Quality and safety

COVID-19 (Corona virus) regulations and The Body Clinic.

Update 15 December: The Body Clinic is staying open for treatments

In accordance with the 14 December 2020 COVID regulations issued by the Dutch government and as advised by the Dutch Cosmetic Science Association (NVCG), Dutch cosmetic clinics are to remain open. The Body Clinic complies with these guidelines and will stay open for treatments as usual.

The health and safety of our clients is our utmost priority. To this end, we take strict measures to enforce hygiene. Face masks are compulsory, and we must ask you to follow our hostess’  instructions upon entering the clinic.

If you have any questions, you can reach us at [email protected].

We at The Body Clinic adhere to all the hygiene regulations outlined by the NVCG and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Dutch: RIVM) relating to COVID-19 outbreak restrictions.

We ask you, our client, to read the information below carefully, so that you may follow the guidelines as well. The only way we can get the coronavirus under control is if we all work together!

In the wake of the restrictions mandated by the Government, The Body Clinic staff have taken several measures that we would like to inform you of.  We would like you to know that our team feels highly responsible for your health and safety. In view of the corona crisis, our typical safety standards have been heightened to minimize social interaction, following the measures and guidelines dictated by the NVCG and RIVM.

Consultations and treatments

For any consultations and treatments, we strictly adhere to the hygiene requirements and other measures set by the RIVM and our professional association: NVCG.

If you have a cold, cough or feel sick in any way, we kindly but firmly request that you reschedule your appointment to the point in time that you have been free of symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours.

Rescheduling your appointment is free of charge. Please call 020-4638668 or write to us at [email protected].

Clients with increased risk to the virus or comprimised immune systems in general are kindly but firmly requested not to come to the clinic. We appreciate your cooperation.

What measures may you expect from us regarding hygiene and what may we expect from you?

• If you call for a consultation or appointment, our office will inquire after your health. In addition, we will also ask if any member of your family is or has been in home isolation. If your answer to any of these questions is YES, we regretfully cannot schedule an appointment. We can do so as soon as you have been free of complaints for a minimum of 24 hours and / or two weeks have passed since you last were in contact with a housemate in home isolation. The following questions will be asked:

1.    Do you suffer from a cough, nose cold, sore throat, diarrhea or fever?

2.    Do you have a housemate in home isolation?

• Upon your arrival at the clinic our desk assistant will ask these same questions of you. Anyone suffering from a cough, cold, sore throat, diarrhea and /or with a fever will not be seen for treatment and requested to leave immediately.
• Upon your arrival at the clinic, our desk assistant will ask you to disinfect your hands. We insist that you honour this request. There is a sink in the toilet if you want to wash your hands with water. Alternatively, you can use the disinfectant from our counter.
• In the treatment room, our doctor will inquire after your health once again.
• Doctors and clients are requested not to speak to each other during treatment.
• Our staff will not shake hands and our doctors and assistants will wear masks and gloves.
• Our standard hygiene guidelines remain in place and receive the utmost attention.
• We clean our door-handles, faucet handles, all switches and handles in the toilets, our pay card machine, tablets, telephones, counters, tables and worktops, computer equipment, treatment chair and product cabinets several times a day.
• In the waiting area, seats are spaced with a minimum of 1.5 meters room between them.
• We kindly request you visit us on your own, without company. If this is not possible, we request that your company waits for you outside the clinic. This way, we can limit the number of people inside the clinic.
• If you need an anesthetic cream on the treatment area of your face, our assistant may ask you to apply it yourself. The doctor or assistant will then give you instructions. You will be given gloves and a wooden spatula to do so.
• If at all possible, we advise you to travel using your own transport and refrain from using public transport.
• We are a private clinic, with two waiting areas per location. As such, we are in a position to evenly spread our clients over the waiting areas. We kindly request that you take a seat where indicated.
• We have a mobile professional hospital air purifier at our clinic, with a HEPA and carbon filter. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. This filter type largely clears the air of particulate matter, dust mites, viruses and allergens.
• We prefer the payments be made using PIN or credit card. If cash is your only option, we insist that you bring the exact change and place it on the counter for our assistant to pick it up using gloves.
• For the time being, to avoid hygiene issues, we will not offer complimentary beverages.
• All leaflets, journals and magazines have been removed from the waiting rooms.
• We kindly ask you to keep your coat with you at all times and not give it to the assistant or hang it up.

Check-up appointments
For the time being, we will not schedule standard check-up appointments after treatment. However, if you are not satisfied with your treatment and would like a check-up, please call 020-4638668. The operator will schedule a check-up appointment with our doctor.  Please note that all of the above requests and requirements also apply to check-up appointments. If you have a cold, cough and / or feel sick, we urge you to reschedule your appointment. You can call us at 020-4638668 or contact us at [email protected].

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This page is dedicated to the expertise of our doctors and the quality of our products and procedures.

Our doctors

Naturally, all client consultations are with one of our doctors, all of whom have BIG-registration. The BIG-register is a government-approved Dutch database that lists all the healthcare professions with names, titles, academic qualifications and degrees protected by Dutch law. Examples include such professions as ‘medical doctor’, ‘physiotherapist’ and ‘psychotherapist’.

With over 1400 customer reviews, The Body Clinic has earned a score of 8.9 out of 10 on the well-known Dutch customer clinic review site known as kliniekervaringen.nl. Our doctors are trained in all the necessary skills and have the know-how to carry out their clients’ procedures with the utmost safety.

Our products
At the Body Clinic, we only use hyaluronic acid fillers that have been commercially available for over twenty years. Millions of procedures have been carried out with these fillers, proving their safety and informing us of their long-term effects. This means that our customers will never be met with undue surprises.

At the Body Clinic, we use Restylane, Radiesse and Saypha-brand fillers. These fillers carry the CE-certification mark of quality and in addition, Restylane and Radiesse are FDA-approved. The American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) enforces very strict rules when approving fillers, ensuring their safety. Finally, all the types of hyaluronic acid that we use are soluble in Hyason (hyaluronidase), meaning that they can be dissolved if the end result is not to our client’s liking.

Free intake with one of our doctors

Your free intake consultation is a great opportunity to meet your treating physician. Together you can discuss your wishes and expectations, while your doctor checks the condition of your skin and maps out your health. All this ensures the best tailor-made advice. Costs of treatment and their alternatives will be discussed beforehand as well. We want you to have a very clear understanding of your options regarding possible procedures and their effects before you go in for any treatment, so you can reach a well-informed decision.

Quality and safety

We guarantee the basic safety of all our clients. This means that, as your medical professionals, we try to avoid all preventable harm to you, our client, by strictly adhering to all professional rules and standards. We are members of the NVCG (Dutch abbreviation for: Cosmetic Science Association). Twice a year, we undergo strict hygiene inspections to make sure that we meet all the quality requirements set by Dutch law. Our certifications are renewed twice a year.

Our clinic offers all the necessary amenities to carry out our clients’ procedures with the utmost safety and comfort.

CCBA code

We meet the standards of the CCBA code (Dutch abbreviation for: Code for Medical Cosmetic treatments performed by Doctors). All of our cosmetic treatments are performed by BIG-registered doctors only. You can look up our doctors in the BIG register.

Quality standards

NVCG

We are members of the NVCG (Dutch abbreviation for: Dutch Cosmetic Science Association). The NVCG is an official Dutch professional association recognised by the government. Members of the NVCG are certified medical cosmetic professionals. The NVCG was founded to improve the quality of cosmetic treatments and educate the public on medical professionals offering their services. You can find the objectives and activities of the NVCG on this page.

Doctors at The Body Clinic are members of the NVCG. As such, they are obligated to annually gain a specific number of accreditation points to meet their quality requirements. Our doctors do this by participating in meetings, workshops, continuing education, seminars, conferences and audits. In addition, our doctors are visited by other doctors. You can find the minimum requirements set for NVCG certification on this page. Of course, our clinic meets all the requirements set by the NVCG.

ZIN

On 12 November 2019, the Dutch healthcare institute ZIN (Dutch acronym for: Care Institute Netherlands) published a quality standard under the title: Kwaliteitskader Cosmetische Zorg (Dutch for: Quality Framework Cosmetic Care). This quality framework is the pre-eminent national standard for healthcare providers and clinics, set to protect and maintain the quality of the Dutch medical cosmetic care industry. The Body Clinic is required to meet these standards.

As a formal quality instrument, the framework has been included in ZIN’s public register. ZIN’s public register outlines the expectations of clients, healthcare providers and healthcare insurers in relation to quality medical cosmetic procedures. As such, it provides a basis for supervision and accountability. Click here if you want to inspect the quality framework.

Our organisation and policies aim to contribute to the quality of our clinic, such as the allocation of responsibility, consultation structure and procedures. Our treatments, prices, possible side effects and complications are clearly stated on our website. Naturally, your doctor too will explain these treatments to you.

Live chat – Smartsupp

The Body Clinic uses Smartsupp live chat. Anything you enter in the chat window or in the pre-chat form may be stored on Smartsupp’s servers. The Body Clinic reserves the right to view and process any personal information you have entered during the Smartsupp live chat on their website. Technical information: Smartsupp may collect user data during a live chat, for example the user’s IP address, browser type and version, operating system type and version, estimated location etc. Technical information stored in browser cookies is used solely for the proper functioning of Smartsupp services. If you do not want Smartsupp to collect your personal data, please refrain from using the live chat. Instead, you can contact us at [email protected] or call us at 020-4638668.

VvAA                         

The Body Clinic is a member of the VvAA; the Dutch Care Providers Collective. In collaboration with VvAA and Waveland, The Body Clinic has drawn up a policy plan regarding the WKKGZ (Dutch abbreviation for: Quality, Complaints and Disputes Health Care Act), the WGBO (Dutch abbreviation for: Medical Treatment Agreement Act), the BIG and the AVG (Dutch abbreviation for: Privacy Law). This plan has been monitored by the VvAA and Waveland. The Body Clinic complies with their guidelines.

We comply with the WGBO (Dutch abbreviation for: Medical Treatment Agreement Act)

Upon signing your treatment agreement, the WGBO goes into effect. We will take some photographs of you prior to treatment, for comparison later, so that you have a clear image of the results of the treatment. These photographs will only be seen and discussed by you and your treating physician.

Prior to treatment, you will be required to sign several digital forms using our company iPad. These are:

1. Health declaration: This form contains questions relating to your health to determine whether you qualify for a cosmetic procedure.
2. Treatment agreement: You will be requested to sign this form following your intake consultation with your treating physician. It includes all the necessary information on your selected procedure, including its possible side-effects and complications. Our doctors at The Body Clinic always inform you to the best of their abilities, so that you can make a well-considered decision.
3. AVG (Dutch abbreviation for: General Data Protection Regulation) form: This form specifies how your private information will be handled.

What rights does the client derive from the WGBO?

The WGBO affords you, our client, the following rights:

• Receive comprehensible information about your health (‘What information should your doctor give you?’);
• Give consent for treatment;
• Access to your medical dossier (to be stored for 15 to 20 years);
• Privacy and safekeeping of medical information;
• Free choice of doctor.

What are your duties as a client?

You are obligated to give your medical professional a clear, honest and complete account of your health situation. The correct information enables your medical professional to map out your healthcare wishes faster and more accurately and draw up a made-to-measure, personal treatment plan for you.

Incidents / complications and calamities

We acknowledge, register and discuss incidents, complications and calamities in order to continue the betterment of our care. See below for more information.

Complications

Should any complications arise as a result of a treatment in one of our clinics, it is important that you contact our doctors at The Body Clinic. You can reach us six days a week through our office at 020-4638668. At any other time, please find us at the number the voicemail gives you. As a first procedure, our doctors will discuss the situation with you, assess the complications and offer a suitable solution. In the unlikely event that our doctors at The Body Clinic are unable to resolve the complications themselves, you may be referred to the complication filler polyclinic at the Rotterdam Erasmus Medical, Aesthetics or the Amsterdam Medical Laser Centre. We are closely affiliated to both facilities. 

Incidents / calamities

The Body Clinic will observe the following procedure in the case of an incident:

• Map out the incident;
• Investigate the incident in collaboration with the relevant medical professional, colleagues and other experts;
• Decide as quickly as possible which measures should be taken;
• Inform the relevant medical professional and the organisational entity about the outcomes and conclusions of the investigation;
• Inform the client (or the client’s representative) or the bereaved in case of notable consequences;
• Record the incident in the patient’s file, including the date and time of the incident and the names of those involved;
• Inform the client about possible ways to resolve or reduce the complications;
• Inform the client about his/her rights as a result of the incident.
• The client may request the contact details of the person in charge of calamity handling at The Body Clinic.

Complaints

We would like to inform you, our client, on The Body Clinic’s procedure regarding complaints

• You, your representative or your bereaved may file a complaint against us, submitted in writing, regarding our conduct towards you.
• Alternatively, you may file a written complaint if we, within the context of healthcare, refuse to consider a person to be your representative.
• We will inform you of any alterations to our complaints procedure.
• We have appointed a complaints officer at our organisation who may assist you in filing your complaint at no charge, and/or help you with writing up your complaint. Our complaints officer may suggest and discuss ways with you in which we can come to a resolution of your complaint. Please inquire after your options.
• Our complaints officer works independently from our company.
• Please contact us if you require the contact information of aforesaid complaints officer.
• We offer a complaints form that you may use in order to file your complaint, available upon request.
• We will investigate your complaint carefully.
• We aim to resolve your complaint in a way that satisfies both parties.
• We will keep you informed about the progress of your complaint.
• Within 6 weeks of filing your complaint, you will receive a written statement in which we substantiate our evaluation of the complaint and indicate which decisions and/or measures will be taken, and within what timeframe these decisions and/or measures will be realised.
• Should we, in our opinion, need more time for the necessary and required careful investigation of your complaint, we may extend this period by a maximum of 4 weeks. If this is the case, we will inform you about this, in writing, as soon as possible.
• You may call upon the independent disputes committee (DOKH.nl) in the following cases:
  • We have not treated your complaint(s) with the legally required level of care.
  • You believe that our written evaluation of your complaint and our plans to alleviate it do not adequately resolve your complaint.
  • Circumstances do not, within reason, allow for you to file your complaint with us.
  • For more information about disputes, please view our information sheet regarding disputes.
• Every party involved with your complaint is obligated to observe confidentiality with regards to private information necessary to resolve the complaint (except in cases where the law requires them to disclose this information, or in cases where this is necessary to carry out our complaints procedure).     

Disputes

We would like to inform you about the ways in which we deal with disputes at our practice, and how you can submit your dispute to the independent disputes committee:

• This practice is a member of a recognized disputes committee.
• You may present your dispute to the disputes committee in writing.
• We will inform you of any changes to the dispute submission process of the disputes committee.
• You may present your dispute to the disputes committee in the following cases:
  • We have not dealt with your complaint(s) in the legally required manner.
  • You are of the belief that our response to your complaint and our plan to resolve it do not adequately resolve your complaint.
  • Circumstances do not, within reason, allow for you to submit your complaint to us.
• As our client, you, your representative or in case of your death, a bereaved party may submit your dispute(s) to the disputes committee in writing.
• The disputes committee shall give their ruling within 6 months of the dispute having been submitted.
• The disputes committee shall make their ruling public in such a manner that it is not traceable to any individuals, with the exception of ourselves.
• The contact information for the disputes committee of which we are a member is as follows:

Stichting DOKh
Afdeling Klachten en Geschillen
Robijnstraat 6
1812 RB ALKMAAR

Telephone: +31 (0)72 – 520 83 25 (between 9:00 hrs – 15:00 hrs)
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dokh.nl