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TERMS and CONDITIONS
This document details our practices terms and conditions. By accepting our services and/or purchase of goods you are contractually agreeing to The Paddock Veterinary Practices Terms of Business as printed below.
FEES
All fees, consumables and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate.
Professional fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, resources, materials and consumables used. Details of our fees are available on request and a detailed invoice is generated after each consultation, procedure or transaction which will be printed for you on request.
Whenever possible we can give an estimate of costs of treatment but this will only be approximate as variations and complications may arise. If treatment looks likely to exceed the cost of an estimate given we will endeavour to contact you to discuss this. However in emergency situations this may not always be possible and then we will act in the best interest of your animal.
Out of hours fees are charged when a Veterinary surgeon is called to attend to your animal(s) out of hours.
In giving instructions, either in person or by your agent , for an animal to be treated,you will be responsible for our charges.
Payment Terms
SMALL ANIMAL ACCOUNTS – Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation,the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets etc.
Occasionally it will be necessary to invoice for other costs incurred e.g. from using external specialist laboratories .In these cases the payment terms will be 14 days from invoice.
INSURANCE CLAIMS-If you wish us to claim payment of fees from an insurer, you are required to bring in a completed claim form or activate a claim online and pay your excess .A charge of £14.50 incl VAT is made by us for completing new claims. Continuation claims ,our charge is £7.25 incl VAT . Please note that some insurers will now allow you to place continuation claims yourself using paid invoices saving this fee.
If for whatever reason your insurer does not pay us within a month of a claim being submitted ,you will be liable to pay the account outstanding.
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An administration fee will be applied monthly to any balance remaining unpaid 30 days after the date of the invoice. After due notice,non payment over 60 days will be referred to the County Courts unless satisfactory repayment terms have been agreed.
Any cheque which you issue which is returned unpaid,any credit/debit card payment not being honoured and any cash being tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in your account being restored to the original amount together with any fees incurred.
PAYMENT METHODS
CARD PAYMENTS-Debit and Credit cards including Visa,Solo,Maestro,or Switch. Card payments can be taken over the phone if required.
CASH only if other payment methods not possible.
CHEQUE
BANK TRANSFER-Should you wish to pay by bank transfer please contact our reception for our bank details, they are also present on the bottom of your invoice. Please insert your surgery account number on the bank transfer this can be found on any of your invoices.
INABILITY TO PAY
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to settle an outstanding account or afford further treatment required for your animal please contact the surgery straight away to discuss the matter .
We understand that the current financial climate is affecting a large number of people and if you are worried that you cannot afford veterinary attention for your pet please let us know prior to running up unaffordable debts.Although discussing finances is a sensitive subject if we are forewarned about your situation there are circumstances where financial aid can be accessed but only if arranged prior to treatment.
DISPUTES OR QUERIES REGARDING YOUR FEES
If you have any reason to think you have been charged incorrectly or would like any charges clarifying please contact the surgery as soon as possible. It is our practice policy to deal with any account query within 7 days.
NEW CLIENTS
We are happy to welcome new clients to The Paddock Veterinary Practice. If your pets have been registered elsewhere we require you to give consent to your previous practice to release your animals records to us so we can ensure continuity of treatment. By registering with us you will be agreeing to our terms and conditions of business.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to providing the same high quality service to all our clients,regardless of age,disability,race,religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
DATA PROTECTION
Our data protection policy is available as a separate document on our website and also displayed in both waiting areas
PRESCRIPTIONS
Prescriptions are available on request please see our policy on prescriptions on our website and also displayed in our waiting rooms. The current charge for a prescription is £14.50 incl VAT.
COMPLAINTS
We really hope that you never feel the need to complain about our service or standards of care, however we realise that nobody is infallible .We try hard to achieve as good an outcome as is possible with all of our patients and see your pets welfare our utmost priority. All our staff undergo continual professional development and we are always looking to improve our skills and learn new ones. If there is any aspect of our work that concerns you please let us know so we can listen, understand and act on your concern. It is important for us receive feedback,if mistakes have been made we need to learn from them and put them right quickly.
You may in the first instance raise your concern with the member of staff directly involved if appropriate,we hope any problem can be resolved quickly and easily in this way. If you would prefer to make a more formal complaint please write or email Carina Palmer the practice owner. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint with in 2 working days , and then investigate your issues with the relevant members of staff. We will then respond to your concerns and hopefully be able to resolve any issues you have had. Most importantly we want to put any errors right and put processes in place so similar ones are not made in the future.
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Terms and conditions may be revised and updated from time to time and any revisions will be posted on the website and displayed in our waiting rooms.
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SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
The Company is committed to promoting sustainability. We aim to follow and to promote good sustainability practice, to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same.
PRINCIPLES
Our Sustainability Policy is based upon the following principles:
To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
To minimise the impact on the sustainability of all office and transportation activities.
To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
We will continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.
PRACTICAL STEPS
In order to put these principles into practice we will:
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When travelling to conference/cpd etc
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Avoid physically travelling to conferences where alternatives are available and practical, such as using teleconferencing, video conferencing or web cams,. These options are also often more time efficient.
When travelling to conferences use public transport when possible .If travelling by car arrange carshare if possible.
When purchasing equipment/consumption of resources
Minimise our use of paper and other office consumables, for example by double-siding all paper used, and identifying opportunities to reduce waste.
As far as possible arrange for the reuse or recycling of office waste, including paper, computer supplies and redundant equipment.
Reduce the energy consumption of office equipment by purchasing energy efficient equipment and good housekeeping.
Reduce electricitiy consumption by turning lights off when practicable
Purchase electricity from a supplier committed to renewable energy. Seek to maximise the proportion from renewable energy sources, whilst also supporting investment in new renewable energy schemes.
Reduce electricity and water usage when laundering by using lightweight bedding
Use reusable rather than disposable products when it doesn’t compromise other factors such as biosecurity in the workplace.
Use of disposable gowns to be limited to only when necessary .
Use reusable drapes for tray cloths rather than single use.
Staff to avoid waste when using conumables
FURTHER STEPS TO BE IMPLEMENTED
All staff are encouraged to consider sustainability and to put forward suggestions for changing methods to improve our sustainability policy.
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