Read terms and conditions for Stables Equine Practice instead
Terms and Conditions of Business
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your animal to Langford Veterinary Services Ltd (Langford Vets). We aim to provide the highest standards of care for all animals under our care. We will endeavor to communicate effectively with you regarding the treatment of your animal. For more information visit our website at www.langfordvets.co.uk The information below details our Business Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation or clarification if required.
Fees
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. You will receive a detailed fee note for consultations, surgical procedures or any transaction with us. No drugs or food will be dispensed without payment.
Methods of Payment
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation even if your animal is insured (see below under Animal Health Insurance), unless otherwise agreed with the Credit Control Department, or at the discharge of your animal or upon collection of drugs or diets. You may settle the account using:
CASH / CHEQUE
CREDIT/DEBIT CARD - Switch, Solo, MasterCard, Visa, Delta
Estimates of Treatment Costs
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. It will not include costs of medications or any complications arising from treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate - often an animal's illness will not follow a conventional course.
Settlement Terms
Your account should be settled at time of discharge, whether your animal is insured or not. Should the account not be settled, then an invoice will be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs. Any direct insurance claims must be agreed before treatment starts, see below under Animal Health Insurance.
You will be expected to pay on demand on an indemnity basis, without deduction of any legal or other reasonable costs, fees or expenses of whatever nature incurred by Langford Vets in connection with or in contemplation of any non-payment of your account by you.
All appointments will be charged for unless an hours notice is given of cancellation. It is at the vet's discretion not to charge for a consultation
After due notice to you overdue amounts will be referred to the County Court and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs, together with interest on the principal sum.
Animal Health Insurance
Langford Vets strongly support the principle of insuring your animal against unexpected illness or accidents. Although your animal may be insured, please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account within 60 days, even if we are doing a direct claim for you. Generally you should reclaim the fees from your insurance company. You will need to bring the following to your first appointment:
- Your valid policy document
- A claim form
At reception, you will be requested to ring your insurance company to grant us authorisation to speak to them about your claim. There is a fee for administrating the insurance claim and you will need a new claim form for every time you visit the hospital or practice.
If you wish us to claim directly, you must first obtain prior agreement from Langford Vets. Please contact reception to discuss details before treatment. For further details, please look at our website or contact reception.
Limit on Liability
The prices charged by us are based on a limit on our liability of £500,000 per claim (or for a series of related claims) as a result of our negligence or breach of contract. If this limit is less than the value of the animal you are advised to make your own insurance arrangements to cover the full loss. We do not accept liability where the loss arises out of your failure to notify us of any condition, ailment or allergy of which you had knowledge which would not have been apparent on reasonable examination by a veterinary practitioner. This limit shall not apply to the extent the law does not allow us to limit or exclude our liability.
Vaccine Reminders - only for first opinion practices
We will endeavour to send you vaccine reminders, however, we recommend that you keep a note of when your animal is due their annual vaccination. However, we do not accept responsibility for missed vaccinations.
Complaints and Standards
We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Langford Vets. However, if you feel there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first insta will endeavour to resolve the matter. If it is felt appropriate your complaint will be escalated to the appropriate manager.
As a veterinary business, our veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses must comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Professional Conduct. If you have concerns relating to the professional conduct of a staff member and have not been able to resolve it with Langford Vets, you can contact the RCVS on their website www.rcvs.org.uk for further details about making a complaint.
Ownership of Clinical Records, Radiographs and Similar Records
Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of and will be retained by Langford Vets as part of the clinical record of your animal. A summary of the history will be passed to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case on request. Should copies of radiographs etc be required, a charge will be made for these.
General Data Protection Regulations
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) as it applies to professional and client records. Your personal data records will be kept confidential to Langford Vets. We may, however, use your contact details for marketing purposes if you have given your consent. Please refer to our privacy notice on our website www.langfordvets.co.uk for full details. Termination of Service Delivery
We maintain the right to terminate delivery of our services to you as a client should the trust between parties have sufficiently broken down that further delivery would be unfeasible. In this unlikely circumstance, we will send a letter to you confirming the termination and its date. We will cover emergency treatment only for your animal for a further two weeks after the date of the letter in order to allow you to find another practice to care for your animal. We will transfer the relevant clinical records to the new practice.
Prescriptions
All clients have a right to ask for a prescription. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V. (POM V's) from your veterinary surgeon OR ask for a prescription to obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs 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 can be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed to your animal.
We kindly request that you, the client, give us 24 hours notice for a repeat drug and food collection. Any drugs, once made up, will be charged for whether collected or not.
Repeat Prescriptions
The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions usually every three months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. A re-examination fee will be charged.
Disclaimer
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind Langford Vets unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by a member of the Langford Vets senior management team. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with Langford Vets has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.