Cancellation & Refund Policy

This policy applies to all appointments with Emily Clark IBCLC, including feeding support, tongue-tie assessment and division, pumping and flange fitting, bottle refusal and postnatal care.

I know life with a new baby can be unpredictable, and I'll always try to be flexible where I can. Appointments are often offered at short notice and are in high demand, so once your appointment is booked, that time is reserved just for your family.

Booking and payment

A £50 deposit is required within 24 hours of booking, by bank transfer or payment link, and is deducted from your appointment fee. The remaining balance is payable on the day of your appointment. If the deposit isn't received within 24 hours, the appointment may be released and offered to another family.

Your booking is confirmed once your deposit has been received.

Cancelling or rescheduling

If you need to cancel or change your appointment, please let me know at least 24 hours beforehand by WhatsApp or email. With 24 hours' notice or more, you can choose to:

• move your appointment to another available time, at no extra cost, or
• receive a full refund of your deposit.

Refunds are made to the original payment method within 7 days.

Late cancellations and missed appointments

For cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice, or missed appointments, your deposit is non-refundable.

If you or your baby become unwell, or something unexpected happens such as a hospital admission, please get in touch as soon as you can. In these situations I will try to offer an alternative appointment where possible, at my discretion.

Late arrivals and home visits

If you're running late for a clinic appointment, please let me know. Your appointment may need to be shortened so other families aren't kept waiting, and the usual fee will still apply.

For home visits, please make sure someone is home at the agreed time. If I'm unable to gain access and can't reach you within 15 minutes, this will be treated as a missed appointment.

If I need to cancel

In the unlikely event that I need to cancel or move your appointment, I'll let you know as soon as possible and offer an alternative appointment or a full refund of your deposit, whichever you prefer.

Your statutory rights

Where you book remotely (for example by phone, WhatsApp or email), you have a 14-day cooling-off period. By booking an appointment that takes place within those 14 days, you are asking for care to begin during the cooling-off period. If you cancel during this time, the cancellation terms above apply, and once your appointment has taken place the right to cancel no longer applies.

Your statutory rights are not affected.

Tongue-tie appointments

The same terms apply to tongue-tie assessment and division. Your fee includes a free post-procedure review. If division isn't recommended on the day, or exercises are suggested first, the appointment fee still applies, as it covers a full assessment of your baby's oral function and feeding.

Postnatal care packages

A 10% deposit is required at the time of booking to secure your place, with the remaining balance payable by 34 weeks of pregnancy.

If you book remotely, you can cancel within 14 days of booking and receive a full refund, including your deposit. After this, the deposit is non-refundable, as your place is reserved in my diary and other families may be turned away.

You can cancel your care at any time before your baby is born and receive a refund of any balance you have paid.

Once your care has started, there is no refund for care not taken. In exceptional circumstances, such as an extended hospital stay for you or your baby, I will consider a partial refund or credit for unused care, at my discretion.