Terms and Conditions

FEES AND METHODS OF PAYMENT

There is unfortunately no NHS for pets, so veterinary practices are providing private health care. The fees you pay reflect the investment we make in caring for your pet along with funding the services, medications, facilities and staff expertise, allowing us to give the best possible care for your pets.

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fees are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the medications, consumables and diet used.

Clients will receive an itemised invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction.

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of each consultation, on the discharge of a pet or on the collection of drugs/diets. Cash and most credit and debit cards are accepted.

INSURANCE

All insurance claims will be subject to a one off £10 processing fee per condition for the duration of that condition. This fee is included within the Healthy Pet Scheme.

DIRECT INSURANCE CLAIMS

For treatments costing over £250 we can offer, at our discretion, to receive payment directly from your pet insurance company.  There are certain insurance companies that we are unable to work with directly, please speak to our reception for more details.  There will be an administration charge for providing a direct insurance claim.

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

Estimates are provided verbally either at the time of booking the appointment or during the consultation itself.

We will always provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of any surgical procedures or in-patient treatment.  However please be aware that an estimate can only be approximate as a pet’s illness does not always follow a conventional course and additional costs may occur which cannot be predicted at the outset.

We will endeavour to contact you as soon as we have reason to believe that the costs could be significantly higher than the estimate.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS 

Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Belvoir Veterinary Centre. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

OWNERSHIP OF RADIOGRAPHS AND SIMILAR RECORDS 

The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph remains with the Practice.

HEALTHCARE PLAN

To qualify for discounts associated with our Healthcare Plan, you must be a member of the plan for 12 months, and make 12 consecutive direct debit payments. If you choose to leave the plan before you have made these payments, you will be liable for any differences in cost between the discounted goods and services you have received, and their normal non-discounted value. In the event that this occurs, this balance will be due upon cancellation of the plan.

If, like many of our customers, you wish to continue to benefit from the plan over subsequent years, the same terms apply; you will need to make another 12 consecutive direct debit payments. This is in accordance with the clauses printed on the reverse of the Client Copy of the Healthcare Plan agreement.

INABILITY TO PAY

If you are unable to settle your account as specified above, please discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

If for any reason your account has not been settled at the end of consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets, an invoice will be sent within 7 days.

Any further unpaid account reminders will be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. Further reminders will incur further charges. After due notice to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency which may affect your credit rating. Further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits etc. Any Credit Card not honoured, or any Cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to costs together with any banking fees, administration costs, and interest on the capital sum.

We reserve the right to withdraw our services from any client who fails to settle an account or with history of tardy settlement.

OFF LICENSE MEDICATION

In certain circumstances, where no suitable alternative exists, it may be appropriate for our vets to prescribe medication for your pet which has not been licensed for veterinary use.  This may include the use of drugs in one animal species which are licensed in another or some human medications which are not available in veterinary form.

Use of our services expressly allows for this use following discussion with a veterinary surgeon.  When dispensing off licence medication we will ask you to sign a consent form.

UNUSED MEDICATION

We follow the British Veterinary Association’s code of Practice on unused Medicines which states that /once stock has been dispensed, it should not be accepted back into the dispensary.  This means that once you have collected any medicine and taken it away from our premises, we cannot provide refunds for any medication returned to the practice.  We can safely dispose of any unwanted medication at your request.

WRITTEN PRESCRIPTIONS

Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines from your veterinary surgeon or obtain these from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may only provide POMV medicines for animals under their care. A prescription may not be appropriate if an animal is in need of immediate treatment or is an inpatient. You will be informed on request of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal. The policy of this practice is to re-examine any animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 3 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. There will be a charge for this re-examination.

REMINDERS – VACCINATIONS AND OTHER PRODUCTS

Whilst we make every effort to remind you when your pet is due vaccinations or other preventative care, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are kept up to date and your pet meets any requirement for boarding establishments or travel abroad.

COMPLAINTS

We hope that you never have a reason to complain about the standard of care and service received from Belvoir Vets. However if you do find there is something you wish to bring to our attention, please contact either Cees or Gemma and we will be happy to discuss your concerns and resolve any issues as quickly as possible.

VARIATION IN TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Directors.