Terms and Conditions

Midsomer Veterinary Centre

Thank you for choosing Midsomer Veterinary Centre to care for your pet’s welfare. Not all of the Terms may be applicable to you and if you require further explanation please ask us for further clarification.

CONSULTATIONS AND OPENING HOURS

Monday-Friday 8.30am –7.00pm

Saturday 9.00am – 12.00pm

Sunday and Bank Holidays Closed

Consultations are by appointment only, except for emergencies, and can be booked by telephone, email, PetsApp or via online booking at our website. In the event of an emergency please call ahead if possible, to ensure that our team is ready to treat your pet on your arrival.

OUT OF HOURS SERVICE

Outside of normal hours 24 hour care is available 365 days per year. Please telephone the practice number and follow the instructions to contact the duty vet.

Out of hours care is provided by MyNightVet in Bristol. You may be required to travel for urgent examination or treatment. Please ensure that you have the ability to transport your pet in an emergency.

Additional fees are charged for out of hours treatment.

INPATIENT CARE

Should your pet require hospitalisation at the practice they will be checked on a regular basis through the evening and overnight at a frequency determined by a veterinary surgeon. We do not have the facility for continuous monitoring and, should we determine that this is necessary, or you would prefer this, referral to a specialist centre may be required.

HOME VISITS

We are happy to offer house visits where possible but may not be able to accommodate this in all circumstances. In most instances it is preferable for pets to be seen at the practice, where we have the facilities and staff to provide a higher standard of care. If you have difficulty transporting your pet, you should make plans in advance for transport to the surgery with a friend/relative/pet taxi service in case we are unable to visit.

REFERRALS AND SECOND OPINIONS

To ensure that your pet receives the best level of care we may seek the services of advanced practitioners and specialists. This may be done by having practitioners visit the practice or referral to an outside centre and we have close relationships with many referral centres around the UK. You may also request a referral or a second opinion at any time during your pet’s treatment.

CHARGES

Fees, diets and medication charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fees are determined by professional costs and according to the medication, materials, consumables and diets used.  A breakdown of costs for every transaction can be provided.

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We are happy to provide an estimate of treatment costs in advance of treatment commencing. Please be aware that this is an estimate and not a quotation, as the course of treatment can vary and unforeseen costs may arise.

MEDICATIONS AND PRESCRIPTION POLICY

For your convenience, we run our own in-house pharmacy. You are entitled to request a written prescription for medication to be fulfilled by another pharmacy. A fee is charged for this. We are also happy to fill prescriptions provided by another practice.

We may only prescribe prescription-only medications (POM-V and POM) for animals under our care. To be under our care your pet must be seen regularly by our veterinary surgeons at intervals appropriate to the condition being treated. For most treatments, the minimum interval will be 3 months, but for some conditions we may need to assess your pet and their response to treatment more frequently.

We are unable to prescribe medications for longer periods than is determined by the interval deemed necessary until the next time your pet should be assessed. For safety and legal reasons only limited quantities of certain medications may be prescribed at one time.

Prescription only flea / tick / worming treatmentscan only be prescribed following a clinical examination which requires patients should be seen at least annually for this purpose (this will normally coincide with routine vaccinations as otherwise consultation fees will be applied).

Current regulations require us to destroy any returned prescription only medications. They cannot be resold and therefore we can not give refunds for prescription only medications that have left the practice.

 Medications obtained elsewhere should be returned to the place of purchase if no longer needed or we may make a charge for their destruction.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Accounts should be settled at the end of each consultation, on the discharge of your pet or on collection of medicines, food or other items. For larger procedures we may ask for a deposit of 50% of the estimated charges before treatment.

We prefer that payment is made by debit/credit card or via PetsApp. Payment by BACS, cash, cheque and over the telephone is also accepted.

We are unable to arrange payment plans.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Should an account not be settled at the time of treatment we would appreciate payment via one of the above methods as soon as possible.

If the account remains outstanding administrative charges may be applied. Please notify us of any queries or complaints within 14 days of treatment.

After due notification to you, accounts will be passed to a debt collection agency and further charges will be applied in the costs of collecting the debt such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, house visits etc.

Cheques returned to our bank as unpaid, credit card payments not honoured and cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges in respect of bank charges and administration costs.

INABILITY TO PAY

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff. Non-emergency medicines or other items can not be supplied without payment at the time.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

We strongly support the principle of pet health insurance. Pet health insurance is a contract between you and your insurer, so it is your responsibility to settle your account and then reclaim fees from your insurer unless we have agreed to claim the fees directly in advance of treatment and you have settled the expected excess. 

CLAIMS UNDER PET INSURANCE

As an additional service and entirely at our discretion we may be able to arrange for your insurance company to pay the practice directly. If you wish to use this service, please discuss it with us before treatment commences. The following terms apply:

• The account remains your responsibility. If we agree to claim your fees direct from your insurance company it is on the understanding that the claim is straightforward and not disputed. We reserve the right to ask for full payment of the outstanding balance at any time.
• We must examine the current year’s policy documentation to determine excesses, levels of cover and possible exclusions from the insurance cover prior to treatment.
• An administration fee of £10 per claim will apply for us to process all insurance claims. This charge is waived for Practice Health Plan members.
• Payment of the expected excess, administration fees and any excluded charges should be made before treatment commences. 
• You must provide us with a claim form, or the equivalent, at the start of treatment, with all relevant sections completed by yourself. This must be received within 2 working days. 
• If appropriate,  an online portal or equivalent should be sent instead of a claim form. 
• If we have still not received the relevant form or link you will be required to pay the outstanding bill, including administration fees in full.
• As a small, independent practice we cannot hold accounts for longer than 90 days. We will update you at 30 and 60 days and if the claim has still not been settled at 90 days you will be required to settle the outstanding balance. Should we receive settlement later this will be refunded to you.
• If your insurance company declines to pay some or all of your claim or if any balance remains after your insurance company has settled, you will be notified as soon as possible and our normal payment terms will apply.
• We are unable to process direct insurance claims for Equine and Livestock (E&L), PDSA and any subsidiary companies.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

Care and investigation of your pet may involve making investigation such as radiographs and ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of the resulting record (such as the radiograph) remains with the practice.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS

We hope that you never have cause to complain about the standard of care given by Midsomer Veterinary Centre. If you have encountered any problems please speak to the person in charge of your pet’s care, who may be able to resolve your concerns at the time. If you feel that you wish to discuss further, please forward your concerns to one of the Directors.

We will respond within 7 days to any complaint. We also recommend suggestions for improving our service and encourage you to give us feedback. Please be aware that telephone calls are monitored for training and quality purposes.