Terms and Conditions

​1. INTRODUCTION

These Terms and Conditions set out the Terms and Conditions upon which the Dietitian is to provide the service to you and will apply to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions (other than those which cannot lawfully be limited/excluded such as any rights which you are entitled to as a consumer). Any variation/addition to these Terms & Conditions will only be valid if they are made in writing and signed by the Dietitian.

Maria Lucey RD reserves the right to change or modify any of the terms contained in these terms & conditions, at any time. Any such modifications or changes will immediately become effective upon posting of such changes. Your continued use of the Services will imply your full acceptance of the same. You are therefore responsible for regularly reviewing these Terms & Conditions and additional terms or notices posted on the website.

2. DEFINITIONS

In these Terms & Conditions the following words and expressions mean:

• Charges – The fees payable by you for the Service, as advised before booking.
• Dietitian(s) – Maria Lucey, Registered Dietitian, and any contracted dietitians providing services under the business, email: [email protected].
• Service – Clinical dietetic consultations, provided online or in person.
• You – The individual client booking the Service.

3. BOOKINGS AND PAYMENT

• Appointments must be booked in advance through the website or via direct contact with the Dietitian.
• Payment methods accepted will be specified at the time of booking.
• The Dietitian reserves the right to refuse a booking at her discretion.

4. CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY

• Cancellations require 48 hours' notice to avoid fees. Missed or late appointments will be charged in full or deducted as one consultation from your coaching package.
• Appointments can be rescheduled up to 48 hours before without incurring a fee.
• Late arrivals will still be charged for the full appointment time, and sessions will end at the scheduled time without extensions.
• If the Dietitian needs to reschedule, you will be notified as soon as possible, and an alternative appointment will be arranged at no additional cost.

​5. SCOPE OF THE SERVICE

The service is available to those aged over 18 years of age or to individuals aged under 18 years of age with parental consent.

Individual participation: You will receive an individualised nutrition plan based on your consultation.  You are responsible for the implementation of this advice.

6 SERVICE STANDARDS

1. The Dietitian ensures that as at the date of your order she is a registered Dietitian (registration number DI019908) with the Health and Social Care Professionals Council in Ireland (CORÚ) and will maintain all professional registrations which may be required from time to time to enable her to lawfully provide the service to you. Maria Lucey is also a Member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI, membership number: 1449).
2. The Dietitian shall provide the service to you using reasonable skill and care and in accordance with all legal and regulatory obligations which apply to the Dietitian and the service.
3. The Dietitian will ensure any contracted dietitian's to provide services will also be of simialar professional standing with all professional registrations in place.

7 LIABILITY

7a. The Dietitian does not seek to limit or exclude in any way her liability for: (i) death or personal injury caused by negligence; (ii) for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; (iii) for any rights which you are entitled to when dealing as a consumer; (iv) for any remedial action which any regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Dietitian may order her to carry out; (v) and for any other liability which cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

7b. Save as otherwise provided for under Clause 7.a, the maximum liability of the Dietitian to you in connection with the provision of the service and any breach by the Dietitian of these Terms and Conditions shall be limited to the value of the charges actually paid by you to the Dietitian.

8 GOVERNING LAW

These Terms and Conditions, the provision of the service and the relationship between you and the Dietitian generally are governed by the law of Ireland and the courts of Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

9 INTERNATIONAL SERVICE LAW

In the event that an International service user seeks to take legal proceedings against Maria Lucey RD, The service user is obligated to undertake legal proceedings  via the court system in the Republic of Ireland where Maria Lucey holds her professional registration with CORU (DI019908) and professional indemnity insurance via the INDI (1449). 

Maria Lucey RD is unable to accept service users that reside in the US, Canada, Belarus & Russia due to insurance restrictions. 

Information about Telehealth Consultations:

• Telehealth dietetic consultations use video conferencing software in order to carry out dietetic appointments remotely. This differs from face-to-face consultation as we will not be in the same room as each other during the consultation.
• For individuals who would rather not use video a telephone consultation can be provided, or a one way video call (where you can see the dietitian speaking to you but they cannot see you).
• Some parts of the consultation involving physical examinations (i.e. body weight) may be conducted at your location, and we can discuss these measurements during the consultation.
• The main benefits of telehealth consultations are increased flexibility for both parties in terms of timing and location of consultations.
• The main risks related to telehealth consultations include technical difficulties, interruptions, unauthorised access or communication difficulties.
• I will ensure that your privacy is protected by ensuring nobody else can hear the consultation and using secure and encrypted software.
• If an issue arises with technology which we cannot fix during the consultation, we can revert to a phone consultation or rearrange the consultation if needed.

Consenting to Dietetic Treatment:

By booking an online dietetic consultation with Maria Lucey you are consenting to the following:

1. Consent for Dietetic Treatment via Telemedicine Appointment: You consent to this telemedicine appointment for dietetic treatment and any further telemedicine appointments that you book with Maria Lucey RD. You understand what telehealth consultations involve (based on the above information) including the benefits and risks of this approach. You understand that you or Maria Lucey can discontinue the telemedicine consultation if it is felt that the video-conferencing connections are not adequate for the situation.​
2. Consent for Maria Lucey to contact you regarding your dietetic treatment: You give consent for Maria Lucey to contact you via email, text or phone call regarding your treatment. You consent for Maria Lucey to send you resources via email in relation to your dietetic treatment. You consent to receive appointment reminders via email and text. 
3. Consent for Maria Lucey to contact your GP as part of your dietetic treatment where necessary:You consent for Maria Lucey to contact your GP where deemed appropriate as part of your dietetic treatment. Maria may also need to communicate with other health care professionals in order to improve your care or share treatment information if indicated. Explicit consent will be obtained before any such discussion with health care professionals.
4. Consent for Maria Lucey to handle and store your personal data: Maria Lucey will handle your personal data in a secure manner for the purpose of providing dietetic services to you, in accordance with GDPR and our data protection policy (see our full disclosure and privacy policy for more details).You understand this statement in relation to the use of your personal data (such as: contact details, medical information, body measurements, diet and lifestyle information) and are happy to proceed with dietetic treatment. You understand that by accessing clinical services from Maria Lucey, your data will be stored securely for eight years in accordance with the HCPC and CORU Standards for Records and Record-Keeping. For clients under the age of 18, records will be kept until your 21st birthday.

App Monitoring

For those who avail of the extensive follow-up package this includes access to a health and wellness app if desired. This will allow you to log your daily meals as well as other relevant health and wellness variables (such as gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep, bowel patterns, hunger feelings etc.) Your dietitian will be able to monitor your progress via this app between sessions, provide feedback and answer queries via secure messaging within an agreed timeframe. 

Fees at the Clinic

• €150 for an initial assessment (60-minute duration).
• €65 for a follow-up/review consultation (30-minute duration).

20% discount available with for anyone with a valid ALONE Ireland volunteer identification card.

Clients are entitled to partial reimbursement from most health insurance companies based in Ireland. Appointment receipts can also be used to claim for health expense relief via the Med 1 tax form in Ireland.

Communication Policy

Maria endeavours to communicate effectively with all her clients and to answer all genuine messages and emails in a timely manner. Response times will depend on capacity.

In the event of any technical difficulties during consultations, Maria may suggest restarting devices, trying a different device or using alternative software (e.g. doxy.me) or a phone call as a secure back-up option. If needed the consultation can be re-arranged if either Maria or the client feels the connection is not sufficient to adequately complete the consultation.

Maria has a duty of care to contact relevant authorities if you disclose information which suggests that you may be at risk of harming yourself or others.

Maria does not respond to messages or comments with no connection to nutrition or dietetics treatment.