What should I wear?
As with any medical examination, you will probably be asked to undress to your underwear, so please wear something you are comfortable in.

Can I bring a friend or relative?
Yes – if you wish, you can have someone present throughout your consultation and treatment.

Does it hurt?
Some soft tissue treatment may cause discomfort during treatment. Your osteopath will tell you what to expect, and will want you to let them know if you are in pain.  You may feel a little stiff or sore after treatment. This is a normal, healthy response to the treatment.

         
Do I need to see my doctor first?
You do not need to see your doctor first if you are paying for your own treatment. However, some insurance companies require you to see your doctor first. 

How much does treatment cost?

Our cost is £35 per treatment. We are covered by most insurers, but please check before you make the appointment.

How many treatments will I need?
The number of treatments you need depends on the condition and person we are treating. We aim to keep your appointments to a minimum. Your osteopath will be able to tell you within a short period of time whether they can treat you or if they need to refer you to someone else.

COMPLAINTS:

Coleraine Osteopathic Clinic always endeavours to make sure that you receive the highest standard of care during your time as a patient. We welcome comments about the services we offer and regret any patient having cause to make a complaint. We accept and are sorry that, on occasion, the service we give may not be to an individual’s satisfaction. Consequently if you are unhappy with the standard of care you have received or with the way we have organised your care, we would like to hear about it and recognise that it may be important for you to make a complaint.

Coleraine Osteopathic Clinic takes all comments, suggestions and complaints seriously; listening to what you have to say can help us improve the quality of what we do to better meet your needs and the needs of the community.

If you would like to make a complaint this can be done informally by simply speaking to those concerned or somebody you feel comfortable talking to. In the majority of cases complaints can be satisfactorily dealt with in this way. However, if you feel that this does not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you can then make a formal complaint.

HOW TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT:

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so as soon as possible, ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If doing that is not possible your complaint should be submitted within

• 12 months of the incident that caused the problem;
• or within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem.

You should address your complaint in writing to Ben Jarvie, at the Coleraine Osteopathic Clinic. He will make sure that we deal with your concerns promptly and in the correct way. You should be as specific and concise as possible.

COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.

WHAT WE WILL DO

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have fully investigated within 10 working days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances; make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned; make sure you receive an apology if this is appropriate, and take
steps to make sure any problem does not arise again. You will receive a final letter setting out the result of any practice investigations.

If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction you can write to the osteopathic regulator, The GOSc, the information can be found at  http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/information/complaints/