Terms and Conditions
SCOTT VETERINARY CLINIC Ltd TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to the Scott Veterinary Clinic Ltd. This document details our practice terms and conditions. Some aspects may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further clarification or explanation if required.
Registration: It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this, we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold. If your details change, please inform us so we may ensure our database is as up to date as possible. We reserve the right to ask for advanced payment, for newly registered clients or telephone/video consultations, for example.
Email: From time to time we would like to inform you of current promotions and our quarterly newsletter. This will be sent to the email address you provide us. If you do not wish to receive these mailing’s please send us an email stating that you wish to be removed from the mailing list.
Fees: All fees, diets and drugs 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.
Payment for Surgery: In the event your pet requires a surgical procedure, including neutering and dental work, a detailed estimate will be provided by the vet.
With effect from 1st July 2023, we now require a down payment at the time of booking the procedure, calculated as follows
General Surgery:
- Procedure estimated <£500 then £200 down payment required
- Procedure estimated £500-£1000 then £300 down payment required
- Procedure estimated £1000-£2000 then £600 down payment required
- Procedure estimated >£2000 then £1000 down payment required
For patients requiring hospitalisation, should your account balance exceed £300, you will be required to pay as per the requirements stated above.
Dental Procedures:
A down payment of £300 is required for every dental procedure, regardless of estimate amount.
Neutering Procedures (Castrate/Spay):
A deposit of £100 per dog, £50 per cat and £50 per rabbit is required when booking for your pet to be either castrated or spayed. PLEASE NOTE: If you decide to cancel the neutering procedure more than 48 hours before the procedure date, a full refund of the deposit will be given. If less than 48 hours notice is given, 50% of the deposit will be refunded to you.
Remaining balances for all surgical procedures are to be paid when your pet is discharged to you
Methods of Payment: Itemised bills will be provided with every transaction. 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 your account using: Cash; Credit/Debit card; Maestro, Solo, MasterCard, VISA, Delta, BACS or via our online shop.
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 estimate given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course. We will provide the details of the price of any medicine stocked or sold on request. There is a sign in the reception area detailing the 10 most commonly prescribed medicines.
Settlement Terms: Should an account not be settled within 7 days; a reminder will be sent. After due notice to you, the client, overdue accounts will be subject to our debt collection procedure and further charges may be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt: such as court fees, correspondence, court attendance, credit charges, phone calls, etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any card payment not honoured, and cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being returned to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.
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 senior member of staff.
Pet Health Insurance: The Scott Veterinary Clinic 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 fees from your insurance company. It is sometimes possible for us to accept direct claims from selected insurance companies under the specific terms of our Standard Procedure for direct claims, available on request.
Insurance Claim Submission Fee: Scott Veterinary Clinic charges a fee for processing your insurance claim. If you submit more than three claims in the year this will be capped (for the 1st 3 claims) in that year.
Fees may still apply for any request for us to provide invoices, statements and veterinary authorisation to support a claim that you submit yourself, if applicable. Please enquire at the time of submission.
- Insurance Claim Submission £10 per claim (capped at £30 per year)
Consent: Written signed consent for procedures is required in all cases of admission to the hospital and any alterations will be agreed prior to action being taken. Consent is also required for the use of medications in species for which they were not licensed e.g. rabbits, rodents and exotic species. In this case a consent form will be provided to allow this to be done without asking for specific permission in each and every separate case. This is required as the majority of veterinary drugs are not licensed for use in small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. We must then use drugs which have a proven activity and efficiency despite this lack of licence.
Prescriptions: Under DTI regulations you may request written prescriptions for your pet’s medications and these will be issued subject to a fee. However, you will be responsible for sourcing these medications from a suitable supplier and should bear in mind that delay in the start of treatment may not be in the best interests of the welfare of your pet. Veterinary prescriptions are not covered by NHS charges and you will have to pay any supplier separately for these drugs, which costs will be at their market rate. In circumstances where it is essential to begin treatment immediately then written prescriptions will not be offered. This is most likely to be in the case of injectable medications where a delay would be unacceptable. Written prescriptions will not be issued for similar drugs used in anaesthesia or emergency situations.
Complaints and Standards: We hope you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Scott Veterinary Clinic Ltd. However, if after discussing your concerns at the time, you feel there is still something you wish to make a formal complaint about, please direct your comments to customerservice@scottveterinaryclinic.co.uk
Clinical Records: Your pet’s clinical records, including radiographs, ultrasound scan records and laboratory test reports remain the property of The Scott Veterinary Clinic and will be kept under the terms of the Data Protection Act (1998). You are entitled to see the records on request and if necessary, an appropriate appointment to view them will be made. Your pet’s records will be sent to another veterinary surgeon on request from them. If you require a copy for your personal use, a charge may be made at the rate for administrative work.
Ownership of Radiographs and Similar Records: The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these examinations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, (for example a radiograph) remains with the practice.
Return of Unused Drugs: We are happy to accept unused medications back into the practice for disposal only. However, as drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale, no refund can be given. Drugs purchased from any other supplier will not be accepted for disposal.
Repeat Examinations: It is necessary both for the welfare of your pet and to meet legal obligations, for this practice to re-examine animals receiving long term medications. The standard interval for medication checks is 3 months. The prevailing examination fee will be charged for that consultation.
Missed Appointments: Regretfully we must inform our clients that we reserve the right to charge our minimum consultation fee for appointments missed without reasonable notice.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one the directors. No agent of person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
Scott Veterinary Clinic:
405 Goldington Road, Bedford, MK41 0DS Tel: 01234 261622
44 High Street, Sharnbrook, MK44 1PF Tel: 01234 782204
Bedford Road, Wixams, MK43 3HU Tel: 01234 742423