Pet People Vets - Terms and Conditions

Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People is committed to providing the highest possible standard of care and attention to our patients and their owners.

Thank you for trusting us to care for your pet and to assist us in providing this service, our Practice Terms and Conditions are shown below.

If any points are unclear, please ask a member of our team.

Fees:

All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate, and are determined by the time spent on a case, and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. A detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, procedure or transaction.

Full payment is required at the time of consultation, or if the pet is admitted, when he or she is collected.

You are liable for any fees incurred in the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your pet has been brought to us on your behalf by a third party.

Estimates:

Written estimates can be provided on request, and remain valid for a period of one month, but please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate as often a pet’s illness may not follow a conventional course.

We will always endeavour to contact you if we believe this estimate is likely to be exceeded. However, there may be circumstances when immediate treatment is required to prevent pain and suffering for your pet and as such we cannot guarantee the estimate will be the total final cost.

Payment for services may be made with:

* Credit/Debit Card – Maestro, MasterCard, Visa & American Express in the clinic or via a payment link

* Direct Bank Transfer

Settlement terms

If for any reason your account has not been settled as specified we will initially send reminders to do so.

Outstanding balances remaining unpaid without agreement after 28 days will incur a debt management charge of 20% of the bill or £25 (whichever is the greater).

If the account remains unpaid, it will be sent to a debt recovery agency who will apply additional charges plus statutory interest. Full details are available on request.

Pet Insurance

Pet People Vets recommend the principle of veterinary insurance to protect against the unexpected fees incurred following illness or accident. It is your responsibility to settle your account with us and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. We will do our best to process the insurance claims as soon as possible to minimise any inconvenience.

In exceptional circumstances we offer direct insurance claims, for which there is an administration charge. Prior to this we will require a completed claim form and proof of insurance, including confirmation about exclusions and the policy excess. This excess plus a direct claim administration fee will need to be paid in full at the time. We will endeavour to process any completed claim forms within one working day of their receipt by the practice.

Client Confidentiality:

All information relating to both client and patient is held in confidence and in line with the Data Protection Acts and will not be disclosed except under the following circumstances.

* Where a client provides a confirmed request in writing.

* Where another Veterinary Surgeon requests this in order to continue the patients care.

* To a court or agent of Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People as part of a legal process.

* Where Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People use outsource reminder services for treatments, vaccinations or medication reminders.

Further information can be found on our website FAQs 1 — PET PEOPLE

Ownership of Records:

Case records and similar documents are the property of, and retained by, Smart Vet Ltd. Copies, with a summary of the clinical history may be passed on request, to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over the case or at the request of your insurance company.

Ownership of Radiographs and Similar Records:

The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example, taking x-rays, or performing ultrasound scans. Although we make a charge for performing these investigations, and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example, an x-ray radiograph, remains with the practice.

Patient Photographs:

Photographs of your pet or their conditions may sometimes be used for educational or marketing purposes. Please let us know if you would prefer this not to happen.

Medications and Prescriptions:

You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, category V (POM V’s) direct from ourselves OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy.

A prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.

There is a charge for each prescription which may be required if requesting multiple medications. You will be informed, upon request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your pet.

Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People Veterinary Surgeons may only prescribe POM-V’s or other medications for animals under their care. For animals with an ongoing disease condition we class ‘under their care’ as having been seen within the last three to six months depending on the disease being treated and the medication being administered.

A standard consultation charge will be applied for each re-examination under such circumstances.

Use of Unlicensed Medications:

In certain cases, we may decide that the best treatment for your pet involves prescribing medication outside of the data sheet recommendations (ie ‘off label’) or a specially prepared unauthorised medicine, or a medicine imported from another country under a Special Treatment Authorisation. In accepting the treatment of your pet at Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People, you accept that there may be risks and side effects associated with such treatments.

Referrals and Second Opinions:

We are committed to providing your pet with the highest quality of care so should you want a second opinion from either another vet within the practice or at another practice we are happy to facilitate the transfer of your pet's care.

Should a clinical presentation require specialist investigations and treatments, we will discuss with you referral to a specialist centre of your choice.

Opening Hours:

Smart Vet Ltd. T/A Pet People opening hours and consulting times are published online on our website www.petpeople.vet and may vary from time to time.

Outside these hours an emergency service operates in line with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines. Details can be found at Out of Hours — PET PEOPLE .

Additional fees are charged by the out of hours provider for the provision of this exceptional service and estimates of these can be given at the time when the service is required.

Because we are unable to provide clinical care for your pet outside of our normal opening hours. We are unable to look after your pet in our clinic at this time.

Feedback and Complaints:

We are fully committed to providing your pet with exceptional care and providing you with excellent service but understand at times we do not always reach the high standards we set ourselves. We therefore always appreciate any feedback so if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to any member of the team or see our complaints section on our website Complaints — PET PEOPLE.

Other:

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

These terms and conditions will be updated as necessary and an up-to-date copy is available on request or on our website.