Terms and Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet to Tay Veterinary Centre. This document details our Practice Terms and Conditions. By registering your pet/pets with the practice you agree that you have read and understood our conditions of business and agree to be bound by them, should you require any clarification of any aspect of the terms then please ask.

FEES

We aim to be open and transparent with our charges. You will be presented with an itemised bill for every consultation, surgical procedure, or transaction with us at the time of payment. All fees, diets and drug charges are available on request and are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the levels of expertise and time spent on a case and according to drugs, consumables and materials used. A member of staff will be happy to discuss any queries you may have.

MISSED APPOINTMENTS

We reserve the right to charge for missed appointments. Where multiple appointments are missed we may request partial payment in advance before booking again.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Payment is due at the time of treatment or discharge unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance. Should an account not be settled a reminder will be sent. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, administration charges will be incurred. After due notice, unpaid accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges, such as for the production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court and phone calls will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt.

INABILITY TO PAY

If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter with a member of staff as soon as possible preferably before treatment takes place. Please note that instalments or part payment of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of a senior member of staff. Emergency treatment to alleviate suffering will always be given irrespective of ability to pay

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs and/or diets. You may settle your accounts using cash or credit/debit cards. Card payments can be taken over the phone for your convenience.

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We will provide you with a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment or surgical procedure if requested. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate and additional costs which cannot be predicted at the outset may occur as treatments progresses. We will make every reasonable effort to discuss any such additional costs wherever possible. Written estimates are valid for one month and as they are estimates only, they may not reflect the final costs incurred.

Where an estimate is given, a 50% deposit may be required prior to commencement/ continuation of the proposed treatment plan. This will always be required for caesarean sections.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

Tay Veterinary Centre strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff but be aware that with any insurance company it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover and then to reclaim any fees you have paid the practice. It is also your responsibility to pay any excess that may be set according to your policy and to have knowledge of any condition exclusions. In certain instances, when clients do not have the funds to make payments in full, arrangements can be made for your insurer to make their payment directly to us but this only applies to particular insurance companies and even then, when sums involved are high enough. Please ask for details if you would like to be considered for this facility.

Agreement of a direct claim does not transfer liability of fees incurred to the practice. If at any point the insurer refuses payment for a direct claim, the owner will still be fully liable for all costs incurred. The insurance policy is a private agreement between the owner and insurer. The practice cannot be involved in disputes over non-payment of insurance claims. We allow 30 days from completion of claim form to receiving settlement. Should the insurer not settle within that time, the owner may be required to settle the outstanding fees in full.

VACCINATION REMINDERS

Whilst we make every reasonable effort to send out reminders for annual vaccinations, the responsibility to keep them up to date remains with you. Please be aware that PET passports require rabies vaccination boosters so please keep a personal record of when this is due.

PHARMACEUTICALS

1. Prescriptions are available from the practice. Please ask a member of staff for the current charge for a written prescription. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POMVs) from your veterinary surgeon or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POMVs only for animals under his or her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal. The policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring prescriptions every three months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The charge for this re-examination is our standard follow up consultation fee. Clients are requested to give 24 hours’ notice for repeat prescriptions.
2. We strongly advise the regular use of routine anti-parasitic medication. Some flea and worm treatments can be dispensed without examination dependent on their legal category, however many of these products are POMVs and legally we are only able to dispense such products when an animal has been examined by a Veterinary Surgeon in the last 12 months. We may therefore be required to examine your pet prior to dispensing.
3. In accordance with the Medicines Act we will always use a veterinary licenced product. Should this not be available we will then use veterinary products licenced for use in other species and failing that a human medical product. Any use of off-licence medication will be based upon our knowledge of its use in animals and an assessment made of the risk and benefits involved. This is particularly common in species other than dogs and cats for which few licenced products are available. Please speak to a veterinary surgeon if you have any concerns about this issue.
4. We take your pet’s health very seriously, so as a licensed supplier of veterinary medicines governed by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Medicines Directorate we are unable to accept returns of prescription medications that have been prescribed to your pet. This is to ensure the safety of the animals involved, as items may have been stored incorrectly or, whilst unlikely, tampered with. We are not able to reuse, resell or donate the medications to charity either, for the same reasons as described.

EMERGENCIES & OUT OF HOURS COVER

Our opening hours, together with our contact details, may be found on our website. In an emergency please call on 01382 884411. If out with opening hours you will automatically be passed through to the appropriate emergency provider.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

The care given to your pet may involve undertaking some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs. The ownership of the resulting radiographs and all other records will remain with the practice as part of your complete and comprehensive records. Charges made for x-rays are for the physical taking of the radiographs as well as the interpretation of them. If required, we can arrange to have copies of x-rays made but this would be at your expense.
Radiographs and copies of all laboratory results, with a summary of the history will be passed on, by request, to another Veterinary Surgeon should the need arise. You may view your pet’s clinical notes on request by appointment only. Please note it is your responsibility to provide us with accurate contact details.

COMPLIMENTS/FEEDBACK

We are always pleased to receive compliments/feedback on the service we provide.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS

We hope to ensure you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from us. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to raise, please direct your comments within 28 days in writing, to Tay Veterinary Centre, Finavon Street, Dundee, DD4 9DU. An acknowledgement will be sent by return and then a period will elapse while the case is investigated, and reports collated from those staff involved. A reply in writing will follow, usually within 28 days although the period may be longer if the Practice Manager or staff involved are temporarily unavailable or delayed. In the unlikely event of this not being resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to report such a complaint to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, our governing body.

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR STAFF ABUSE

Our staff always strive to do their best for both pet and owner; they are entitled to be treated with respect. We will not tolerate any aggressive, or abusive behaviour to any staff member, at any time. Any client behaving in such a way will be asked to leave the premises immediately and will then be notified in writing that they must find alternative veterinary cover.

VARIATIONS IN TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR BUSINESS

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless specifically agreed in writing by a director. Additionally, no agent or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these terms and conditions in any way.