Safeguarding statement
Safeguarding means protecting children and adults at risk from abuse, neglect and harm. This page explains how we do that at Clinique Alpa, including in consultations held by secure video or telephone.
Clinique Alpa is currently operating as a virtual-first private GP consultation service during our sabbatical period. In-person services are expected to resume from 24 August 2026. If you need GP advice now, you can book a £65 private online GP consultation. If you require examination, urgent care, investigations, procedures or hospital assessment, our GP will safety-net and direct you to the appropriate service.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility
Every patient has the right to be safe. We are committed to protecting children, young people and adults at risk in every part of our service, including consultations held over a secure video or telephone connection.
Our clinicians are trained to recognise possible signs of abuse or neglect, to listen carefully, and to act on concerns promptly and proportionately. We keep our safeguarding training and procedures under regular review, and our registered manager holds senior accountability for safeguarding within the service.
Children and young people
Children can be seen where clinically suitable, and a parent or guardian must be present throughout the consultation. For video and telephone appointments, we confirm who is in the room, and we confirm the identity of the accompanying adult and their relationship to the child.
If the GP feels a child needs to be examined in person, or needs urgent assessment, we say so plainly and direct you to the right service without delay.
Adults at risk
Some adults are less able to protect themselves from abuse or neglect because of illness, disability, age or their circumstances. Our clinicians remain alert to this in every consultation. Where a patient is supported by a carer, relative or advocate, we make sure we still hear from the patient directly wherever possible, and we take time to check that decisions reflect their own wishes.
Identity checks
Remote consultations carry particular safeguarding responsibilities, so we verify who we are speaking to. We take your name, date of birth and contact details when you book, we may ask you to show photo identification, and the GP confirms your identity at the start of every consultation. For children, we also confirm the identity of the parent or guardian present. If we cannot verify identity, we do not proceed with the consultation.
When and how we escalate a concern
Local authority
Where we believe a child or an adult is at risk, we make a safeguarding referral to the local authority safeguarding team for the area where the person lives.
Police
Where we believe a crime may have been committed, or someone is in danger, we contact the police.
Emergency services
Where there is an immediate risk to life or of serious harm, we call 999. We do not wait.
Consent and information sharing
Wherever possible we discuss our concerns with you first and seek your consent before sharing information. If we believe a child or an adult is at risk of serious harm, we may share information with the relevant local authority, the police or the emergency services without consent, as the law and our professional guidance allow. We share only what is necessary, and we record what we have shared and why.
With your consent, we send a summary of your consultation to your NHS GP so that your records stay joined up. Clinique Alpa provides private healthcare and does not replace your NHS GP.
Our professional obligations
Our clinicians are registered with the General Medical Council. They follow General Medical Council guidance on protecting children, young people and adults at risk. Clinique Alpa is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We work within the safeguarding procedures of the local authorities we deal with, and we cooperate fully with any safeguarding enquiry.
How to raise a concern with us
If you are worried about the safety of a child or an adult, or about anything you have seen or experienced in our care, please tell us. Call 020 8882 8088 or email enquiries@cliniquealpa.co.uk. We take every concern seriously, and raising one will never affect the care you receive.
If your concern is about our service and you would like it handled formally, our complaints page explains how we deal with complaints and how long each stage takes.
- If someone is in immediate danger, or there is a medical emergency, call 999 or go to A&E now.
- For urgent medical advice that cannot wait for an appointment, contact NHS 111.
- Our emergency advice page explains when to use each service.
Talk to us
If something is worrying you, we would rather hear about it early. Contact us, or book an online GP consultation to speak to a doctor. In an emergency, always call 999.