TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to the Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd.

This letter details our Practice 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.

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. A written fee list is available on request. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

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:

-CASH

-CHEQUE with current Bankers card

-CREDIT/DEBIT CARD – Switch, Solo, MasterCard, Visa, Delta

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment.

Please bear in mind that any estimates given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Should an account not be settled within 28 days, then a reminder will be sent. 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 a member of staff.

Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of the Directors, Andrew Draper and Kate Cullen.

OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCY COVER

The Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd provides a 24 hour and 7 day a week emergency cover for our clients and for emergency cases not registered at a veterinary practice. Out of our normal working hours, the Vets Now Emergency Clinic based at the PDSA Hospital, Dunkirk, Nottingham is contracted to cover our on-call.

Clients ringing the practice out of hours will be either transferred directly to Vets Now or given instructions on how to contact the emergency clinic by a recorded message. Details and directions to Vets Now are available on request and posted in all our surgeries.

 

MICROCHIPPING

The Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd supports the idea of microchipping all pets and advises clients to discuss and organise with the veterinary surgeons, ideally when first registering with the practice.

All dogs over the age of 8 weeks need to be microchipped by law.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

The Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd 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.

We do not normally allow direct insurance claims to the Practice, these can only be authorised by the Directors Andrew Draper and Kate Cullen.

VACCINATION POLICY

The Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd recommends that all patients are vaccinated where possible and that booster vaccinations are kept up to date as advised by the veterinary surgeons.

We especially recommend that all in-patients and surgical cases are vaccinated to prevent them from catching illness whilst on our premises.

The Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd cannot be responsible for patients of clients who choose not to vaccinate their pets who then subsequently catch an illness whilst on our premises.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from the Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd.

However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to Andrew Draper. Please ask for and fill in a feedback sheet from reception.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Oak House Veterinary Centre Ltd. 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.

 

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 Directors. No agent or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in anyway..