laboratory urine tests (e.g. testing level of protein or confirming infection) or swabs to checks for infection, waters breaking or preterm labour. These will need to be performed by the NHS Trust.

Birth

OTO currently does not provide intrapartum care. Intrapartum care will need to be provided by the booking NHS Trust or another private provider of which we can give information on. Consultants providing care through OTO do provide NHS intrapartum care. If the OTO Consultant is on call at the time of your labour they will need to prioritise care as per clinical requirement of all women and birthing people under their care.

Ultrasound scans

OTO works collaboratively with South East Ultrasound Ltd to provide Ultrasound scans for reassurance and additional assessments of Fetal growth and wellbeing later in pregnancy. The sonographers are members of the society of Radiographers, British Medical Ultrasound Society and are accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You will be invoiced separately for your ultrasound scans by South East Ultrasound Ltd. Any concerns or complaints that you have regarding your ultrasound scan should be directed to South East Ultrasound Ltd. Their Privacy Policy and Complaints policy can be found on their website: https://www.southeastultrasoundltd.co.uk/. These scans do not replace the Fetal growth assessments that are offered by the NHS Trust. If there is any abnormality or clinical concerns regarding you baby on Ultrasound scans provided during you care with OTO then South East Ultrasound (if scan not performed at the time of a Consultation) or OTO will ensure that you and your baby are directed to the appropriate assessment and care that is required and share the relevant information and results with the NHS maternity Team.

Age

You must be an adult (18 years old or over).

Prices and payment

OTO Consultation prices are set out in our price list which is available to see on the website, as well as in the brochure. OTO accepts payment by bank transfer only. Single consultations must be paid for 1 week in advance of consultation. Consultations can be rescheduled if 72 hours notice is given. Failure to attend will not be refunded.

For those booking for the Full Journey Package then 50% of the cost will need to be paid after the first consultation and then the final 50% paid by 28 weeks gestation. If birth occurs before the final scheduled appointments then a refund of 50% of the proportion of the final antenatal consultation fees will be made.

Additional Antenatal Consultations can be booked for either 30 min or 60 min duration. If a single antenatal appointment is booked and not part of the Milestone or Full Journey Package, then an initial 60 minute appointment will be required however subsequent consultations can be 30 minutes (unless Birth Choices which always requires a 50 minute appointment).

Those whom have had a Pre pregnancy planning Consultation with OTO will have a 10% discount on both the “Milestones” and “The Full Journey Package”.

Bookings

Bookings can be made by telephone or email. Email confirmation will be sent once the booking has been made and along with the OTO Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy which will be attached to this email along with a Registration Form.

Pre Consultation Information

In order to ensure that the consultation provides as much guidance and information as possible, we will ask you to provide some information ahead of your initial consultation. Please may you complete and return this form electronically to the email address ideally within 1 week of the consultation. We would also request you bring your maternity notes and any previous scan reports (if available) to enable us to provide a quality service. Failure to do so may reduce the effectiveness of the consultation and subsequent consultations will need to be booked. OTO will not be responsible for any inaccuracies if you do not provide the required information and reserves the right to suspend or cancel the contract with you if you choose not to provide this information.

Monitoring Quality and Safety

We would like to monitor the effectiveness of the care that we provide through OTO and therefore may contact you to gather further information such as your birth outcome and baby’s wellbeing. This will be completely voluntary and in line with our Privacy Policy.

Dissatisfaction with the service

Details of OTO’s Complaint Policy are available on the website and displayed in clinic.

Cancellation or delay by OTO

If OTO or South East Ultrasound Ltd have to cancel or delay your booking due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a technical issue or sickness, we will inform you by telephone and / or by email. An alternative booking will be offered and steps will be taken to minimise the effect of the delay but OTO would not be liable for any consequences caused by the delay.

Use of your data and Data rights

OTO will use the personal information you provide for the purposes of providing its services, processing payment, meeting its regulatory obligations and for the purpose of identifying you within the Clinic but this will not be disclosed to any external sources without your consent, unless required by law.

In certain situations, it may be beneficial to your care for OTO to share the consultation summary or scan findings (if abnormality identified on a pre pregnancy ultrasound) with your GP and other health care professionals, with your consent.

The e-mail address provided by you will be used for e-mail correspondence with OTO, mainly to confirm appointments but it may include confidential information, scan reports or request follow-up information. You should take steps to ensure that your email account is not accessible to anyone without your permission. Further details about our handling of your data and your rights can be found in our Privacy policy.

Please ask for further details about OTO’s