Cancellation Policy
We try and be equitable with our cancellation policy and it is never easy as we are an appointment only clinic so we don’t double book or keep you waiting. With that comes the need to make sure that you will be there on the day.
We send an appointment reminder text two days before your appointment and if you don’t respond we attempt to reach you before the appointment day so that you are aware of your appointment.
Our phone messaging service is on 24/7 so you can leave a message anytime or just reply to the appointment confirmation sms if you cannot make it.
PART ONE
No Cancellation Fee is payable if you cancel before 7.30am on the morning of the appointment.
If you cancel after 7.30am and:
- less than 4 hours - the full fee will apply
- more than 4 hours - $60
PART TWO
After 3 cancelled appointments (regardless if you notified us prior to 7.30am) in a rolling 4 month period, all future appointments will be cancelled and any future appointments will be on a space-available basis. This is really important to understand, we don’t hold your appointment time and day just because you pay the full fee each time you cancel. Our main concern is regular consistent therapy for your child. If you child is sick due to covid or other illness and you email a medical certificate or RAT test that you have lodged with the government website, the cancelled session will not count to the 3 cancelled appointment in 4 months. If you do not let us know by 7.30am of the morning of the appointment cancellation fees still apply.
Please Note: If you are running late for an appointment, you must call our reception team and let them know, so your therapist can plan accordingly.
If you fail to arrive for a session or are more than 20 minutes late, the session will be cancelled and the cancellation policy and full fee will be applied.
Telehealth Services:
The Little Bugs Foundation offers Telehealth services. If you would like to change a face-to-face session to a Telehealth session, you must provide notice so your therapist can plan the session accordingly.
For appointments BEFORE 12:00 pm: clients must inform The Little Bugs reception team (via phone or email) prior to 4:00 pm on the day before your appointment.
For appointments AFTER 12:00 pm: Clients must inform The Little Bugs (via phone or email) by 9:00 am the day of the appointment.
If this amount of notice is not given to reception, then the cancellation policy will apply.
Emails must be sent to: reception@littlebugs.org.au
FAQ’s
What does not count towards your 3 cancelled appointments?
Any cancellation in which we are notified 14 days in advance will not count towards the 3 in any 4 month rolling period. If you are taking a break from therapy please consider making it a 10 week break to enable another child to have 5 sessions of therapy, in this way you are making a significant contribution to another family.
Why do you have the 3 cancelled appointments in 4 months policy?
If you have a permanent appointment with us, we hold you appointment for the whole year or as agreed, that means you have certainty with you child’s therapy. Just as you need certainty we do as well so we can make sure the Therapist is available. Based on fortnightly apppointments, all we ask is that you attend 6 out of 8 appointments.
Cancellations during Covid 19 Lockdowns
During Covid 19 lockdowns enforced by the State Governments, we follow the guidelines issued by Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), which only allows face-to-face services for essential care. “Essential Care” is defined by SPA at the bottom of this page.
In short, unless the lack of face-to-face therapy will cause a significant deterioration, we need to work from home and conduct sessions via telehealth. If you are unwilling to engage in online therapy sessions and choose to cancel, our cancellation will be applied, and this will count towards your 3 cancellations in a 4-month period. However, if you do not want the cancellation to count as part of the cancellation policy, we ask that you take up to a 5-session break (10 weeks if fortnightly appointments), to give another family, who will take telehealth sessions, an opportunity for therapy. The length of the break will vary depending on who we can get to replace your child’s appointment but won’t be more than 5 sessions. Once you return to therapy, you will still retain the same day/time combination from before your break.
We cannot plan with certainty that a 7-day lockdown initially announced will remain a 7-day lockdown, as the cases in NSW and Victoria highlights.
If you feel that this policy has been unfairly applied in your situation please email reception@littlebugs.org.au and we will consider your request and respond to your within 5 working days. In doing so we will take into account your attendance history and the needs of your child.
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Definition
Essential Care is:
to prevent a significant change/deterioration in functional independence which would result in an escalation of care needs (e.g. an increase in frequency of treatment needed, an increased need for prescription medication due to a significant increase in pain, requirement for specialist input or review, an increase in care needs, and/or a substantial increase to anticipated recovery time associated with a delay in receiving services).
to provide assessment and diagnostic services to clients / patients whose care have been delayed as a result of previous restrictions, with any further delay likely to result in deterioration in functional independence or adverse health outcomes (including access to diagnostic imaging services or assessment for prescription of assistive equipment and technology).
to provide services that are essential as part of a broader plan of care with a medical practitioner (e.g. fitting a brace post-surgery).
to provide services that are part of a conservative management plan to avoid or delay elective surgery (as agreed with treating team).
to provide services immediately following elective surgery that prevent secondary complications or aid functional recovery (as agreed with treating team).