Cancellation Policy

Booking, Cancellation, Rescheduling and Attendance Policy

At VERA Mental Health Clinic, each appointment represents clinical time specifically allocated to an individual Client. Clinicians may also undertake professional preparation, clinical review, documentation, assessment planning, or other work associated with a booked service.

For this reason, the following Booking, Cancellation, Rescheduling and Attendance Policy applies to all appointments and services provided by the Clinic.

This Policy applies to, but is not limited to:

ADHD assessments;
psychological assessments;
psychiatric consultations;
psychological consultations;
therapy sessions;
medication initiation appointments;
medication titration appointments;
medication reviews;
follow-up and review appointments;
diagnostic consultations;
clinical interviews;
report feedback or discussion appointments;
treatment-planning appointments;
prescription-related consultations; and
any other clinical or professional appointment booked with the Clinic.

By proceeding with a booking, the Client confirms that they have had the opportunity to review and agree to this Policy.

Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude or restrict any statutory consumer right that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

1. Booking and Payment

Full payment is required to secure and confirm an appointment.

An appointment slot is not reserved, held, or confirmed until the required payment has been successfully received by the Clinic.

An enquiry, appointment request, completion of forms, email correspondence, verbal discussion, or expression of an intention to book does not constitute a confirmed booking and does not require the Clinic to reserve an appointment slot.

Appointment availability may change until payment has been received and the booking has been confirmed.

Fees applicable to the relevant service will be communicated before booking or payment.

2. Completed Appointments and Services

Once an appointment or professional service has been fully delivered and completed, the applicable fee is non-refundable.

This applies to all services provided by the Clinic, including ADHD assessment appointments, psychiatric and psychological consultations, therapy sessions, medication-related appointments, follow-up appointments, clinical interviews, diagnostic consultations, and other professional services.

Payment is made for the professional service and clinical time provided. A particular diagnosis, treatment recommendation, medication, prescription, dose adjustment, report conclusion, or other clinical outcome is not purchased or guaranteed by payment of an appointment fee.

Nothing in this section limits any statutory remedy that may apply where a service has not been provided in accordance with applicable law.

3. Cancellation Notice

Cancellation notice is calculated from the time at which the Clinic receives the Client’s cancellation request through an approved Clinic communication channel to the scheduled start time of the appointment.

The following standard cancellation terms apply.

Less Than 48 Hours’ Notice

Where a cancellation is received less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment, the cancellation will be treated as a late cancellation.

The full appointment fee will be retained and no refund will be issued under the Clinic’s standard cancellation policy.

A request to move or reschedule an appointment within this period will also ordinarily be treated as a late cancellation unless an exceptional medical rescheduling request is approved in accordance with this Policy.

Between 48 and 72 Hours’ Notice

Where cancellation notice is received at least 48 hours but less than 72 hours before the scheduled appointment, the Client will be eligible for a 50% refund of the amount paid for the affected appointment.

The remaining 50% will be retained as the applicable cancellation charge.

At Least 72 Hours’ Notice

Where cancellation notice is received at least 72 hours before the scheduled appointment, the Client will be eligible for an 80% refund of the amount paid for the affected appointment.

The remaining 20% will be retained as the applicable cancellation and administrative charge.

These standard cancellation arrangements apply subject always to statutory consumer rights that may apply in the circumstances.

Short-Notice Bookings

For appointments booked within 72 hours of the scheduled start time, the applicable cancellation terms take effect immediately upon booking.

Cancellation periods are calculated according to the time remaining before the appointment, not the time elapsed since the booking was made.

Booking an appointment at short notice does not create an additional cancellation, refund, credit, or rescheduling period, subject to any statutory rights that may apply.

4. Rescheduling

Appointments are not automatically transferable.

A Client may request to reschedule an appointment on one occasion, provided that the request is received at least 72 hours before the scheduled start time.

Rescheduling requests are subject to Clinic approval, clinician availability, and any applicable rescheduling fee. Submission of a rescheduling request does not guarantee that the request will be approved.

Where approved, the appointment may be moved on one occasion to an alternative available date and time.

A request to reschedule does not, by itself, suspend or replace the applicable cancellation terms.

Where less than 72 hours’ notice is provided, the appointment will ordinarily remain subject to the Clinic’s standard cancellation terms.

Exceptional rescheduling may still be considered where a Client is unable to attend because of an exceptional and unforeseen medical circumstance.

In such circumstances, the Clinic may request appropriate supporting medical documentation where reasonably necessary. The documentation should provide sufficient confirmation that the circumstances materially affected the Client’s ability to attend. Unnecessary detailed medical information is not required.

Submission of supporting documentation does not guarantee approval of a rescheduling request.

Requests will be considered individually, taking into account factors including:

the circumstances preventing attendance;
the timing of the request;
any supporting documentation provided;
the nature of the booked appointment;
clinician availability;
whether professional preparation has already taken place;
any previous rescheduling arrangements; and
the reasonable operational requirements of the Clinic.

Where a rescheduling request is approved, a replacement appointment will be offered subject to clinician availability.

Once an appointment has been rescheduled, any further cancellation or request to change that appointment will be subject to the Clinic’s standard cancellation terms.

A rescheduling fee may apply where an appointment is moved at the client’s request, depending on the notice provided and the circumstances of the request.

Appointments cannot be transferred to another person.

Any credit or alternative arrangement must be expressly approved by the Clinic in writing.

5. Non-Attendance / No-Show

Failure to attend a scheduled appointment without cancellation in accordance with this Policy will be treated as a non-attendance/no-show.

The full appointment fee will be retained.

A missed appointment:

is not automatically refundable;
is not automatically converted into Clinic credit;
is not transferable to another person;
does not automatically qualify for rescheduling; and
does not automatically entitle the Client to a replacement appointment.

Where another appointment is required, a new booking and applicable payment may be required.

6. Late Arrival

Clients are expected to attend appointments at the scheduled start time.

Where a Client arrives late, the appointment will ordinarily end at the originally scheduled finishing time.

The Clinic and clinician are not required to extend an appointment or delay subsequent appointments to compensate for Client lateness.

Where clinically appropriate, the clinician may proceed with the remaining available appointment time. The full appointment fee will continue to apply, regardless of the reduced appointment time resulting from the Client’s late arrival.

Where the Client arrives so late that, in the clinician’s reasonable professional judgment, there is insufficient time to conduct the appointment appropriately, safely, or effectively, the appointment may be unable to proceed and may be treated as a non-attendance/no-show.

Late arrival does not create an automatic entitlement to a refund, partial refund, fee reduction, replacement appointment, Clinic credit, or rescheduling.

7. ADHD Assessment Services

ADHD assessment is a structured clinical process which may involve more than one appointment and more than one appropriately qualified clinician.

Depending on the assessment pathway, the process may include:

structured ADHD assessment;
psychological assessment;
clinical interview;
developmental and childhood history;
review of questionnaires or rating scales;
review of collateral information where clinically appropriate;
psychiatric diagnostic consultation;
clinical formulation;
diagnostic review;
report preparation;
feedback or report discussion; and
treatment recommendations or planning.

Where an ADHD assessment consists of separately identifiable appointments or professional components, each component may be treated separately for cancellation, attendance, rescheduling, and refund purposes.

Where separate fees or fee allocations apply to different stages of an ADHD assessment, any applicable refund may be calculated by reference to the affected component.

Completion of one component does not create an entitlement to a refund for that completed component.

Clients are responsible for attending required assessment appointments and providing information or documentation reasonably required for completion of the assessment.

Failure to attend an appointment, complete required documentation, or provide information reasonably necessary for assessment may delay or prevent completion of the assessment, diagnostic opinion, or report.

Where additional appointments become necessary because of Client cancellation, non-attendance, or failure to complete required stages of the assessment, additional fees may apply.

8. Psychiatric, Medication and Follow-Up Appointments

Medication initiation, titration, medication review, psychiatric consultation, prescription-related, and follow-up appointments are clinical consultations intended to facilitate appropriate assessment and treatment management.

Where required pre-treatment information or documentation has been provided, the prescribing clinician will review the Client’s treatment during the relevant appointment and make appropriate clinical and prescribing decisions.

Medication and dose decisions remain subject to the prescribing clinician’s independent professional judgment, clinical assessment, safety considerations, and applicable prescribing requirements.

Payment for a medication-related appointment is payment for the professional consultation and clinical review provided.

Where an appointment has been fully delivered and completed, the applicable consultation fee is non-refundable under the Clinic’s standard policy regardless of the clinical recommendation or prescribing decision made during that consultation.

9. Online Appointments and Technical Requirements

All services provided by VERA Mental Health Clinic are delivered online via secure video-consultation platforms, unless otherwise expressly communicated by the Clinic.

Clients are responsible for ensuring that they have:

suitable internet access;
a compatible and functioning device;
functioning audio and, where required, video;
access to the relevant consultation platform; and
an appropriately private environment from which to attend.

Clients are encouraged to test their equipment and access arrangements before the appointment.

Where a Client experiences an access, connection, audio, video, device, software, or other technical problem affecting attendance, the Client must notify the Clinic as soon as reasonably possible.

Client-side technical difficulties do not automatically create an entitlement to a refund, replacement appointment, credit, or rescheduling.

Where a Client fails to join the appointment, fails to notify the Clinic of a technical difficulty within a reasonable period, or is unable to participate because of circumstances within the Client’s reasonable control, the appointment may be treated as a late arrival or non-attendance.

Where an appointment cannot proceed or cannot reasonably be completed because of a material technical failure attributable to the Clinic or clinician, the Clinic will take reasonable steps to provide an appropriate alternative arrangement.

10. Cancellation or Rescheduling by the Clinic

Although the Clinic makes reasonable efforts to provide appointments as scheduled, circumstances may occasionally require an appointment to be cancelled or changed.

Where the Clinic is unable to provide a scheduled appointment, the Client will normally be offered an appropriate alternative appointment.

Where the affected service has not been delivered and an appropriate replacement appointment cannot reasonably be provided or accepted, the fee paid for that undelivered appointment or service will be refunded, subject to applicable law.

The Client will not be charged a cancellation or administrative charge where the Clinic cancels the affected appointment.

11. Communication Regarding Cancellations and Rescheduling

Cancellation and rescheduling requests must be communicated directly to the Clinic through an approved communication channel.

Routine administrative email communication is managed Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding public holidays and notified Clinic closures.

Clients should provide cancellation or rescheduling notice as early as possible.

The relevant cancellation period will be determined by reference to when the Clinic receives the communication, rather than when the Client intended to send or communicate the request.

Administrative correspondence is not a substitute for a clinical consultation.

Requests involving medication changes, dose adjustments, treatment decisions, interpretation of side effects, or other matters requiring professional clinical judgment must be addressed with the appropriate clinician through a booked follow-up or review appointment.

12. Statutory Consumer Rights

Nothing in this Policy excludes, restricts, or overrides any statutory consumer right or legal protection that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

Where a booking constitutes a distance contract or another contract to which a statutory cancellation period applies, the Client may have cancellation rights under applicable Irish consumer law.

Where a Client expressly requests that a service be provided during an applicable statutory cancellation period, the Client acknowledges that commencement or completion of the requested service may affect the statutory cancellation rights available in accordance with applicable law.

Where a statutory cancellation right applies and conflicts with the Clinic’s standard cancellation arrangements, the applicable statutory requirement will take precedence.

Nothing in this Policy limits a Client’s statutory remedies where a service is not supplied or is not provided in accordance with applicable consumer law.

13. Refund Processing

Where a refund is due under this Policy or applicable law, the Clinic will process the applicable refund using an appropriate payment method and within the period required by applicable law.

Where applicable law requires the refund to be returned using the original payment method, the Clinic will comply with that requirement unless another lawful arrangement has been agreed.

Once a refund has been issued by the Clinic, the time required for the funds to appear in the Client’s account may depend on the relevant payment provider, card issuer, or financial institution and may be outside the Clinic’s control.

14. Acceptance of this Policy

By completing payment and proceeding with a booking, the Client confirms that they have had the opportunity to read and understand this Booking, Cancellation, Rescheduling and Attendance Policy before the appointment is confirmed.

This Policy should be read together with any applicable:

Service Agreement;
New Client Intake Form;
Medication and Treatment Consent Form;
Privacy Policy; and
other service-specific information or consent documentation provided by the Clinic.

Where any provision of this Policy conflicts with a mandatory requirement of applicable law, the mandatory legal requirement will take precedence and the remaining provisions of this Policy will continue to apply insofar as they remain lawful and capable of operating independently.

Contact

VERA Mental Health Clinic
Dublin, Ireland
info@veramentalhealth.ie