London Veterinary Clinic Terms & Conditions
The London Vet Clinic endeavours to provide you and your pet with the highest standards of veterinary care. These are the terms of service by which we supply veterinary services and products.
An examination fee applies when you see a veterinary surgeon. All professional fees, medications and reception sales are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on the case, and in surgical cases, by the time and complexity of the surgery.
Appointments to see our referral veterinarians are charged at a higher cost, please call the clinic for details of our referral fees.
Fees are also charged for drugs, materials, consumables, laboratory tests and diets used. You are entitled to a detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
Our veterinary / client relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. As such, we strive to be on time for scheduled appointments.
Cancellations / missed appointments
If it is necessary to cancel a scheduled appointment please try to give us at least 24 hours’ notice. Appointments are in high demand and an early cancellation will allow access for another patient. We do provide a complimentary text reminder message the day before your appointment. If you miss your appointment we will call to offer to reschedule and our missed appointment fee will be waived. If however, there is a second missed appointment we will call to reschedule and you will be charged a missed appointment fee equivalent to our standard consultation / visit cost.
Please be aware that the cancellation fee applicable for missed appointments for our referral veterinarians will be charged pro rata.
Additional T&C’s regarding Travel Documentation
Once you have booked an appointment with the clinic for an Animal Health Certificate or an Export Health Certificate we reserve time in our schedule exclusively for you and your pet.
Cancellations or amendments to travel plans must be made in writing via email and sent to travel@londonvetclinic.co.uk
Additional charges will apply:
- If any changes are made to your travel plans after these have been confirmed with the London Vet Clinic.
- If you cancel or change your arrival country after confirming an appointment time with London Vet Clinic you will incur a charge of 50% of the travel documentation cost.
- Travel documentation takes time to process. A surcharge will apply for urgent travel documents for pets traveling in less than 10 working days.
- If you cancel your appointment within 24 hours of the scheduled visit time or do not attend you will incur the full cost of the agreed sum.
Methods of Payment
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet from the clinic or when we supply goods. We do not offer an account service. You may settle your account with cash, debit/credit card (Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Solo, Electron, and Maestro) or by BACS transfer via your mobile phone.
Inability to pay
If for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified we ask that you discuss the matter, as soon as possible, with a member of staff.
Please be aware any debts extending beyond 30 days may be referred to a debt collection agency.
Further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting debt necessary to obtain settlement of the full amount owed.
These charges may include: the production of reports, calls, home visits, court, or legal fees etc. Non-payment may result in court action.
Estimate of costs
A written estimate of the probable cost of treatment is available upon request. An estimate is approximate and for guidance only. Should a situation arise where additional costs are necessary, for example after initial investigation or treatment, we will try to speak with you and ask your approval. If we are unable to contact you for any reason, we will act in the best interests of our patient.
Pet Insurance
We recommend insuring your pet to help with the cost of treatment for unexpected illness or accidents. It is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim fees from your insurance company. We do not undertake direct insurance claims unless there are extenuating circumstances and a direct claim has been agreed in advance with a senior staff member. Our vet nurses spend considerable time away from their clinical work providing the documentation that insurers ask for when you make an insurance claim. We process claims in order that they are received and we do not charge clients for processing insurance claims.
Emails
Treatments, test results, pictures and instructions may be emailed by us to you. We occasionally send e-letters concerning pet health and welfare in general, your pet in particular or circumstances we feel you might be interested in. These are sent to the email address you provide. If you do not wish to receive these mailings please send us an email telling us so and we will remove you from our mailing list.
Reminders
The London Vet Clinic will endeavour to contact you by letter, SMS or email to advise of your pet’s upcoming healthcare needs including vaccinations. Whilst we make every effort to send these reminders, they are provided as a complimentary service. The responsibility to keep your pets vaccinations up to date, especially those required to travel outside of the United Kingdom, remains with you.
The London Vet Clinic cannot be held liable for any loss, damage or costs which may result from your failing to receive a reminder.
Emergencies /Out of Hours Service
In an emergency, please call us immediately. During out of hours or bank holidays, please contact our emergency cover provider: Veteris on 0204 571 3295. A veterinarian and a veterinary nurse are on duty at all times outside our normal working hours. Veteris provide a home visit service for out of hours emergencies and also have 24 hour Animal Hospital which is located at 51 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB.
Prescriptions / Medication Reviews
On request, the clinic provides written prescriptions for medications prescribed by the veterinary surgeon. A fee is charged for preparing, recording and issuing written veterinary prescriptions. Written prescriptions for continuing medicines are usually issued for a one to three month’s supply of drugs (maximum 6 months) but this varies according to the nature of the condition and the type of medicine. We ask for 24 hours’ notice to prepare a repeat prescription. Animals must be under the care of a veterinary surgeon in order for us to dispense Prescription Only Medication (POM-V, POM-VPS, NFA-VPS). Regular check-ups are required at intervals of no more than every 6 months. In some cases, this will be less, according to the severity of the condition.
Ownership of Records, Radiographs
Clinical records, including radiographs, endoscopic videos, ultrasound scans, ECG print outs and laboratory test results are the property of the London Veterinary Clinic and are retained by us. On request, copies, with a summary of the history, are passed directly to another veterinary surgeon giving a second opinion or specialist care. The results of all tests and procedures we perform remain the property of the London Veterinary Clinic, even though we raise invoices for undertaking and interpreting these tests and procedures.
We will ask you to tell us about any changes in your details so records are kept up to date. The London Veterinary Clinic complies with the Data Protection Act.
Complaints and Standards
We want all of our clients to be satisfied with the standard of our Veterinary Services and the products we supply. However, if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our services, please direct your concerns in writing to the clinic manager, Amanda Haynes RVN.
86 York Street, London W1H 1QS.
We will endeavour to respond to your concerns within 14 days.
Cordially
The London Veterinary Clinic
