Our Terms Of Business

TERMS OF BUSINESS

The following Terms of Business Agreement sets out the basis on The Alpha Healthcare Consultancy Ltd referred to as ‘Alpha Healthcare’, ‘We’, ‘Us’, ‘Our’ will provide business services to you as a consumer or commercial client of the firm.

Please contact us immediately if there is anything in these terms of business which you do not understand or with which you disagree. We are happy to answer any questions and willing to explain these terms and the reasons for them.

YOU ARE DEEMED TO HAVE ACCEPTED THESE TERMS OF BUSINESS UNLESS YOU ADVISE US OTHERWISE WITHIN 7 DAYS OF RECEIPT.

About us

The Alpha Healthcare Consultancy Ltd of The Kudos Buildings, Unit 3, Harrison Close, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). FCA Registered Number 306317.  We are permitted to arrange, advise on, deal as an agent of insurers and assist in claims handling with respect to non-investment insurance policies.  You can check these details on the FCA’s Register by visiting the FCA’s website https://register.fca.org.uk/ or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.

We provide customers with independent advice and are therefore able to compare and contrast the products of different insurers.  Further, we will use our expertise to ensure that any policies recommended are suitable to the particular needs of our customers and only provide advice on matters in which we are knowledgeable.

Your duty of disclosure

Your insurance is based upon the information provided to the insurance company and you must ensure that all such information is complete and accurate, and that any facts that may influence the insurer’s decision to accept and pay a valid claim are disclosed.

Consumers: You must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer. This means that all the answers you give and statements you make as part of your insurance application, including at renewal and when an amendment to your policy is required, should be honest and accurate. If you deliberately or carelessly misinform the insurers, this could mean that part of or all of a claim may not be paid.

Non-consumer customers: Where we arrange insurance wholly or mainly for purposes related to your trade, business or profession, you have a duty under The Insurance Act 2015 to make a fair presentation of the risk. This means that you must disclose every material circumstance after an appropriate enquiry which you and/or your senior management and/or anyone responsible for arranging your insurance know or ought to know. Alternatively, you must disclose sufficient information which would put the insurer on notice that it needs to make further enquiries for the purpose of revealing those material circumstances.  You are expected to carry out a reasonable search in order to make a fair presentation of the risk and will be deemed to know what should reasonably have been revealed by the search.

Your duty of fair presentation applies at the start of the policy, at renewal and when any variation of the policy is arranged. If you fail to make a fair presentation, the insurer may refuse to pay your claim or reduce the settlement amount, depending on the circumstances.

Failure to disclose material information may invalidate your insurance and could mean that part, or all, of a claim may not be paid.

Protecting your information

We take your privacy extremely seriously and we will only use your personal details in line with our Privacy Notice. Please read our Privacy Notice carefully (http://alpha.healthcare/privacy-notice/) and contact us immediately if you have any queries. Where necessary, for example where we would like to use your data for some marketing purposes, we shall ask for your specific consent to do so. Your personal information includes all of the details you have given us to process your insurance policy (we will not ask for more information than is necessary). We may share your data with insurance companies, underwriting agencies, business partners and other parties, only for the provision, ongoing performance or renewal of your insurance policy. Your data may be transferred outside the UK. We will not sell, rent or trade your data under any circumstances. All of the personal information you supply to us will be handled strictly in accordance with the applicable Data Protection regulations and legislation.

How to cancel

Please contact us immediately if you wish to cancel any insurance policy we have arranged for you. You may have a right to cancel a policy without penalty within the first 14 days (or, in some cases, longer).  Please refer to your policy summary or your policy document for further details.  If you cancel within this initial cancellation period (where this applies) you will receive a pro rata refund of premium from the insurer. However, insurers are entitled to make an administrative charge.  In addition, we may charge an amount which reflects the administrative costs of arranging and cancelling the policy.

If you choose to cancel other than within an initial cancellation period you will not usually receive a pro-rata refund of premium from the Insurer. In addition, we may charge an amount that reflects the administrative costs of arranging and cancelling the policy.

Fees and charges

We normally derive our income from commission paid to us by insurers.  Where a fee or charge is payable, you will be advised before you commit to it.  Alpha Healthcare does not handle client money.  We never accept a cheque made out to us (unless it is a cheque in settlement of charges or disbursements for which we have sent you an invoice) or handle cash.

You are entitled, at any time, to request information regarding any commission which we may have received as a result of placing your insurance business.

Your Policy Documents

Your policy documents are important. They contain important information about cover under your policy and circumstances where cover may be excluded. It is therefore important that you are familiar with these documents and read them in their entirety to ensure the cover suits your circumstances. You will normally receive your policy documents after arranging cover separately from your insurer. If for any reason your policy documents do not arrive please let us know immediately and we can arrange replacements.

How to claim

Please refer to your policy summary or your policy document if you need to notify a claim. You should contact us or the insurer direct as soon as you become aware of any incident which could give rise to a claim. If in doubt about whom you should contact, or if you require our assistance in relation to a claim or potential claim please contact us.

Complaints

It is our intention to provide a high level of service at all times.  However if you have reason to make a complaint about our service you should contact Jane Ellison, Head of Account Management at the above address.  Your complaint will be acknowledged within 5 business days.  You may be entitled to refer it subsequently to the Financial Ombudsman Service.  Further information is available at http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/. If you do decide to refer any matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service your legal rights will not be affected. We will provide a summary of our complaints handling procedures should you make a complaint which we cannot resolve informally and at any other time, upon your request.

Compensation arrangements

We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim.  Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 90% of the claim, without any upper limit.  For compulsory classes of insurance, insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the claim, also without any upper limit. The compensation scheme does not apply to consumer credit. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS on 0800 678 1100 or 020 7741 4100 or by visiting http://www.fscs.org.uk/

Money laundering/Proceeds of crime

We are obliged to report to the National Crime Agency any suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing activity and we are prohibited from disclosing any such report.

Adequacy of insurance values

It is the responsibility of the insured to ensure that all sums insured and policy limits are adequate. Whilst we seek to assist in establishing and maintaining insured values and indemnity limits we cannot accept responsibility for their accuracy. It is strongly recommended that the appropriate professional (for example Accountant, Medical Professional or other appropriate expert) be consulted to ensure that the sums insured and limits under the policy are suitable.

Conflicts of interest

As insurance brokers we generally act as your agent in advising you, arranging your insurance and assisting you in the event of a claim. In certain circumstances we may act for and owe duties of care to insurers and/or other parties. Where we become aware of any actual or potential conflict of interest, we will inform you of the situation, the options available to you and obtain your consent before we proceed.

Insurer security

The insurers we use are regulated and are required to have adequate capital resources. However, we cannot guarantee the solvency of any insurer we place business with. An insolvent insurer may be unable to pay claims or may be unable to pay them in full and you may have to pay a further premium to pay for alternative insurance cover.

Law and jurisdiction

These Terms of Business shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English Law and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Special Notes Regarding Group Risk Policies

In the case of Group Income Protection, Group Life Assurance (Death In Service) and Group Critical Illness, it is your duty after a full enquiry to inform us and/or the insurer of any employees or scheme members currently off on long term sick or that fail to meet your insurers ‘actively at work’ definition. Your policy contract will cover this in more detail. It is also your responsibility to notify the insurer of any change of circumstances after an application form is completed.