Heath Veterinary Clinic

Terms and conditions of business

This page details our practice terms and conditions. Some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you but we request that you ask further explanation/clarification if required. Should you not agree to any of these terms and conditions please let the veterinary surgeon know. 

Our number one priority is the health and welfare of your pet. We have Practice policies that have been developed to give your pet optimum care whilst complying with the codes of practice from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Health and Safety Executive, Environmental Health and the Financial Services Authority.

Opening times

Operating

Our site offers operating facilities. Where it is deemed necessary procedures may be scheduled at the Burgess Hill branch where further resources are available and larger kennels can be utilised.

Fees

In the absence of a pet NHS, our services are reliant on the fees paid by our clients to fund services, facilities, drugs and the expertise of our staff, which gives us the ability to offer your pets the best possible care. The ethos of the practice is to charge fairly, consistently and openly. We aim to provide a high level of patient and client care and place an emphasis on disease prevention.

All fees, food and drugs are subject to VAT. Fee levels are determined by the length of time spent on a case and take into account the drugs, materials and consumables used.

We aim to provide each client with a written estimate as to the probable costs of a surgical procedure or course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate.  We will always endeavour to keep you informed of any changes that may lead to additional costs, at the earliest opportunity. Our standard Consultation Fee is £39.95.

Payment

Payment is expected at the time of consultation, on the collection of medication/diets or prior to the discharge of your pet. 

We accept payment by bacs, PetsApp, cash, credit or debit card. Any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the account being restored to the original sum, with further charges added to cover our bank charges and administration costs.

We understand that treatment of your pet may incur costs that you had not budgeted for. If, for any reason, you are struggling to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with the Practice Manager. Please note instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of the Practice Manager. 

We reserve the right to refuse any treatment other than emergency first aid to animals belonging to clients with long term outstanding accounts. Clients may be refused all treatment and asked to register with another veterinary practice after appropriate notice has been given.

Microchipping

We strongly recommend that you have your pet microchipped in case of straying or loss. It is now compulsory to microchip all dogs. Microchipping is inclusive if you are a member our HeathCare Plan.

In-patient Care

If your pet must stay in overnight with us, regular checks will be made by one of our veterinary surgeons or nursing team. The frequency of these checks is determined by your pet’s needs. As a minimum a check will be made last thing at night and first thing in the morning, but we may visit several times during the night should the vet in charge of the case decide it is necessary. If it is deemed necessary that constant monitoring is required we can arrange to stay with your pet or may transfer them to PETS (Priory Emergency Treatment Service) where a dedicated night staff team will be on hand at all times. No pet will be transferred without prior permission from the owner. 

Out of Hours Service

Your pet’s health is important to us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We appreciate that they may need help outside of our normal surgery hours. Because of this we have ensured that the out of hours service we offer is easily accessible and expertly equipped, so there is one less thing to worry about in an emergency.

Pets Emergency Treatment Service (PETS) are a dedicated veterinary emergency service. They have a team of night vets and nurses who are able to provide round the clock care for your pet, should an emergency arise. 

All the vets at PETS have a high level of training and experience in emergency and critical care, our two teams work closely together to ensure continuity of your pet’s treatment.

PETS can be found at: New Priory Veterinary Practice, The Deneway, London Road, Brighton, BN1 8QR

Prescriptions

All the medication that our vets prescribe can be dispensed directly from our surgeries at the time of your appointment in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Medicines Directorate guidelines. All Prescription Only Medicines (POM-V) are dispensed with the authority of the vet treating your pet. Further information on the prices of medications is available on request.

Written Prescriptions are available from this practice. These must be authorised by a vet and can only be issued to animals under their care. We charge £15.00 for a prescription and this covers the professional service of the vet in authorising appropriate medication, dosage advice and updating and maintaining the necessary pharmacy records for your pet.

You may obtain relevant veterinary medicinal products from us OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products only following a clinical assessment of an animal under his/her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or if immediate treatment is necessary.

Long-term Medication

For those pets on long-term medication, we have a repeat prescription service, which lets you re-order medication or written prescriptions over the phone. To comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons best practice guidelines, we must see your pet every six months (or more frequently if the specific medication requires it) for an examination and to ensure we carry out any diagnostic tests to monitor the efficacy and/or side effects of the drug. The standard charge for re-examination is £39.95.

There are instances where flea and worm medication or POM-V medication used for preventative healthcare may also require your pet’s health to be checked annually before it can be dispensed.

Medication posted to clients will be sent by recorded delivery and subject to a post and packing charge which will be payable when the drugs are ordered.

Pet Health Insurance

We strongly support the principle of insuring your pets against illness or accidents. Any member of staff will be happy to supply details of insurance. We would ask all clients to settle your account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. Please supply us with an insurance claim form and we will endeavour to complete this as soon as possible. There is a charge of £8.00 for the completion of Insurance forms.

Where large unexpected claims are incurred we may be able to claim our fees direct from your insurance company. This must be authorised by our Practice Manager and will require submission of your policy documents and a completed claim form prior to the commencement of treatment. There is a charge of £20.00 for the completion of Direct claims.

Ownership of case records, radiographs and similar documents

Case records including radiographs and other similar documents remain the property of and will be retained by Heath Veterinary Clinic. Records can be copied and on request, forwarded to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

We have controls in place to deal with personal details and client records in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Second opinions and referrals

You may request a second opinion for your pet. This can be arranged with an alternative veterinary surgeon at Heath Veterinary Clinic or you may wish to attend a different practice. Please request that your chosen practice contacts us and we shall arrange for your pets clinical history to be forwarded to them.

Your pet may require specialist treatment which is outside of our skills set. We have a selection of Veterinary Specialist which are able to come to our practice for referral appointments so that you and your pet do not have to travel. Alternatively more specialist equipment may be required in which case we can arrange for a referral. There is an administration fee of £25. We will liaise with you and the referral practice to ensure that all relevant histories are transferred. 

Complaints

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service you receive from Heath Veterinary Clinic. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments to Sarah Solomon, Practice Director.

Use of images

From time to time we may take images of your pet. These may form part of their clinical records. We may wish to use these images on our Social media pages to highlight veterinary issues and or market the practice. We will consult you in advance to obtain permission before publishing such images.

Immunosupressed owners

If at any point you or any person that has regular close contact with your pet becomes immune suppressed please inform your veterinary surgeon immediately as this may affect the treatment regime of your pet.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on any of our services at any time, if you feel that any aspect of the Practice could be improved or we have exceeded your expectations, please speak to or email our Practice Director, Sarah Solomon info@heathvets.com.