Last updated: 01-Mar- 2021
1.Introduction
Association of Simply Treatments (ASTs for short) is a great association helping to link customers to alternative medicine therapists and will offer memberships clearly career path and Continue Professional Development guideline which also benefit for both employer or employees.
All our member offer Professional alternative medicine treatments, such as: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Auricular Acupuncture, Auricular Therapy, Beauty Therapies (Make up, Waxing, Threading or Nails), Counselling, Cosmetic Acupressure, Cupping, Electro-Acupuncture , Gua Sha, Herbs, Holistic Education Therapy, Massage, Moxa, nutrition suggestion ,Orthopaedic and Spinal Acupuncture, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Tui Na, Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, Moxibustion , and Yoga ,etc.
This document is a guidance for the protection of patients and explains to people outside the profession the high standards by which we operate. Should situations occur; the ASTs will investigate fully before offering a written explanation by the Committee.
Members should read and understand the content of this document and conduct their professional activities in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct and the Code of Practice with any rulings made by the ASTs committee engaged in enforcing the Code of Conduct and Practice. Failure to comply may itself be subject to disciplinary measures on the grounds of professional misconduct.
2. Duty and Care code
All the ASTs Members must be given professional considered advice when consulting patients. Practitioners associated to the All the ASTs Members will not conduct nor permit any person to administer any treatments unless particulars of the training and qualifications are recognized by the ASTs . Members have a duty of care to their patients to maintain high standards of care, competence and conduct.
2.1. Duty of care before treatments
.In providing care you must:
Record details of main complaints, case history, medication history, allergies history or family disease history.
Assess any condition thoroughly, with the appropriate examination, investigation, and record the findings in the patient’s file.
Discuss potential reactions or risks, as should the possibility that conditions may exacerbate the problem in some cases.
Ensure patient is not under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other toxic substances and understand what you tell them. Respect their confidentiality and encourage their freedom of choice and ensure that they know how and when you can be contacted. For a patient is not fully understood or is likely to be critical or non responsive to treatment must be referred to contact their General Practitioner and treatment should be declined.
Offer a clear explanation of what is involved in treatments. Details should include treatment duration, number of planned sessions, and standard fees related to this.
2.2. . Duty of care for treatments
Practice of treatments should be undertaken in appropriately equipped premises and based on Health and Safety principle ( above clause 2).
Recognize the limits of your professional competence and work within them, consult others and refer for investigation and treatment elsewhere when necessary; keep accurate and comprehensive case notes.
You should act promptly and appropriately if you become aware of an error on your part, and ensure that the relevant people are contacted to notify insurers prior to further action or comment, complete and send a yellow card, keep a record of the complaint and any actions taken.
2.2.Record keeping
Patient consultation form and treatments records should retain for a period of 7 years. The records should have the client’s full name, date of consultation and main complaints, case history. It should include a brief description of the therapy or treatment, details of medication, and previous operations and allergic reactions. If there is an unusual reaction to the therapy or treatment this needs to be also noted. Full details of treatment given and reactions and benefits reported by patients to such treatment.
3. Responsibility of Delegation
In some circumstances, you will be away from your practice for any length of time. And it may become necessary to delegate duties to another member of staff.
In this case you must:
- Be satisfied that they are adequately qualified and that the patient is in agreement with this decision.
- Pass through enough information about the patient and the treatment needed. You will still be responsible for the overall management of the patient.
- Ensure patients are informed of an alternative practitioner and that patient records are made available to the said replacement to ensure continuity of treatment.
4. Consent of Minors
- You must seek the written consent of a parent or guardian if the patient is under the age of 16. In the absence of such consent, you must not offer treatment. When treating a child under the age of 16, a parent or legally authorised guardian must be present throughout the whole examination and treatment. And you should not compel the child to have treatment against his or her wishes.
- You must be aware of the dangers of allowing any sort of emotional relationship to develop with a patient. If you realise you are becoming emotionally or sexually involved with a patient you should end the professional relationship, and recommend that the patient seek an alternative source of appropriate care.
- In your own interest, you may wish to report such matters to the Committee, or seek advice from your immediate manager whilst maintaining the anonymity of the patient.
- You must ensure that your behaviour in dealing with patients is professional at all times and not open to interpretation. Non-physical behaviour, gesture, unnecessary physical contact, verbal suggestion or innuendo can easily be construed as abusive or harassing.
- You must allow the patient privacy if they are required to undress for treatment.
- You may sometimes be asked to treat a relative or friend. There is no harm in this provided that clear boundaries are kept between the social and professional relationships.
5.Patient Consent:
- Consent must be given by a legally competent person, must be given voluntarily and must be informed. Previously consent may have been taken as implied by a patient’s action in turning up and lying on a treatment couch, explicit consent is now considered essential. You must ensure that the patient understands what you propose to do. This is particularly important where treatment may involve sensitive areas of the body; it is recommended that you record all relevant information in the case notes.
- You must explain carefully the procedures and treatment that you intend to administer, and must recognize that the patient is entitled to choose whether or not to accept advice or treatment. It can be construed as an assault to examine or even prepare to treat someone without their consent, and to continue to treat someone if they withdraw their consent in the middle of a treatment.
- Should the course of treatment extend beyond an agreed review date, or if the treatment itself involves significant changes in point locations, techniques used, time taken; you must record any subsequent explanation and new consent obtained.
6.Confidentiality and Data protect
All patient personal information, medical history are entirely confidential. And such information may only be released with the explicit written consent of the patient. This also applies to any opinion that you may have of the patient, this duty survives the death of a patient.
The fact of a patient’s attendance at your practice must be considered confidential. You must also not assume that details of a patient’s case may be discussed with their partner or relatives unless you have written permission.
All Patient Personal Information collect or store from online registration data must followed shall be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (the ‘Act’).
7. Continue Professional Development (CPD):
You must refresh your knowledge and techniques by, for example; attending appropriate seminars and training courses or by undertaking recognized Continuing Professional Development training. At least 15 hours per year.
The format can be online , professional conference,cases study or physically study in the room.Failure to take part in an appropriate amount of courses may be taken into consideration if there are any allegations concerning your professional competence.
CPD training only issue CPD certificate, any training certificate issued by ASTs will clearly show the scope of coverage but do not equal to national VRQ/NVQ level3 ,unless the certain level certificate is regulated by Ofqual.