Patient Consent Form

Lotus is dedicated to providing high-quality care through innovative telemedicine technology, allowing you to receive expert weight loss care without needing to visit a clinic in person. Teledermatology is a proven and effective method for diagnosing and managing a variety of health conditions remotely.

While teledermatology offers significant advantages, including convenience and safety, it is important to understand that it may not always serve as a complete substitute for an in-person assessment. If you feel your condition would be better assessed face-to-face, we recommend seeking care from your GP in a traditional clinical setting. Please be aware that choosing in-person care might lead to delays in your treatment.

Information Use and Consent

To accurately assess your condition and provide appropriate treatment recommendations, Lotus requires certain information from you. This may include written descriptions, clinical photographs, and/or videos, which may be requested at different stages of your consultation before, during, or after the online consultation, whether through live interaction or a photo submission.

By consenting to use Lotus’ services, you agree that your information, including photographs and/or videos, will be used solely for managing your health records and providing care. If we wish to use your information for any other purpose, such as training or academic research, we will request your explicit consent.

Participating in an online or remote consultation through Lotus implies your consent to these terms. All patient information is securely stored on Lotus’ cloud-based servers and is accessible only to authorised healthcare professionals. Care is provided virtually from secure locations, either within healthcare facilities or from clinicians’ private workspaces.

Patient Agreement

By using Lotus services, you (the patient and/or service user) confirm, agree with and understand the following:

• The ID verified during your registration with Lotus is accurate, and you are the person you claim to be. You are not submitting a case on behalf of another person without authorisation, nor are you impersonating another individual. You agree to Lotus using an online verification agent to confirm your identity when needed to ensure patient safety. We accept various forms of ID including Passports, Driving Licences and National Identity Cards. These must be government issued. We have the right to refuse any form of ID if we believe it to be invalid.

• You agree to provide Lotus with the necessary information, including photographs and/or videos, to help in the assessment of your condition.

• You understand that telemedicine involves the delivery of care over the internet, which may have technical limitations or occasional disruptions.

• You are aware that online consultations may not fully replace a face-to-face assessment.

• You acknowledge that the accuracy of diagnoses based on photographs may differ from those obtained through an in-person examination.

You understand that you have the opportunity to ask questions before submitting your case for review. You can email support@lotusweightloss.co.uk at any time for help and support.

• You consent to providing additional information, including photographs and/or videos, if requested, at any stage of the consultation.

• You will read the patient information leaflet supplied with your medication. If you have allergies or contraindications, you will not take the medication and will contact a Lotus clinician for advice.

• You understand that if you experience side effects, you can contact a Lotus clinician, your GP, or another healthcare professional. You agree to read about potential side effects in the Patient Information Leaflet.

• You agree to stop treatment and seek urgent medical attention (call NHS 111 or 999) if you experience severe symptoms, become severely unwell, or are concerned.

• You have carefully read and truthfully completed the online consultation forms and disclosed any allergies or medical conditions when completing the general health questions.

• You understand that live consultations will not be video recorded, except in exceptional circumstances where the clinician feels threatened or abused, or if you request the recording because you feel threatened or abused.

• You understand that your contact details and prescription information will be securely forwarded to our partner pharmacy to issue your medication unless you choose to have the prescription sent to a different pharmacy or a private paper prescription sent to you in the post. Writing and posting a private paper prescription attracts an additional fee of £20.

• You retain the right to refuse prescriptions and request further information or evidence before proceeding.

• You understand that you can withhold or withdraw your consent at any time without affecting your right to future care or treatment. If you wish to retract your consent later, you will contact Lotus directly.

• You understand that Lotus will automatically inform your GP about consultations involving high-risk medications such as weight loss injections, for safety and continuity of care purposes. The information shared during your consultation with Lotus remains confidential between you and our clinic. However, we strongly encourage that you proactively share the details of the consultation and any treatments with your registered NHS GP within an appropriate timeframe to ensure continuity of care and patient safety. By providing your GP details during the consultation process, you consent to us sharing relevant information with your GP if necessary for safety purposes, accessing your NHS Summary Care Record, or obtaining further details about your medical history. You also accept that Lotus may contact your GP or another relevant party, such as social services or the police, without your consent only in exceptional circumstances where there is reasonable evidence that your health or life, or that of another person, is in danger, or for the prevention or reporting of crime.

• Lotus only treats patients who are 18 years or older and resident in the UK at the time of consultation.

• You agree that if your condition is not suitable for treatment, you will receive a full refund and be advised to visit your GP.

If you have any questions about this consent form, please email support@lotusweightloss.co.uk