Informed Consent

MLA has been instructed by your legal representatives to arrange an appointment with a Medical Expert for you in relation to your Personal Injury claim.

Ordinarily appointments would take place face to face at the clinic of the appropriate Medical Expert, however, due to the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in with the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, and adhering to the latest Government advice, MLA is currently able to facilitate both remote appointments (via video conferencing) in addition to face to face appointments.

It is important that whichever appointment means you decide to utilise for your medical appointment, that you feel comfortable and safe. You should not feel coerced in any way to hold either a face to face or remote appointment, the decision is entirely yours.

Below you’ll find some information relating to appointments to allow you to make an informed decision.  You are able to select to consent for either:

• A remote appointment via digital means (such as Skype), or
• A face to face appointment at the clinic of the appropriate Medical Expert, or
• Both, opting for the earliest available appointment date.

To learn more about ‘remote appointments’, please read the following information. This will assist you in making the decision of which option is best for you:

• A remote appointment is a way for a Medical Expert to obtain information from you in relation to your accident and the injuries you sustained as a result, without the need for you to travel to their clinic/practice. The Medical Expert will examine you using a remote digital solution that has been approved for use for such circumstances. An example of this would be Skype
• It is your choice to have a remote (video conference) appointment
• You can still opt for a face to face appointment at any time up to and including the start of the remote appointment should you feel it more appropriate
• There can be limitations to a video appointment, and if the medical expert deems it necessary, a face to face appointment may still be required
• You are responsible for providing access to a suitable secure device and a good quality internet connection to facilitate a remote appointment and as such we are unable to offer guarantees to the quality of the call/internet service.  If the device or connectivity are found to be unsuitable it may mean the remote appointment has to rescheduled
• In order to keep the remote appointment confidential, you must have safe access to a quiet, secure location where you can speak in confidence
• Remote conferencing is securely encrypted, however, security and privacy cannot be guaranteed
• All information collected will be held in confidence and its use covered by the Data Protection Act 2018
• You should seek advice from your legal representative (if you have not yet had the opportunity to discuss a video appointment with your solicitor, please do so before giving consent)
• You must provide ID (a passport or driver’s licence) to show the Medical Expert at the start of the appointment to confirm your identity.

To learn more about ‘face to face’ appointments, please read the below:                                                                                                                

• A face to face appointment is a way for a Medical Expert to obtain information from you in relation to your accident and the injuries you sustained as a result. You will need to travel to the appointment venue.  You and the Medical Expert will hold a private consultation at the venue.
• It is your choice to have a face to face (involving travel to the Medical Expert) appointment
• Please ensure that you are fully aware of the current public health risks and the current government advice associated with travel and social distancing
• Though the examination will be conducted in accordance with current government guidelines on social distancing and use of PPE, MLA cannot remove the risk entirely and you agree to attend at my own risk with the knowledge of any potential risks
• It is essential that you bring ID (passport or drivers licence) to the appointment, to show the Medical Expert at the start of the appointment to confirm your identity
• You will not attend a face to face appointment if either yourselfmyself or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms, a positive Covid-19 (Coronavirus) test, is self-isolating or is part of the government’s clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable groups.

Where consent is granted by you for a remote appointment, we will arrange a remote appointment, keeping you and your legal representative informed.

Where consent is granted for a face to face appointment, we will book a face to face appointment as soon as possible, as the lockdown restrictions allow.

In order to proceed with your claim please read the above and email (rtaff@mla-ltd.co.uk) stating:-

 “I do consent to proceeding with a remote appointment.”

Or

“I do consent to proceeding with a face to face appointment.”

Or

“I do consent to either a remote or face to face appointment, whichever is sooner”

Please include your name and reference number in the subject of your email

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further assistance.

Kind regards,

Mike Shallcross

Head of Operations

Medical-Legal Appointments Ltd