Terms & Conditions
We, Selworthy Vets Ltd, aim to provide the highest standards of veterinary care. These are the terms on which we, Selworthy Vets Ltd (trading as Selworthy Vets), supply veterinary services and related products to you. These Terms and Conditions shall apply to all supplies of Veterinary Services and Products by us to you to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions. Please note that some aspects of these Terms may not be relevant to you and we suggest you ask for further clarification from us if required.
1. Supply of Veterinary Services
1.1 We shall ensure that all Veterinary Services are supplied by suitably qualified staff, taking into account the nature of the Veterinary Service to be supplied in each instance.
1.2 Wherever practicable and on your request, a treatment plan for the supply of Veterinary Services will normally be agreed with you following an initial consultation and in advance of any further treatment. This treatment plan will provide an estimate regarding the likely costs of the course of treatment in such plan. In an emergency we reserve the right to provide such Veterinary Services as are reasonably necessary, in the professional judgement of the veterinary surgeon providing the Veterinary Services, without first agreeing a treatment plan.
1.3 Please note that any estimate given can only be an approximation of the costs of any treatment required. If our original estimate looks as if it will be exceeded, then the Veterinary Surgeon responsible for providing the Veterinary Services will discuss any increased fees with you before any further procedures are undertaken (save in the event of an emergency and at the professional discretion of the relevant Veterinary Surgeon acting in the best interest of your animal). Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate-often an animal’s illness will not follow a conventional course.
1.4 Before performing certain tests or procedure(s) on your animal we will ask you to sign a consent form. This form is a record of an agreement made with us, for us to treat your animal and what is involved along with any likely consequences. The authorising signatory may be that of an agent if the client is unavailable to sign (providing the client’s permission has been given). Any signatories must be over the age of 18. Along with authorising treatment the signature also gives agreement to pay for the treatment within the agreed timescale.
1.5 We will endeavour to provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards denoted by the RCVS guidelines for practice standards and the professional conduct of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Nurses. All Veterinary Services shall be supplied in accordance with normal professional standards.
1.6 Veterinary Services shall be supplied during our normal business hours (these may change from time to time), the current opening hours of Selworthy Vets can be found on our website at www.selworthyvets.co.uk In an emergency a Veterinary Surgeon will see you outside these opening hours, but this service will carry an extra charge.
1.7 We reserve the right to decline to supply Veterinary Services at our discretion. You are free at all times at your cost and subject to the payment obligations in these terms and conditions, to seek a second opinion on or concerning any Veterinary Services provided.
2. Supply of Products
2.1 In the event of any defect or failure in any Product our liability to you shall be restricted to replacing the Product or refunding the price paid by you for the Product.
2.2 You acknowledge and agree that all Products must only be used in accordance with the instructions supplied with them or issued orally by the Veterinary Surgeon providing the Veterinary Services or other of our staff. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use of any Product, you should consult the Veterinary Surgeon providing the Veterinary Services or other of our staff for clarification.
2.3 Any Products supplied by us shall be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose expressly agreed by the Veterinary Surgeon providing the Veterinary Services or other of our staff and shall comply with any description given. All other warranties, expressed or implied, are hereby excluded.
3. Payment
3.1 All Veterinary Services and Products provided by us shall be charged to you in accordance with our then current price list, prices are available on request and are subject to change without notice. If you have any question as regards the level of charge that will be incurred you should consult the Veterinary Surgeon in charge of your animal’s treatment or their staff for clarification.
3.2 Our normal practice is for payment to be made in full by you at the time the Veterinary Services or the Products are supplied, either at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your animal or upon collection of the Products. All invoices must be settled in full on receipt of the invoice. We may at our absolute discretion agree that you may delay payment of an invoice pending recovery of the sum from your insurer for such reasonable period as we may agree in writing. You remain liable in full for all invoices and all sums shall become due and payable in full by you at the end of this extended payment period irrespective of whether your insurer has made payment to you.
3.3 We accept direct insurance claims at the discretion of our Practice Manager. A direct insurance claim is one where you do not pay us; rather we claim the money directly from the insurance company. We may charge a direct insurance claim administration fee. In the event that all or any part of the insurance claim is not paid by your insurance company for any reason you will be liable for the outstanding balance.
3.4 We may refer overdue accounts to our debt collection agency.
3.5 In the event that any invoice or other sum owed by you is not paid when due then, without prejudice to any other remedies available to us, we may at any time:
3.5.1 Add additional charge(s) to your outstanding account in order to recover fees and costs in connection with the collection of the sum owed (including but not limited to administrative costs and debt collection agency fees); and
3.5.2 Issue notice to you that no further Veterinary Services and/or Products will be supplied to you.
3.6 All prices quoted are quoted exclusive of value added tax or other indirect taxes, duties or levies which shall be added as appropriate.
3.7 If you are unable to pay for the Veterinary Services we are only obliged to fulfill our minimum legal responsibilities and professional obligations in respect of the animal.
4. Pet Insurance
4.1 We may advocate pet insurance, but any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer. Please ensure that you refer to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy.
5. Ownership of Records
5.1 Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of the practice, and will normally be retained by the practice for a minimum period of 7 years. Copies with a full clinical history will be passed on request to any Veterinary Surgeon taking over the case.
6. Medication
6.1 As a Veterinary Practice we have an obligation to use Veterinary UK licensed medicines wherever possible. The dosage of all medications is carefully calculated and given in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
There are certain situations where the best treatment for your animal may require the use of medicines which do not hold an appropriate licence for the species concerned. In this case we might therefore recommend using such a medication ‘off licence’ but these will be prescribed in accordance with the Cascade. The Cascade is a sequence that all Veterinary Surgeons must follow when treating animals. For more information on the Cascade please visit our website.
Our use of off licence medications will be based upon our knowledge of the use in animals and an assessment of the risks and benefits involved. These medicines will only be used when they are indicated and deemed necessary and no licensed alternative exists. You will be asked to sign an off licence consent form to indicate your agreement to use the off licence medication.
6.2 Returned Medicines Policy:- The British Veterinary Association Code of Practice on Medicines (2000) states: “Once stock has been dispensed, it should not be accepted back into the dispensary. No returned goods should be offered for resale because there may have been problems with storage conditions beyond the Veterinarian’s control.” This means that we are unable to refund the cost of medication when returned but will be happy to dispose of any unused medications on your behalf.
7. Prescriptions
7.1 If your animal is on long term medication and you require a repeat prescription, we request that wherever possible you contact us at least 48 hours prior to collecting the medication or prescription. This will enable the Veterinary Surgeon to authorise the prescription medicines and for them to be prepared and made ready for collection. In some cases, it is necessary for us to order certain medication from our Veterinary wholesaler, in which case at least 72 hours notice is helpful.
You are able to make a medication request or place an order for food which you may require through our online order form, by telephone or by popping in.
7.2 Please remember that by law in order to comply with the RCVS legal requirements, it is necessary for us to re-examine your animal regularly before issuing further medication. This enables us to review their progress with you and make sure the treatment is effective. The time interval between these examinations will vary between 3-6 months, depending on the nature of the condition being treated and the medication prescribed. Please ask a member of our team for the current cost of a medication review. We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause, but the monitoring of any ongoing illness is essential for their best health. We will inform you if we need to examine your animal or if we require a little more time to obtain the items required.
7.3 Written prescriptions for Prescription Only Medicines, Category V (POM-Vs) are available on request for patients under our care to enable you to obtain the medicines from another Veterinary Surgeon or pharmacy. Please ask a member of our team for the current cost of a written prescription. We do however advise a written prescription may not be appropriate either if your animal is in hospital or it will delay treatment in certain cases. Please ask if you would like more information on the price of any of our medications. Please see Prescription Policy for more information.
8. Referrals and Second Opinions
8.1 On some occasions it may be necessary to refer your animal to another Veterinary Surgeon at an outside referral Veterinary Practice. This is normally only necessary if the condition requires specialist knowledge or facilities that are not available in the practice (for example MRI facilities) or colic surgery is required. Second opinion appointments can be requested either to see another Veterinary Surgeon within the Practice or to another Veterinary Practice. In all cases we will on request provide a full clinical history to the requesting Veterinary Surgeon.
9. Complaints
9.1 It is our intention that all our clients should be satisfied with the Veterinary Services and any Products supplied. In the event that you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the Veterinary Services or Products supplied by us or its staff, in the first instance you should contact The Practice Owner or Practice Manager to discuss your concerns and they shall endeavour to address any issues arising.
9.2 If you remain dissatisfied, then please refer to our complaints policy, we can provide you with further details at the practice or on our website.
10. Data Protection
10.1 We will use the personal information you provide to us to:
10.1.1 Provide the Veterinary Services and Products;
10.1.2 Process your payments for the Veterinary Services and Products; and
10.1.3 Inform you about the products and services that we or selected third parties provide, but you may stop receiving these at any time by contacting us. For more details please see our Privacy Policy.
10.2 In order to provide the services above, we use selected third parties to process your data. More information about third party processing can be requested from The Practice Owner or Practice Manager at Selworthy Vets, Stumpy Post Surgery, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 4BL.
11. Miscellaneous
11.1 No alteration may be made to these terms and conditions without our express written consent. We may update or amend these terms and conditions at any time by placing a notice to that effect in our premises.
11.2 Selworthy Vets Ltd is a limited company owned and controlled by Mr Thomas Rees MA VetMB MRCVS our registered office is 24 Boringdon Park Ivybridge PL21 9TY. Our registered VAT number is 283711594. If you have any questions, please contact us. You can contact us by telephone 01548 853322, or by emailing us at reception@selworthyvets.co.uk