Pets Terms & Conditions
Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet to Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd. This information 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 clarification/explanation if required.
1. OPENING HOURS
Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 6.30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 12.00 pm
1.1 All consultations are by appointment only except in the case of an emergency when, if possible, a telephone call to the surgery detailing the emergency could be critical in dealing with it. Our routine consulting hours are as follows:
Monday to Friday:
Mornings: 9.00 am – 10.30 am
Afternoons: 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Evenings: 5.00 pm until 6.30 pm
Saturday:
Morning only: 10.00 am – 12.00 pm
On Wednesday our regular afternoon surgery is a Cat only clinic.
1.2 We also offer nurse clinics for when it is not necessary to see the vet, such as for nail clippings, some post op checks and dietary advice/weight clinics.
Please contact the surgery on 835424 during office hours to arrange a suitable time. We are also pleased to be able to offer appointments online which can be made via our website.
2. EMERGENCY SERVICES AND HOUSE VISITS
2.1 One of our veterinary surgeons is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When the surgery is closed you should call us on the practice telephone number. The message on the answering machine will provide you with the number for the vet who is on call.
Should it be necessary for you to see the on-call vet outside our normal opening hours, either at your farm, home or at the surgery, an additional charge will be made.
2.2 Should it be necessary for your pet to be hospitalised at the surgery, they will be checked on a regular basis through the evening and night by the duty veterinary surgeon. The frequency and timing of the checks will be based on the condition of your pet.
2.3 We prefer to see pets at the surgery for examinations and treatment as we have the facilities, equipment and staff available to provide a higher level of care. However, when this is not possible a house visit can be arranged by telephoning the surgery during office hours and arranging this with a member of staff. A charge will be made for any house visits.
3. SECOND OPINIONS, REFERRAL AND SPECIALIST SERVICES
3.1 Specialist Veterinary care is now available at a number of Referral Veterinary Practices and Universities. If such care is appropriate for your animal we will recommend and discuss the costs/benefits of referring your animal or involving a specialist in their care. Fees incurred at Referral Practices remain entirely the responsibility of the owner and must be paid either directly, or via insurance to the practice/university concerned.
3.2 In addition, physiotherapy and acupuncture are currently available as well as specialist dentistry and orthopaedic services through visiting practitioners to the surgery. Fees are paid directly to Strand Veterinary Practice.
4. TERMS OF BUSINESS
4.1 All small animal consultations should be paid for at the time of consult, or at the end of treatment unless account terms have been agreed in advance.
4.2 For any account not settled within 14 days of treatment, a reminder will be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred up to a maximum of £40.
4.3 After 30 days since treatment a further 8.5% statutory interest will be charged to the account in accordance with government guidelines for outstanding debt. After which, if the balance is still outstanding, overdue accounts will be referred to collection via an outside agency which will incur an extra charge of up to 25%. 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.
4.4 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, Credit/Debit Card or Cheque.
4.5 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. Our written fee list is available on request.
4.6 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.
4.7 If requested, you will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
4.8 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 try to contact you on the contact numbers you have provided if we believe the treatment costs are going to greatly exceed the estimate costs (by 50%), however if you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.
5. PET HEALTH INSURANCE
5.1 Strand Veterinary practice strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff and please read any small print carefully before you decide! Many companies offer annual policies and exclude ongoing conditions at the end of the year.
5.2 Unless it has been agreed in advance it is the responsibility of the client to settle their account with Strand Veterinary Practice (as detailed in Settlement Terms above), and then to reclaim any amounts covered by their policy from the Insurance Company concerned.
5.3 After settlement of your invoice with Strand Veterinary Practice, we will assist clients by submitting insurance claim forms on their behalf. The client should complete and sign the Owner’s Section of the claim form and then forward it to us. We will complete the ‘Vet Section’ and submit the claim to the insurance company with a full clinical history on your behalf. Your insurance company will then make the payment due under your individual policy directly to you.
5.4 We reserve the right to charge for processing claim forms – fees for this service are not usually covered by such policies.
6. PRESCRIPTIONS AND REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
6.1 Veterinary Practices are required to adhere strictly to current legislation. Any veterinary surgeon may prescribe Prescription only Medication (POM) only for any animal under their care. It is a legal requirement that before we can prescribe medication to your pet, we must ensure that we have examined that pet within the last 3-6 months depending on the medicine and individual case.
6.2 Should you require a repeat prescription, please telephone the Surgery, giving a minimum of two working days’ notice of your requirements. A vet will check the record to ensure that we have examined your pet within the required period, that the medication is still suitable and will then either arrange to dispense your medication, providing that we have sufficient amounts in stock or make an appointment for your pet to be examined.
6.3 Prescriptions can be made available sooner than this in emergency cases where you have run out of medicine, however there will be an additional charge incurred for this.
6.4 We endeavour to be as competitive as possible on the price of medicines that we supply. However, you may buy vet-only medicines (POM-V) from alternative sources (another veterinary surgeon or chemist) by requesting a written prescription. Written prescriptions are available from this practice. A written prescription is not appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or immediate treatment is necessary.
7. RETURN OF MEDICINES
7.1 Due to Government legislation, we are unfortunately unable to accept any unused medicines for refund.
8. OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS, XRAYS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS
8.1 Case records including and radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, Strand Veterinary Practice. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
8.2 The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking x-rays 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 an x-ray film remains with the practice.
9. DATA PROTECTION
9.1 For all client personal and payment information Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd is subject to and complies with the Data Protection Act.
We promise to use client details only for the purpose of our business as outlined in our privacy policy which can be supplied upon request. We may from time to time send you veterinary information that would be relevant to you.
Under GDPR we are required to keep personal details of our clients up to date on our database. These include name, contact details, animal details, details of owners or those looking after the animals and details of any other vet the animal has been registered with. It is the responsibility of the client to update the practice on any changes to this information.
10. COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
10.1 Strand Veterinary Practice is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. However, we realise that despite our best intentions things can sometimes go wrong and that there may be occasions when you feel your expectations are not met. We hope that if this is the case you will give the surgery a chance to put it right. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.
10.2 If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way, and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know in writing within 6 months. An acknowledgement letter will be sent once your formal complaint has been received. This will detail the name of the person handling your complaint about the standards of service received from Strand Veterinary Practice. 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 Ciara Tinkler.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Ciara Tinkler MRCVS. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the company has authority to alter or vary in any way these conditions.
Farm Terms & Conditions
Thank you for entrusting the care of your Animals to Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd. This information 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 clarification/explanation if required.
1. OPENING HOURS
Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 6.30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 12.00 pm
Please contact the surgery on 835424 during office hours.
2. EMERGENCY SERVICE
2.1 One of our veterinary surgeons is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When the surgery is closed you should call us on the practice telephone number. The message on the
answering machine will provide you with the number for the vet who is on call.
3. TERMS OF BUSINESS
3.1 Fee’s for professional services or drugs provided by Strand Veterinary Practice will be billed monthly to the address provided and should be settled within 30 days of receipt of invoice.
3.2 Our preferred method of payment is by debit card or BACS. We also accept payment by cash, Credit Card or cheque. We can provide you with banking details for you to make electronic payment through internet banking.
3.3 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. Our written fee list is available on request.
3.4 Out of hours fees are charged when a Veterinary Surgeon is called to attend to your animal(s) outside of the normal surgery hours – 08.30 to 18.30 Monday to Friday. 09.00 to 12.00 Saturday.
3.5 Whenever possible we will provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Any estimate given can only be approximate – often an animal’s illness will not follow a conventional course. We will try to contact you on the contact numbers you have provided if we believe the treatment costs are going to exceed the estimate costs, however if you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.
3.6 If requested, you will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
3.7 There are occasions when we will incur costs on your behalf, such as tests performed at specialist laboratories and these will be invoiced to you at a later date.
In giving instructions, either in person or by your agent, for an animal to be treated, you will be responsible for our charges.
4. PAYMENT TERMS
4.1 Accounts are processed and invoices/statements are sent at the beginning of each month. The account is to be settled within 30 days of the invoice date.
4.2 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 be advised that instalments or part-payments can only be sanctioned with the express permission of the practice principle or Manager.
4.3 Any dispute with fees/services presented we ask to be put in writing to the Practice principle or Manager as soon as possible after receiving the invoice. Clients are always asked to settle their account on time, and if there is a dispute this payment is made without prejudice.
4.4 We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of 1.5% per month on balances remaining unpaid 30 days after the date of invoice. Non-payment after 60 days may result in court action, incurring additional administration charges which will be added to the total debt.
4.5 Overdue accounts, after due notice to you, will be referred to our Debt Collecting Agency or the Small Claims Court if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made with ourselves. This will incur you further costs whilst collecting the debt.
4.6 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.
4.7 Failure to comply with payment terms may result in you no longer being able to have credit facilities with the Practice. All fees will then have to be settled at the time of treatment/supply and veterinary care will be withdrawn at our discretion
5. PRESCRIPTIONS AND REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
5.1 Veterinary Practices are required to adhere strictly to current legislation. Any veterinary surgeon may prescribe Prescription only Medication (POM) only for any animal under their care.
We can only prescribe medications for animals that are registered with our Practice and have already been treated and/or inspected by one of the Practices Veterinary Surgeons. To comply with current Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons regulations, we cannot supply medication or prescriptions without first seeing the animal.
5.2 Please try to allow at least two working days notice if you require medicines from us. We keep an emergency supply of the most common drugs in stock but it takes us two working days to replenish this. Once a request has been made, a vet will check the record to ensure that the treatment is still suitable and will then either arrange to dispense your medication, providing that we have sufficient amounts in stock, or phone you to discuss your requirements.
5.3 We endeavour to be as competitive as possible on the price of medicines that we supply. However, you may buy vet-only medicines (POM-V) from alternative sources (another veterinary surgeon or chemist) by requesting a written prescription. Written prescriptions are available from this practice. The fee for a written prescription is £21.60. A written prescription is not appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or immediate treatment is necessary.
6. ANIMAL INSURANCE
We strongly recommend that your equine be insured with a reputable insurance company. However, any insurance agreement is between you and the insurance company and not with the Practice. Insurance claims carry the same payment terms as above. This may mean that you may have to settle your account with us before your insurance company has settled your claim. By prior agreement we may defer these terms on the agreement that your insurance form is signed so payment is made direct to us and that your insurance company have agreed to the claim in principal. You will still need to pay for any excess and costs not covered by insurance (e.g. livery) within the normal terms and any costs later rejected by your insurance company.
There is a charge for handling insurance forms of a minimum of £9.60.
7. OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS, XRAYS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS
7.1 Subject to our professional duties as Veterinary Surgeons, we reserve the rught to make final decisions on treatments.
7.2 Case records including and radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, Strand Veterinary Practice. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
7.2 The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking x-rays 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 an x-ray film remains with the practice.
8. DATA PROTECTION
8.1 For all client personal and payment information Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd is subject to and complies with the Data Protection Act.
We promise to use client details only for the purpose of our business as outlined in our privacy policy which can be supplied upon request. We may from time to time send you veterinary information that would be relevant to you.
Under GDPR we are required to keep personal details of our clients up to date on our database. These include name, contact details, animal details, details of owners or those looking after the animals and details of any other vet the animal has been registered with. It is the responsibility of the client to update the practice on any changes to this information.
9. COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
9.1 Strand Veterinary Practiceis committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. However, we realise that despite our best intentions things can sometimes go wrong and that there may be occasions when you feel your expectations were not met. We hope that if this is the case you will give the surgery a chance to put it right. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Ciara Tinkler MRCVS. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the company has authority to alter or vary in any way these conditions.
Equine Terms & Conditions
Thank you for entrusting the care of your Animals to Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd. This information 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 clarification/explanation if required.
1. OPENING HOURS
Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 6.30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 12.00 pm
Please contact the surgery on 835424 during office hours.
2. EMERGENCY SERVICE
2.1 One of our veterinary surgeons is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When the surgery is closed you should call us on the practice telephone number. The message on the answering machine will provide you with the number for the vet who is on call.
3. TERMS OF BUSINESS
3.1 Fee’s for professional services or drugs provided by Strand Veterinary Practice will be billed either immediately after your consult, or weekly via email to the address provided and should be settled at time of receipt.
3.2 Our preferred method of payment is by debit card, BACS or cash. We also accept payment by Credit Card or chequer. BACS details are provided on all statements and invoices.
3.3 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. Our written fee list is available on request.
3.4 Out of hours fees are charged when a Veterinary Surgeon is called to attend to your animal(s) outside of the normal surgery hours – 08.30 to 18.30 Monday to Friday. 09.00 to 12.00 Saturday.
3.5 Whenever possible we will provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Any estimate given can only be approximate – often an animal’s illness will not follow a conventional course. We will try to contact you on the contact numbers you have provided if we believe the treatment costs are going to exceed the estimate costs, however if you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.
3.6 If requested, you will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
3.7 There are occasions when we will incur costs on your behalf, such as tests performed at specialist laboratories. Please be aware that these will often be invoiced to you at a later date.
3.8 In giving instructions, either in person or by your agent, for an animal to be treated, you will be responsible for our charges.
4. PAYMENT TERMS
4.1 Payment is required at the time of treatment unless you are an account holder. A 5% discount will be applied to all statements if paid within 7 days of receipt of invoice.
4.2 You may apply for an account with the practice and in most cases this will be required upon registration. Please be aware that all accounts will be handled by an external direct debit provider. All outstanding charges will be taken on the 15th of each month (or nearest working day). There is no extra charge for this.
4.3 After due notice to you, overdue amounts will be referred to our debt collection agency or the Small Claims Court and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court and phone calls.
4.4 Any cheque which you issue which is returned unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured, and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in your account being restored to the original sum together with any fees incurred in the process.
4.5 We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of 1.5% per month on balances remaining unpaid 30 days after the date of invoice. Non-payment after 60 days may result in court action, incurring additional administration charges which will be added to the total debt.
4.6 Failure to comply with payment terms may mean that veterinary care will be withdrawn at our discretion.
4.7 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 be advised that instalments or part-payments can only be sanctioned with the express permission of the practice principle.
4.8 Any dispute with fees/services presented we ask to be put in writing to the Practice principle or Manager as soon as possible after receiving the invoice. Clients are always asked to settle their account on time, and if there is a dispute this payment still be made in good faith without prejudice.
5. LIVERY YARDS/STABLES
Our Policy is to normally invoice the horse’s owner directly. Where a livery yard / stables has permission from the horse/pony’s owner to authorise veterinary work, purchase goods or that invoices will be initially settled by them, then that livery yard/stables is responsible for ensuring accounts are settled on time and are liable for any late payment action. Where livery yard/stables arrange such veterinary service or purchases goods from us, it is assumed that permission has been given by the owner for this service or goods to be provided. Please ensure you have made suitable arrangements with the livery yard owner that gives them permission to call the vet on your behalf and authorise treatment for your horse.
6. PRESCRIPTIONS AND REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
6.1 Veterinary Practices are required to adhere strictly to current legislation. Any veterinary surgeon may prescribe Prescription only Medication (POM) only for any animal under their care.
We can only prescribe medications for animals that are registered with our Practice and have already been treated and/or inspected by one of the Practices Veterinary Surgeons. To comply with current Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons regulations, we cannot supply medication or prescriptions without first seeing the animal.
6.2 Please try to allow at least two working days notice if you require medicines from us. We keep an emergency supply of the most common drugs in stock but it takes us two working days to replenish this. Once a request has been made, a vet will check the record to ensure that the treatment is still suitable and will then either arrange to dispense your medication, providing that we have sufficient amounts in stock, or phone you to discuss your requirements.
6.3 We endeavour to be as competitive as possible on the price of medicines that we supply. However, you may buy vet-only medicines (POM-V) from alternative sources (another veterinary surgeon or chemist) by requesting a written prescription. Written prescriptions are available from this practice. A written prescription may not be appropriate if immediate treatment is necessary.
7. ANIMAL INSURANCE
We strongly recommend that your equine be insured with a reputable insurance company. However, any insurance agreement is between you and the insurance company and not with the Practice. Insurance claims carry the same payment terms as above. This may mean that you may have to settle your account with us before your insurance company has settled your claim. By prior agreement we may defer these terms on the agreement that your insurance form is sign so that payment is made direct to us and that your insurance company have agreed to the claim in principal. You will still need to pay for any excess and costs not covered by insurance (e.g. livery) within the normal terms and any costs later rejected by your insurance company.
8. OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS, XRAYS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS
8.1 Subject to our professional duties as Veterinary Surgeons, we reserve the right to make final decisions on treatments.
8.2 Case records including and radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, Strand Veterinary Practice. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed, on request, to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
8.3 The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking x-rays 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 an x-ray film remains with the practice.
9. DATA PROTECTION
9.1 For all client personal and payment information Strand Veterinary Practice Ltd is subject to and complies with the Data Protection Act.
We promise to use client details only for the purpose of our business as outlined in our privacy policy which can be supplied upon request. We may from time to time send you veterinary information that would be relevant to you.
Under GDPR we are required to keep personal details of our clients up to date on our database. These include name, contact details, animal details, details of owners or those looking after the animals and details of any other vet the animal has been registered with. It is the responsibility of the client to update the practice on any changes to this information.
10. COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
10.1 Strand Veterinary Practice is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. However, we realise that despite our best intentions things can sometimes go wrong and that there may be occasions when you feel your expectations were not met. We hope that if this is the case you will give the surgery a chance to put it right. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Ciara Tinkler MRCVS. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the company has authority to alter or vary in any way these conditions.
