Terms and Conditions
Fees and methods of Payment
There is no NHS available for pets, veterinary practices are providing private health care for your pets. 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.
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
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Missed Appointment Policy
Whilst we understand that life is busy and appointments can be forgotten, as a small business it does impact on us when appointments are missed. It means we are unable to offer these appointments to other patients.
We will email clients the night before with a reminder for their appointment the next day. We understand even with this appointments can slip your mind. As such our policy allows for two appointments to be missed without effect, however if a third appointment is missed then our standard consultation fee will be charged. We will also request an upfront payment for future consultation fees at the time of booking.
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Direct Insurance Claims
For treatments costing over £500 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.
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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 as will referral to our debt collection agency.
Off license Medication
In certain circumstances, where no suitable alternative exisits, 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.
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 Cherry Orchard Vets. However if you do find there is something you wish to bring to our attention, please contact one of the Directors 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.
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