TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS FOR EQUIPET VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to the Equipet Veterinary Hospital. This letter details our Hospital Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

DRUG ORDERING

If medications are ordered before 2.00pm, they will be available for collection that day up until 8.00pm which is the official closing time. If they are ordered after that time, they will be available for collection the following day. Every attempt will be made to fill more important requests at the time, although on occasions a delay may occur.

Please be aware that for an animal to be ‘under our care’ for the purposes of dispensing medication, our professional body, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, demands that they receive regular re-assessment by a veterinary surgeon. It regards an interval of six months as being the very longest that is acceptable, and considers more frequent visits as often being necessary, but then at the discretion of the consulting veterinary surgeon. A normal consultation charge applies to six month assessments.

OPENING HOURS

The Hospital is open from 8.00am – 8.00pm weekdays, and from 9.00am – 5.00pm weekends.

CONSULTATIONS

These are from 9.00am - 8.00pm weekdays, from 9.00am – 5.00pm Saturdays and from 1.00pm - 4.00pm on Sundays, by appointment. Emergencies, of course, are seen at any time, and it is the policy of this Hospital that any client requiring a normal appointment will be seen that day if they request one and can be at the Hospital before the normal closing time.

VISITS

These will always be available for the animals of our clients, by prior arrangement. There is a charge for this service above the normal consultation charge, and our fee structure can be discussed with a staff member at any time. Please be aware that in the case of a true emergency you may be encouraged to arrange your own transport to the Hospital in preference, for reasons of urgency and where your pet can benefit from the full suite of Hospital facilities that are available.

BRINGING IN ANIMALS FOR AN OPERATION

Animals can be admitted from 8.00am when the Hospital officially opens, until 8.45am. Please bear in mind that they are admitted in order of arrival, and sometimes there is a short delay. To minimize this inconvenience, the Hospital would advise clients to arrive as early as possible, although every effort will be made to admit an animal at a more convenient time for the owner when necessary.

AMBULANCE SERVICE

A Hospital ambulance is available for the collection and delivery of animals by prior arrangement. This service is charged for.

Food and drugs can now also be delivered by prior arrangement. Again a small charge is made for this.

WEEKEND SERVICE

The Hospital provides an all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon service for the benefit of its clients. These days operate with reduced staffing levels and so if clients have the ability to visit during the week instead, it would be greatly appreciated. Sunday afternoon surgeries are for any clients who believe their pet would deteriorate or suffer in any way if not seen at that time, although the surgery is also open to the pets of any clients who would find it inconvenient to visit the Hospital at any other time. There is a small additional charge for Sunday consultations.

OUT OF HOURS SERVICE

The Hospital provides its own emergency service for the benefit of its clients which commences after the last appointment at 7.45pm. If you are concerned about the welfare of your pet after this time, you should call the normal Hospital telephone number (01592) 641333 and an answer machine will direct you to the duty veterinary surgeon. Our vets answer out of hours calls directly, and they are available for free advice in this situation. If in their opinion the animal needs to be seen, they have been instructed to warn you of charges in advance unless thought inappropriate. You are, of course, welcome to ask what these charges are then, or at any other time.

It is the policy of this Hospital that our registered clients are never refused an out of hours appointment.

As for all practices, there is an additional fee for this service above the usual consultation charge, and this fee increases again after 12.00am.

The extent of overnight supervision is determined by a risk assessment for each patient based on that patient’s perceived needs. 

FEES

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. An itemized list of proposed charges can be provided in advance if requested.

You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us at the time when payment is made. If payment is made later, and you require a detailed fee note, please request it and it will be provided.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets. You may settle the account using:

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment, and have an allocated space on our pre-operative forms where this can be recorded before an operation.

Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate - often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course. In the case of surgery, and if practical, we will try and contact you if we think our estimate will be exceeded by more than 20%. We would also encourage clients to regularly ask for an update on their outstanding balance when a pet is hospitalized for more than 24 hours.                                 

SETTLEMENT TERM

All clients with outstanding amounts not settled at the time, other than those by prior arrangement, will be sent an account. An extra fee may be added if the account is not settled within 2 weeks. Each account will detail when additional charges will be added.

After due notice to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency and 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 cheque returned by our Bank as unpaid, any Credit Card payment not honoured and any Cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs together with interest on the principal sum.

INABILITY TO PAY

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with the Practice Manager. Please note that installments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of that person, Melissa Fairweather, or the partners, Wayne or Ruth Gray.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

Equipet Veterinary Hospital strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance Company. In certain circumstances however, the Hospital does permit clients to only pay the insurance excess, and is then prepared to claim the balance directly from the relevant insurance company. This should be seen as an additional service which is provided for our clients, and we would encourage clients to bring in a correctly completed claim form at the earliest opportunity.

MICRO-CHIPPING

This Hospital believes that all pets should be micro-chipped which not only affords owners peace of mind, but may allow us to implement the very best care for an animal as soon as possible. When the Hospital admits animals without an owner, it provides basic veterinary care including pain relief for up to three days while the identity of the owner is sort with the help of the local authorities. If the owner is found the account will be charged to them, and they will be pursued through the police or debt collection services for payment, as appropriate. A veterinary surgeon has the right to euthanase any animal that they consider is experiencing unnecessary pain and suffering, at any time. 

ANIMAL RESTRAINT

All animals on the premises should be restrained by their owners so that they can not escape, or do harm to people or other animals.

NO SMOKING POLICY

The Prohibition of Smoking in certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006, bans persons from smoking in the Hospital.

COMPLAINTS & STANDARDS

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Equipet Veterinary Hospital. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to the Practice Manager or any member of staff in their absence. The relevant details will be recorded in a Customer Care book, and you will be contacted in the appropriate way. Please allow time for relevant information and the facts of the case to be accumulated.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Equipet Veterinary Hospital. 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.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the practice partners. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in anyway.