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Safety and governance

How we keep your care safe and accountable

Elective surgery abroad has risks, as all surgery does. This page explains what VidaMed does to reduce them, what we do not do, and what to do if something goes wrong.

Book a consultationPartner Standards
Clinician listening with a stethoscope
Consent-based data sharing

In an emergency in the UK, call 999 or go to A&E. If you are abroad, contact your treating clinic and local emergency services. Do not wait for a VidaMed appointment.

Our role

What VidaMed does and does not do

What we do

  • Arrange UK screening by UK-registered clinicians
  • Share a Readiness Summary with your consent
  • Review overseas clinics against published Partner Standards
  • Arrange UK aftercare reviews after you return
  • Provide a route to raise concerns and complaints

What we do not do

  • Perform or direct surgery
  • Own or run overseas clinics
  • Provide emergency or 24-hour care
  • Guarantee any outcome
  • Take responsibility for treatment given by a treating clinic

Clinicians

Registration checks

Doctors working with VidaMed must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). We check registration before a clinician joins our network and keep checking it. Diagnostic tests are carried out by CQC-registered providers.

  • Registration is checked on the public register
  • Clinicians work within their own scope of practice
  • Clinicians use their own professional judgement, including advising against surgery or delaying it when appropriate

Your information

Consent and data sharing

  • We ask for your explicit consent before sharing your health information with a clinic.
  • You can tell us what may be shared and with whom, and you can withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawing may limit what we can do for you.
  • We share only what is needed for your care.
  • Information is shared securely. Please see our privacy notice for full details, including international transfers.

Consent to surgery is separate. The treating clinic is responsible for explaining the risks, benefits and alternatives of your procedure and obtaining your consent to it.

Learning

Incident reporting

If something goes wrong, we want to know. We record incidents and near misses that come to our attention, whether from a patient, a clinician or a partner clinic. Each one is reviewed, and we act on what we learn, which may include working with a partner clinic to change its practice or ending the partnership.

  1. Report

    Tell your UK clinician or email hello@vidamed.co.uk. Please give as much detail as you can.

  2. Make safe

    If you need clinical help, we direct you to the right urgent care first.

  3. Review

    We review what happened and speak to those involved, including the treating clinic where appropriate and with your consent.

  4. Learn

    We record what we learned and any changes we make.

Feedback

Complaints process

We would like to hear from you if you are unhappy with any part of our service. Complaints are taken seriously and handled fairly.

  • Email hello@vidamed.co.uk with the word "Complaint" in the subject line.
  • We acknowledge your complaint promptly and investigate it.
  • We reply in writing with what we found and what we will do.
  • Complaints about a treating clinic's care are best raised with that clinic as well. We can help you do that.

Urgent help

Emergency guidance

  • In the UK: call 999 or go to A&E for severe symptoms.
  • Abroad: contact your treating clinic and local emergency services.
  • Tell any treating team that you have recently had surgery, where, and what procedure.
  • For non-urgent concerns at home, contact your UK clinician or NHS 111.

Seek urgent help for symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, a painful swollen leg, heavy bleeding, fever or rapidly worsening pain or swelling. Your clinician will give you a list suited to your procedure.

Questions about safety?

Ask us anything. We reply within one working day.

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