Terms and Conditions
The following are our Terms and Conditions of Business. By registering your pet or horse with Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd, and requesting that we examine and provide veterinary treatment for your pet or horse, you are deemed to have read and accepted our Terms and Conditions.
Registered Details
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, which will include name, address, home and mobile telephone numbers, email address and pet or horse insurance details, as well as maintaining complete clinical records. If your details change, please inform us so we can keep our records up to date.
Small Animal Consultations
All consultations are by appointment only, during our advertised surgery hours. There will be a charge for all veterinary consultations. If you do not give us reasonable notice that you will be unable to attend an appointment, we reserve the right to charge for each missed appointment.
Small Animal Emergencies and Out-of-hours
We provide a 24 hour emergency service for all registered clients. Please telephone the normal surgery number – this is diverted to the mobile phone of the on-call vet when the surgery is closed. We will endeavour to see you at the surgery you usually attend. The charge for an out-of-hours consultation is considerably higher than during normal surgery hours, and emergency treatment and out-of-hours hospitalisation can be considerably more.
Overnight Hospitalisation
There is no vet or nurse ordinarily resident in either premise out-of-hours (overnight and at weekends). If your pet is hospitalised out-of-hours they will have regular checks by a vet and/or veterinary nurse and/or animal care assistant, the frequency and nature of which will be dependent on their condition. For animals requiring constant monitoring out-of-hours, we will advise on referral to a specialist centre.
Small Animal Home Visits
We are happy to examine your pet at home by arrangement, although the range of tests and treatment we can perform at home is limited. We can also visit out-of-hours for emergencies, if appropriate. The charge for an out-of-hours visit is considerably higher than a visit arranged during normal surgery hours.
Equine Visits
We are happy to visit individual premises and yards. If horses belonging to different clients can be seen at the same time on a yard we will be able to reduce the charges for the visit. There must be a capable person present who can handle the horse for examination and treatment. We will also visit out-of-hours for emergencies. The charge for an out-of-hours visit is considerably higher than a visit arranged during normal surgery hours.
Standards of Care
Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd aims to provide high quality veterinary services in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Professional Conduct and the Practice Standards Scheme. We reserve the right to refuse treatment for pets or horses belonging to clients who behave in a threatening or aggressive way to our staff, or who have an unauthorised outstanding debt with the practice.
Consent
Written signed consent for investigative tests, surgery, hospitalisation or treatment is required for all animals admitted to the practice. If we need to alter the agreed procedure(s) or treatment, we will make every effort to contact you and obtain verbal consent before proceeding. In an emergency, or if we cannot contact you, we reserve the right to proceed without consent, making decisions that we consider to be in the best interests of the animal.
Consent is also required for the use of medications in species for which they are not licensed. This is often the case for rabbits, rodents and exotic species, as the majority of veterinary drugs are not licensed for use in small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. In this case a consent form will allow continued use of unlicensed medications without asking for specific permission in each and every separate case. Less commonly this consent will be required for pets or horses, for example when a drug licensed for human use has proven activity and efficiency for a particular condition, but is not licensed in animals. We will always use the veterinary licensed product when there is one available.
Pet Insurance
Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet or horse against unexpected illness or accident. We recommend that you choose a policy carefully, and can help to explain the difference between the various types of policy. We are authorised to advise on Agria insurance policies, but by law we cannot recommend or compare other insurance companies. The contract for pet or horse insurance is between you and your insurance company. However we can claim fees directly from the company in most cases, and will, if appropriate, support you in communicating with your insurance company, for instance to discuss their failure to pay out a claim. You will be liable for payment of any excess at the time of treatment, and for the full amount should the insurance company decline to pay out.
Prescriptions and Dispensing of Medication
You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines (POM-V) prescribed for your pet or horse from Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd, or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. There is a charge for providing a prescription. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or if immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medication that may be prescribed for your animal. Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd can only prescribe POM-V medication for animals that are ‘under our care’, according to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines. However we can provide POM-V medications if presented with a prescription from another veterinary surgeon.
Repeat Prescriptions
It is necessary for both the welfare of your pet, and for the practice to meet the legal requirements of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, that animals receiving long term medications are regularly re-examined. The standard interval for medication checks is 3 months - if the condition has been recently diagnosed or is not stable it may be less than 3 months. Certain medications may be available on repeat prescription with checks every 6 months. We cannot dispense medication or provide prescriptions for pets or horses that have not been seen by one of our vets for longer than 6 months. A consultation or repeat examination fee will be charged for each medication check.
When requesting a repeat prescription, please allow 2 working days before collecting so that one of the vets can check your pet or horse’s clinical records, the medication can be prepared, and one of the vets check the preparation again before it is dispensed.
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 another supplier will not be accepted for disposal.
Clinical records
Your pet or horse’s clinical records remain the property of Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd. and will be kept under the terms of the Data Protection Act (2018). You are entitled to see your records on request and if necessary an appropriate appointment to view them will be made. If you require a copy for your personal use, a charge may be made.
We will, as a requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, contact any vet who has previously treated your pet or horse to ask for a copy of your pet’s clinical records. Similarly, with your permission, we will release a copy of your pet or horse’s clinical records, or a summary of their treatment, to any veterinary practice making a request for this information because you have registered your pet or horse elsewhere, for example moving to a new practice or seeking a second opinion. We reserve the right not to release such information where you have an outstanding debt with the practice.
Ownership of Radiographs and Other Documents
The care given to your pet or horse may involve, for example, taking radiographs (xrays), performing ultrasound examinations or running blood tests. The fee charged for these services is for carrying out the investigations and interpreting the results. The resulting documents remain the property of, and will be retained by, Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd. Copies of these documents may be available for inspection on request, but we are not obliged to release them to you.
Referrals
On occasion, we may recommend referral of your pet or horse for specialist investigations or treatment. After discussion with you, we will send information about your pet or horse to the specialist centre including case notes, radiographs and blood test results. You will be responsible for the transfer of your pet or horse, and for all fees charged by the specialist centre. On discharge from the specialist centre, Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd will resume responsibility for your pet or horse’s ongoing care, having been provided with a referral letter summarising the diagnosis and any treatment received.
Fees and Charges
Fees are made up of services (including consultations, visits, investigative tests, procedures, surgery and hospitalisation) and medication, drugs, food, consumables and other materials used to treat your pet. All are subject to VAT at the current rate. You may request a detailed invoice for every transaction, and will always receive a detailed invoice if your pet has been hospitalised for tests, surgery or other treatment.
Estimates of Treatment Costs
We are always happy to provide an estimate for routine procedures. We will also provide an approximate estimate for a course of treatment, investigative tests, more complex procedures, surgery or hospitalisation tailored for an individual pet or horse, and we would encourage you to ask for this prior to signing our consent form. Please be aware that an estimate is only that, and that the actual cost may be more. The costs of unforeseen complications or unexpected conditions are not included in the estimate. If during a procedure or period of hospitalisation the costs appear likely to exceed the estimate, we will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible to explain the reason and obtain your permission to proceed.
Small Animal Payments
All fees are due at the time of treatment. Payment is expected immediately following a consultation or when your pet is discharged from the practice. All medication, drugs, food and other items must be paid for at the time of collection. This applies equally to out-of-hours treatment and home visits (if we can provide you with an invoice at the time).
Equine Payments
An invoice will be sent to registered equine clients at the end of the month following the visit. Payment is due on receipt of invoice. New clients may be requested to pay in advance or to provide proof of a method of payment.
Methods of Payment
You may pay for your pet or horse’s treatment using cash, a cheque with a current banker’s card, or a credit card/debit card (MasterCard, Visa, Delta, Electron, Solo, Switch, American Express). Payment by BACS can also be made to Royal Bank of Scotland Sort Code 83-22-25 Account Number 00696406. Alternatively you may provide a completed valid claim form for insured animals, along with payment of any policy excess, and we will claim directly from the insurance company on your behalf. Should the insurance company decline to pay out, you will then be liable for the outstanding amount.
Inability to pay
If you anticipate having a problem with payment, please inform us before your consultation or visit. If you are likely to be unable to cover the costs of the estimate for a procedure as specified, please ask to discuss this as other options may be available. We will help where we can, but do not offer credit, are not a charity, and cannot provide reduced fees to those on benefits. Payment in full, part payment, or proof of a method of payment, may be requested before any treatment is given to pets or horses belonging to clients with previous payment problems.
Unpaid accounts
Any invoice not settled within 30 days will be referred to Trevor Black and a reminder issued. We reserve the right to charge interest on any invoice unpaid after 30 days. Any invoice remaining unpaid will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency or proceedings started to recover the debt through the Small Claims Court. This will incur further costs in respect of collecting the debt, phone calls, home visits, production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid will incur a £10 charge. We will not provide any further treatment for pets or horses belonging to clients who have an unauthorised outstanding debt with the practice.
Complaints
We hope that you never feel the need to complain about the standards of service received from Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd. However, if you feel there is something that you are not happy with, please discuss it with the member of staff involved in the first instance. Alternatively, or if the problem is still not resolved to your satisfaction, put your complaint in writing addressed to Trevor Black.
No addition to, or variation of, these terms and conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Trevor Black. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, Two Rivers Veterinary Practice Ltd has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
