Terms & Conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF HILLS VETERINARY SURGERY

 

Thank you for trusting Hills Veterinary Surgery with the care of your pet. This document details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Please ask a member of staff should you need clarification of any aspect of these terms.

 

MONITORING TELEPHONE CALLS

All telephone calls to and from the surgery are recorded and used for training and monitoring purposes. By using this communication method, you are consenting to the recordings.

 

VETERINARY CARE

Hills Veterinary Surgery is accredited with the RCVS PRACTICE STANDARDS SCHEME and will endeavor to provide the standard of care within the guidelines of the profession.

 

OUT OF HOURS

When we are closed please refer to Veteris Home Visit Vet 020 4586 1496 or Vet 24, 11 Belsize Terrace, Hampstead NW3 4AX, 020 7794 4948.

 

CONSULT FEES

All veterinary consultations, face to face or on the telephone, with a qualified veterinary surgeon will incur a consultation fee.

 

CONSENT FORMS

Written consent is required on admission for any hospital procedures. It is important you provide an up-to-date telephone number as we may need to call you regarding your pets procedure.

 

GDPR

We require clients to confirm the accuracy of their details held in our practice management system by signing a GDPR form. This form also includes consent for receiving text/emails from Hills Veterinary Clinic and sharing information.

Occasionally, it may be necessary to share information with other veterinary professionals, referral centers, or insurance companies. Prior consent will always be obtained before sharing any information, regardless of whether a GDPR form has been obtained or not.

It’s vital for clients to keep the surgery updated with any changes to their telephone numbers, address, or email addresses. This ensures that we can effectively communicate with them and provide the best possible care for their pets.

 

ZERO TOLERANCE

All of our staff members have the right to carry out their duties without fear of encountering abuse from any client. We strive to maintain a courteous and helpful attitude in our interactions with clients. It’s important to recognize that our staff may face challenging tasks and situations, and we appreciate your understanding and patience.

While we understand that clients with sick pets may sometimes act differently, we do take this into consideration when addressing misunderstandings or complaints. However, it’s crucial to emphasize that Hills Veterinary Clinic maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any client who demonstrates abusive behavior toward staff members and/or other clients. Such behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

 

ESTIMATE OF COSTS

Written estimates are available upon request and are provided as part of the consent form. It’s crucial to understand that these estimates represent approximate costs and are subject to change. Hills Veterinary Clinic will make every effort to inform clients of any increases in costs that may occur during the pet’s stay compared to the original estimate.

 

OWNERSHIP OF XRAYS, ULTRASOUNDS & RECORDS

While charges are incurred by clients for services provided, it’s important to note that the ownership of x-rays, ultrasounds, and medical records will remain with the surgery. Upon request from the client, these records will be transferred to other veterinary surgeries as needed.

 

INSURED PETS

Clients who have insurance coverage are responsible for settling all amounts owed to the surgery and then seeking reimbursement directly from their insurance company. Any excess fees and items not covered by insurance must be paid for at the time of service.

In exceptional cases where payment cannot be made on the day, it is necessary to obtain pre-authorization from the insurance company for any scheduled procedures. If pre-authorization is not obtained, the client will be expected to settle the account in full on the day of service.

Please be advised that an administration fee will be applied for all claims processed by the surgery.

 

INSURANCE CLAIMS

Clients are required to notify the surgery when they intend to make a claim against their insurance company and, if necessary, leave a claim form with us. It is the client’s responsibility to complete their section of the form, including providing the policy number. Hills Veterinary Clinic will then forward any necessary information required for the claim to the insurance company.

Please note that Hills Veterinary Clinic charges a fee for each new claim that is submitted to the insurance company on behalf of the client. This is clearly displayed in our reception area; £12 for claims and £6 for continuation claims.

 

PAYMENT METHODS

Clients can settle their account by cash, cheque, debit or credit cards. Please be aware we can only accept English sterling notes when payment is made by cash.

 

INABILITY TO SETTLE ACCOUNT

We kindly request clients to address any payment concerns with a staff member as soon as possible BEFORE undergoing treatment or procedures. Installments or partial payments of accounts can only be authorized with the explicit permission of senior staff members and must be agreed upon BEFORE the commencement of treatment.

Please note that vaccinations, flea treatments, forthcoming medications/procedures, and food purchases are not eligible for part payment or installment terms. Failure to adhere to the agreed payment terms will result in the unpaid account being referred to a debt collection agency. Additional charges will be applied to cover the costs of this service.

Emergency treatment will always be provided regardless of payment status.

 

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Unless otherwise agreed upon in advance, all payments for fees, services, treatments, and goods are required to be settled in full on the day of the appointment before clients leave the surgery. If pets are admitted to the surgery, payment is due upon collection of the pets.

In the event that payment is not made on the day as agreed or agreed installments are not completed, an invoice will be sent for the full payment to be made. Following due notice, any outstanding accounts will be forwarded to a debt collection agency. Additional charges will be added to the outstanding amount to cover the costs of this service.

Please note that emergency treatment will always be provided regardless of payment status.

 

APPOINTMENTS FOR ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES/CANCELLATION PERIOD

We require a £100* deposit for Animal Health Certificate (AHC) appointments. This deposit will be deducted from your total bill when you attend the original appointment.

However, please be aware of the following conditions:

  • Failure to attend the appointment without giving prior notice.
  • Not providing at least 3 days’ notice of cancellation via telephone or email.
  • Providing incorrect information necessary for completing the AHC.
  • Having the wrong person attend the appointment for signing the declaration.

In any of these cases, the deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE. If you wish to schedule another AHC appointment, a further deposit will be required, subject to the same conditions.

 

NEW CLIENT APPOINTMENTS/INCLUDING C4 SCHEME REGISTRATION FEE

For new clients, a non-refundable registration fee of £48* is required in advance at the time of booking their first appointment. This fee will be deducted from the total cost of the initial appointment. However, please note that this fee will not be offset against any fees in the event that you are unable to attend the scheduled appointment and fail to provide at least 2 hours’ notice of cancellation, whether via telephone or email.

 

NON- CANCELLATION FEE

The surgery kindly requests clients to provide a minimum of 2 hours’ notice if they are unable to attend their scheduled appointment. Failure to cancel within this time frame or failing to cancel altogether will incur a non-cancellation fee, which will be charged to the client’s account.

Please note that notice of cancellation can be communicated via telephone or email to admin@hillsvets.co.uk. It’s important to refer to the specific notice period for non-cancellation regarding AHCs (Animal Health Certificates), as it may differ from our standard notice period.

 

DISPENSING OF MEDICATION

Prescription Only Medication Category V (POM-V) is available from our veterinary surgeon exclusively for animals under our care. To adhere to regulations and ensure proper treatment, certain procedures must be followed when requesting medications. This may include periodic reassessment of your pet’s condition, potentially requiring you to bring your pet to the surgery for evaluation before medication can be provided or a written prescription issued. Reassessment intervals may occur every 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, as determined by your veterinarian.

Upon your request for medications or written prescriptions, you will be duly informed of the necessary steps to obtain them. Please note that some medications may incur a dispensing fee, which is included in the overall cost. Flea treatment can be dispensed if your pet has been examined by a veterinary surgeon within the past 12 months.

For repeat medication and written prescriptions, we kindly request a minimum of 48 hours’ notice before collection to ensure timely processing.

Veterinary Licensed Medications will typically be provided for your pet’s treatment. However, there may be situations where your veterinarian recommends the use of veterinary products intended for other species or human medications (off-licensed/off-label). In such cases, your veterinarian will thoroughly explain the reasons behind these alternative options.

 

WRITTEN PRESCRIPTIONS

New protocol for written prescriptions will apply from 1st August 2023. Hills will email the written prescription direct to the online company. We ask clients to order their medication from their online company as usual, and then provide Hills with the order reference number, the medication strength and quantity, and the place they ordered it from for their transactions.  Clients will no longer be able to collect the written prescription from the surgery or receive this to their personal email addresses.

The cost of written presctiptions are displayed in our recption area.

 

RETURNING MEDICATION

The surgery will dispose of any unused medication that we have supplied. Refunds cannot be given once the medication has left the premises.

 

COMPLAINTS

We at Hills strive to offer a good service to our clients but if there is any issue you wish to raise, please direct any complaint or comment in writing to the Practice Manager, practicemanager@hillsvets.co.uk  Acknowledgment of your letter will initially be made while further investigations are carried out. We hope a final reply will be made within 14 days, but this may be longer depending on the staff involved.

 

Reviewed & Revised 06/03/2024 P Sabino

*Deposit payments correct at time of reviewing.