Patient Terms & Practice Policies

This page explains the main terms under which The Elder Roots Holistic Herbalist provides consultations, herbal medicines and related clinical services. It is intended to make the practical boundaries of the service clear before you book.

Herbal care at Elder Roots is complementary healthcare. It does not replace appropriate medical investigation, emergency care or necessary conventional treatment. You should not stop or alter prescribed medication without advice from the clinician responsible for prescribing it.

By booking or continuing with treatment, you are agreeing to work within the relevant consultation, payment, cancellation, communication, safety and confidentiality arrangements described below.

About the service

• Care is provided by Karl Bedson RGN BSc (Hons) Medical Herbalism, Holistic Medical Herbalist.
• Herbal assessment may include discussion of possible clinical patterns and diagnoses, but it does not fully replace formal medical diagnosis or investigation.
• You must remain registered with a GP. Karl may ask you to obtain medical tests, specialist advice or approval from a prescriber where this is needed for safe care.
• Do not stop or alter prescribed medicines without speaking to the clinician responsible for them.
• No cure, guaranteed result or particular outcome is promised.

Emergencies and contact

• The practice is not an emergency or out-of-hours service, and messages are not monitored continuously.
• For urgent medical advice, contact your GP, NHS 111 or an urgent treatment service. Call 999 or attend an Emergency Department for a life-threatening emergency.
• Routine enquiries and clinical messages are normally answered within three working days, Monday to Friday.

Appointments and consultations

• UK consultations are normally held by Zoom. Home visits may be offered by prior agreement and include a travel supplement.
• An initial appointment is confirmed when payment has cleared and the required intake and consent forms have been returned. A provisional appointment may be held for up to seven days.
• Please provide accurate information about your health, medicines, supplements, allergies and relevant test results. Important omissions can affect treatment safety.
• Appointments may be shortened if you arrive more than 15 minutes late and may be treated as missed if there is not enough time to provide safe care.

Confidentiality and information

• Your information is handled confidentially in accordance with the Elder Roots Privacy Notice.
• Information may be shared without consent where required by law or where necessary to address a serious safety, safeguarding or public-protection concern.
• Zoom consultations are not recorded. Paper records are kept in locked storage, and electronic records are held on the protected practice laptop.
• Heather has limited authorised access only where needed for medicine preparation, packaging, postage and administration.

Fees and payment

• Adult initial consultation: £160 standard | £120 concession
• Complex initial consultation: £220 standard | £160 concession
• Child initial consultation: £120 standard | £90 concession
• Adult follow-up: £90 standard | £60 concession
• Complex follow-up: £120 standard | £90 concession
• Child follow-up: £70 standard | £50 concession

Concession places are discretionary and depend on individual circumstances and available clinical capacity. Herbal medicines, postage after the first prescription and additional clinical work are charged separately.

Payment, cancellations and missed appointments

• Initial consultations are paid in full at booking. Follow-up consultations are paid at booking or before the appointment. Medicines are paid for before dispensing or dispatch.
• More than 48 hours’ notice: no cancellation charge, and the appointment may be rearranged.
• Between 24 and 48 hours’ notice: 50% of the consultation fee may be charged.
• Less than 24 hours’ notice or non-attendance: the full consultation fee may be charged.
• Discretion may be used for a genuine emergency or reasonable exceptional event.
• If Karl cancels, you may choose a rearranged appointment or a full refund.

Clinical contact between appointments

• Simple administration: free
• Minor clinical email or telephone query: £15
• Written mini-consult or short clinical review: £35
• Minor prescription adjustment: £10
• Moderate prescription adjustment: £20
• Major treatment change: requires a follow-up consultation

Blood results, hospital letters, new symptoms, medication changes, symptom flares and supplement reviews may require a mini-consult or follow-up consultation.

Herbal medicines, postage and repeats

• Medicines are individually prepared and charged separately. Liquid tinctures are £12 per 100 ml; dried herbal tea is £7.50 per 50 g or £15 per 100 g.
• Standard UK postage is included for the first prescription following a paid consultation. Standard repeat postage is £6; an available 24-hour service costs an additional £2. Heavy, tracked or special delivery is charged at cost or by agreement.
• Straight repeat prescriptions may normally continue for up to four months from the last consultation where you remain stable and no safety concern has arisen. Please request repeats at least five working days before they are needed.
• Individually prepared medicines cannot normally be returned or refunded after successful delivery. Contact the practice within 48 hours about damage, leakage, missing items, incorrect contents or visible tampering.
• Store medicines securely, out of children’s reach, away from excessive heat, moisture and direct sunlight, and follow the label instructions.

Adverse reactions and important changes

• Tell Karl promptly about a suspected adverse reaction, pregnancy or a newly prescribed medicine.
• New diagnoses, hospital admissions, test results, supplements and other changes may be discussed at the next consultation or mini-review unless they affect immediate safety or you are concerned about continuing treatment.
• Stop the suspected herbal medicine and obtain urgent medical advice if you develop symptoms suggesting a serious allergic or adverse reaction.
• Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, collapse, or swelling of the face or throat.

Conduct, complaints and ending care

• Respectful communication is required. Threatening, abusive, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate or persistently boundary-breaking behaviour may result in care ending.
• Karl may decline, pause or discontinue care where treatment is outside his professional scope, would be unsafe, necessary investigations are declined, payment obligations are repeatedly ignored or the therapeutic relationship has broken down.
• Complaints should be sent to karl@elderroots.co.uk.
• Complaints are normally acknowledged within five working days and answered within 20 working days.
• Roisin Reilly may independently review a complaint where Karl cannot do so appropriately or independently.

Full documents and contact details

The complete Patient Terms, Conditions and Practice Policies and the Privacy Notice are available on this website, or on request by email or in print.

Rosemay Herbal, trading as The Elder Roots Holistic Herbalist, part of The Elder Roots Collective
ICO registration: ZA382531

Email: karl@elderroots.co.uk
Telephone: 07498 182614
Website: elderroots.co.uk
Business address: 4 Rathbourne Croft, Parwich, Derbyshire, DE6 1QH

Effective from 1 September 2026.