FEES & RESPONSIBILITY OF PAYMENT

All fees, diets and drug charges are available on request and are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the level of expertise and time spent on a case and according to drugs, consumables and materials used. A member of staff will be happy to discuss any queries you may have. You will be presented with an itemized fee invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us at the time of payment. In the event that an animal is found and emergency treatment is given it is the responsibility of the person who brought the animal to pay for the first aid given.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Payment is due at the time of treatment or discharge unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance. Should an account not be settled a reminder will be sent. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, administration charges may be incurred. After due notice, unpaid accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges, such as for the production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court and phone calls will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt. Any cheque or credit/debit card transaction not honoured or any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the account being restored to the original sum with further charges added to cover bank charges and administrative costs together with interest on the principal sum. Bouncing cheques will incur an additional charge to the account. Debt accounts that are not settled within the calendar year have a surcharge of 5% per month.

INABILITY TO PAY

If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter with the head vet as soon as possible and before treatment takes place. Please note that instalments or part payment of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of Mr Jonathan McCotter and must be agreed before treatment takes place. Emergency treatment (first aid) to alleviate suffering will always be given irrespective of ability to pay.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

The care given to your pet may involve undertaking some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs.

The ownership of the resulting radiographs and all other records will remain at all times with the practice as part of your complete and comprehensive records. Charges made for x-rays are split between production and interpretation of them. If required, we can arrange to have copies of x-rays made but this would be at your expense, and copies can only be done on a disc. Radiographs and copies of all laboratory results, with a summary of the history will be passed on, by request, to another Veterinary Surgeon should the need arise.
You may view your pet’s clinical notes on request by appointment only. Please note it is your responsibility to provide us with accurate contact details.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS

We hope to ensure you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from us. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to raise, please direct your comments, preferably in writing, to the Practice Manager. An acknowledgement will be sent by return and then a period will elapse while the case is investigated and reports collated from those staff involved. A reply in writing will follow, usually within 14 days although the period may be longer if the Practice Manger or staff involved are temporarily unavailable or delayed.

RETURNED MEDICINES

Under the terms of the Medicines Act we are not allowed to give any credit for unused and returned medicines. However we shall, at our cost, pay for their safe disposal, if we have provided them for you. Please bear this in mind when requesting a long term supply of medicines. 

We reserve the right to make a charge for the safe disposal of medicines not provided by us.

POSTAGE

We shall be entitled to charge a reasonable amount to cover our time, materials and postage costs, all of which are subject to VAT.

VARIATIONS IN TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless specifically agreed in writing by the Mr Jonathan McCotter. Additionally, no agent or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these terms and conditions in any way.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs and/or diets. You may settle your accounts using cash, credit/debit cards or cheque with a valid cheque guarantee card up to the value on the card.

A veterinary surgery is not a licensed credit agency, therefore it is not legal for us to offer credit terms, nor credit application forms. However, in some cases Mr Jonathan McCotter may accept a payment to be split over a very short period of time, this payment facility still requires comprehensive collection of customer’s details.

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We will provide you a written estimate as to the probable cost of a course of treatment or surgical procedure. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate and additional costs which cannot be predicted at the outset may occur as treatment progresses. We will make every effort to discuss any such additional costs whenever possible.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

Animal Vets strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. Under the regulations of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) we are authorised to promote and administer the claims of the Pet insurance companies: the practice does not receive commission for this. Please ask for advice on Pet insurance from any member of staff but be aware though that with any insurance company it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover and to then reclaim any fees you have paid the practice. It is also your responsibility to pay any excess that may be set according to your policy and to have knowledge of any condition exclusions.

Under exceptional circumstances when clients do not have the funds to make payment in full, arrangements can be made for your insurer to make their payment directly to us but this only applies to particular insurance companies and even then when sums involved are high enough. Please ask for details if you would like to be considered for this facility.

Animal Vets is a fully accredited Vetsure practice which means that we can offer our clients 5 weeks cover free of charge from Vetsure pet insurance. Simply choose whichever level of cover you are interested in taking out and get the first 5 weeks free. More information is available on our website www.animalvets.co.uk/pet-insurance

VACCINATION REMINDERS

Whilst we make every effort to send out reminders for annual vaccinations, the responsibility to keep them up to date remains with you.

HOME VISITS

Home visits are available if booked in advance, and incur additional charges. In an emergency it is usually in the best interests of your pet to be seen at a surgery where facilities and a full range of drugs are available. It is not normally possible to carry out home visits outside normal working hours.

PHARMACEUTICALS

• Prescriptions are available from this practice. The current charge for a written prescription is displayed in our reception areas or you may ask a member of staff for this information. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POM Vs) from your Veterinary Surgeon or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another Veterinary Surgeon or a pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs only for animals under his or her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal. The policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every three months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The charge for this re-examination is our medicine consultation fee. Flea and worm treatments can however be dispensed without examination as part of a health plan agreed at the annual health assessment. Clients are requested to give 24 hours advance notice for repeat prescriptions.
• We strongly advise the regular use of routine anti-parasitic medication. The majority of these products are POM Vs and legally we are only able to dispense such products without the need of an examination when an animal has been examined by a Veterinary Surgeon in the last 12 months. We may therefore be required to examine your pet prior to dispensing. In order to assist our clients, when the patient is examined for the purpose of dispensing prescription anti-parasitic treatment there is a nurse consultation fee. Should clinical matters or a skin condition for which treatment is necessary arise out of that examination then a consultation fee will be incurred at this time.
• In accordance with the Medicines Act we will always use a veterinary licensed product. Should this not be available we will then use veterinary products licensed for use in other species and failing that a human medical product. Any use of off-licence medication will be based upon our knowledge of its use in animals and an assessment made of the risks and benefits involved. This is particularly common in species other than dogs and cats for which few licensed products are available. There will be a cascade form that needs to be signed for any such medicines subscribed. Please speak to a veterinary surgeon if you have any concerns about this issue.

EMERGENCY COVER

When the clinic is closed Emergencies are handled by us on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 6.30pm and 8am. On weekends and bank holidays, emergencies are handled by C-Vets between 6.30pm on Fridays and 8am on Mondays and during closure times on bank holidays.