Terms and Conditions
Updated December 2024.
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Holbeach and Fleet Small Animal Clinic Limited, trading as Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary Clinic.
The health and welfare of your animals is our prime concern and responsibility. Our practice policies have been developed to care for your pet whilst complying with the Codes of Practice determined by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Health and Safety Executive, the Environmental Departments, the Data Protection Legislation and the Financial Services Authority. This document details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you at this time.
If you would like further explanation or clarification, we request that you ask our Practice Manager who will be happy to assist you.
CLINIC OPENING TIMES
Our opening times are:
Monday to Friday 8.30am - 6.00pm
Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays: Closed with an emergency service being provided - see below.
OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCY SERVICE
Our out of hours emergency service is provided by Vets Now located in Millhouse Veterinary Hospital, 20 Tennyson Avenue, Kings Lynn, PE30 2QG. If you should have a veterinary emergency outside of our opening times, their contact number is 01553 340469.
They have a highly qualified and experienced veterinary team to see patients and look after in-patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their initial consultation fee depends on the time and day you need to be seen. Should you need their services you will be invoiced by them, and should settle with them.
IN-PATIENT CARE
All in-patients are monitored closely through the day by our highly trained and experienced Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses, who will keep you informed of their progress and care.
FEES
There is no NHS for pets, so veterinary practices are providing a private health care service. The fees you pay fund the services, drugs, facilities and staff expertise, allowing us to give the best possible care for your pets. We keep our fees as reasonable as possible.
All consultations and procedures may incur a fee. 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.
A detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us is available upon request.
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METHODS OF PAYMENT
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, at the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diet. You may settle your account using cash, a cheque with a current banker card, or by credit or debit card: Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa or Delta. We do not accept American Express cards.
ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS
We 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. Sometimes a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.
PRESCRIPTION AND DISPENSING POLICY
Most medication prescribed by our Vets is available to be dispensed directly from our in-house Pharmacy at the time of your appointment in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Medicines Directorate guidelines. All Prescription Only Medication (POM-V) is dispensed under the authority of the veterinary surgeon treating your
pet.
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Prices (inclusive of VAT) of any medication about to be prescribed for your pet are available upon request.
Written prescriptions for veterinary medicines are available on request. These can only be authorised by our Veterinary Surgeons and are restricted to animals under their care. The fee of £23.00 for writing a prescription covers the professional service of your vet in authorising appropriate medication, dosage advice and maintaining the required accurate pharmacy records for your pet. A written prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an in-patient or if immediate treatment is necessary.
Our repeat prescription service for pets on long term medication allows you to re-order medication or written prescriptions over the phone, in person or in writing (including by email).
In compliance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons best practice guidelines we do insist that your pet is examined by your vet every six months (or more frequently should the recommendation for the use of a specific medication require it) and that any recommended diagnostic tests associated with monitoring the efficacy and/or side effects of the drug are completed. We will advise you when these are due. Please ensure that you give us a minimum of two working days’ notice of your need for a repeat prescription. In order to ensure your pet’s medication is not missed, we request that you phone, email or request your next medications at least two working days before you actually run out.
Some flea and worm medication and POM-V used for preventative health care may also require that we check your pet’s health annually before supply.
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We do not, as a general rule, supply POM-V medications by post. Should this be unavoidable, it will be sent by Recorded Delivery, and subject to a Post and Packing charge.
Should you find yourself with medications that you no longer require, please be aware that we are unable to offer a refund, should you choose to return them to us. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate provide guidance on this and prohibit the re-sale of any returned medications. We will, however, provide a free of charge disposal service of any unwanted medications, or you can dispose of them according to the data sheet supplied.
TERMS OF BUSINESS
For any account not settled within 14 days, a reminder will be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. This, however, may be deducted if payment is made promptly. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges will be incurred, which will not be deductible on payment.
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: production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits etc.
Any cheque returned by your bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs, together with interest on the principal sum being incurred.
Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary Clinic reserve the right to refuse any treatment, beyond First Aid, to animals belonging to clients with outstanding accounts. Clients may be refused all treatment after appropriate notice has been given.
INABILITY TO PAY
If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified above, 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 Director or the Practice Manager, and will be subject to a written agreement between us
Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary Clinic and you, the client.
FAILURE TO ATTEND APPOINTMENTS
We understand that occasionally animals refuse to co-operate when booked in for an appointment, and that our days do not always work to plan. We request that you inform us by telephone as soon as you become aware that there is any reason why you may not be
able to attend a booked appointment. However, missed appointments do prevent other patients in need from seeing a Vet.
If you repeatedly miss appointments that have been booked for you, without giving appropriate notice, we will invoice you a fee of £20 on the second and each subsequent appointment missed thereafter, the full consultation fee.
PET HEALTH INSURANCE
Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Insurance ensures that you can choose to always have the best care for your pet, without compromise or worries over the cost. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account with Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary in full, and then reclaim this amount back from your Insurance Company. Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary makes a small charge for administrative costs associated insurance claims.
Insurance claim forms may be handed in at the reception desk, or sent by post. Please note that it is not possible to complete these while you wait.
Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary does not accept direct insurance claims. In very exceptional circumstances, Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary can, by prior agreement by the Practice Manager or the Director ONLY, arrange for your insurance company to pay us
directly. This would first require:
• Proof of up-to-date insurance
• A deposit of £250 towards the final account, to include the charge for the insurance claim. Any difference between deductions made by the insurer, including the excess, administration charges and non-claimable fees or products will be refunded/invoiced
once the Clinic has received payment from your insurer.
We retain the right to decline a request for a direct claim to be made, for any appropriate reason, including if this request is not made at a reasonable time before any relevant fees are incurred.
FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS
We hope that you never feel the recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary. However, if you feel that there is something that you wish to give us feedback on, please direct any comments, compliments or complaints in the first instance to any member of staff. We will address them as promptly as possible.
In the case of a complaint, we may share your information with our insurers or our indemnity providers or other professional advisors if we believe that this will enable us to resolve your complaint more effectively. Please see our privacy notice https://www.holbeachandfleetveterinaryclinic.com/privacy-notice.
OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS
All case records, diagnostic test results, interpretation and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by Holbeach & Fleet Veterinary. Copies of your pet’s history will be passed on request, to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. The practice operates controls on personal details and client records in accordance with the Data Protection Act, and the GDP Regulations 2018.
OWNERSHIP OF X-RAYS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS
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, remains with the practice.
CLIENT DATA
In order to comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018, we follow procedures in the storage and disclosure of personal information that you have given us, in order to prevent unauthorised access, misuse, alteration or loss of information under our control. If you would like to read our full Privacy Policy, go to https://www.holbeachandfleetveterinaryclinic.com/privacy-notice.
REFERRALS
Should your pet need a referral for specialist treatment or surgery, we will make the necessary arrangements upon discussion with you. With your permission, we will ensure all relevant history, laboratory results and diagnostic imaging are transferred to the referral
clinic for continuation of care for your pet.
SECOND OPINIONS
We hope that you will be satisfied with our care, but should you request a second opinion you will be offered one from one of our other Veterinary Surgeons. Should you prefer to consult another practice, we will ensure that all the relevant information is made available, as for a referral.
VARIATION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by the Director or the Practice Manager. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the company has the authority to alter or vary these conditions.
MISCELLANEOUS
These terms and conditions shall be governed by English Law and we and you submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts, without prejudice to our right to seek recovery of any sum due by you before any complaint court.