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Terms & Conditions
Thank you for entrusting the care of your animal(s) to Links Vet Group. Some of the terms detailed may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation or clarification if required.
Fees. All professional fees, medications and reception sales are subject to VAT at 20%. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case, and in the case of surgical cases, by the complexity of the surgery. Fees will also be applied in respect of drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. We reserve the right to charge for verbal advice, including by telephone. Our written fee list is available on request. You are entitled to a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
Methods of payment. Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet from the surgery, or upon supply of any goods. You may settle the account with cash, credit/debit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Delta, Maestro, Solo, Electron) or cheque with current bankers card up to the guarantee limit. All products supplied remain the property of Links Vet Group until paid for in full.
Estimates of Costs. A written estimate as to the probable costs of treatment is available on request. Please remember that any estimate is approximate, for guidance, and that additional costs may be incurred after treatment/investigations reveal additional issues.
Settlement Terms. Any accounts agreed, must be paid within 14 days of the original invoice. Unpaid accounts will be referred to a debt collection agency, and further charges will be applied in respect of the costs associated with collecting the debt and associated court expenses etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, Credit Card not honoured, or cash tendered and found counterfeit, will result in restoration of the original invoice along with further charges to cover the associated administrative costs.
Inability to pay. If for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, please discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff in order to minimise further administrative costs being incurred. Please note that part payments, or payments by instalment can only be sanctioned by express permission of the partners.
Pet Health Insurance. Please inform our staff if you intend to claim on an insurance policy, and our staff will explain the claims process and our involvement therein. Please note, all excesses to policies must be paid direct to the practice at the time these fees are incurred.
Ownership of Records, Radiographs and similar records. Case records and similar documents are the property of Links Vet Group, and will be retained by us. On request, copies, with a summary of the history, will be passed directly to another veterinary surgeon giving a second opinion. Radiographs and results of all other tests we have performed remain the property of Links Vet Group, even though we have raised an invoice for undertaking and interpreting these procedures. The results will be passed direct to another veterinary surgeon if a second opinion is sought.
Prescriptions. Prescriptions are available for any Prescription Only Medicine (POM-V, POM-VPS or NFA-VPS) required to treat any animal under our care (POM-V only). These medicines may be obtained from us or you may ask for a written prescription to obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacist (or merchant (POM-VPS, NFA-VPS). A fee is chargeable for the prescription itself. Consultation fees will apply in either case. Please refer to the notice in reception.
Repeat Prescriptions. Prescriptions for POM-V medicines may be repeated at our discretion, to animals under our care, after a clinical assessment of the case. Regular chargeable check ups are required, at intervals no more than every 3 months. POM-V medicines may be dispensed in amounts sufficient for up to 3 months treatment, at our discretion. Variations may apply according to our clinical assessment of the case.
Out of Hours service. Links Vet Group undertakes its own out of hours service. The duty vet will be contacted by our pager service, whose number is given on our answermachine after hours. The vet will contact you and decide whether the animal is best seen at one of our surgeries or at home. In most situations, pets are more effectively assessed and treated at our main surgery, where nursing assistance and in patient facilities are available. For patients hospitalised, the vet will decide what re-examination interval are appropriate, following a full clinical assessment of the case. There is not usually any staff on permanent vigil throughout the night, but care and assessments are given according to clinical needs.
Complaints and Standards. Links Vet Group aim to provide the highest standard of care for you and your animals, and we hope that you never have cause to complain. However, any complaint should in the first instance be made in writing to the partners. If the problem is not resolved at this stage, you may wish to contact our governing body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the practice partners. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in anyway.