Terms and Conditions of Business Langford Vets
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 endeavour to communicate effectively with you regarding the treatment of your animal.
We know that owners of animals sometimes ask other people to represent them in engaging veterinary services. Accordingly, when we refer to "you", we mean the individual who is either the owner of the animal or a person authorised to act as the agent of that owner.
The information below details our Terms and Conditions of Business (the "Terms") on which we supply services and associated goods to you. By using our services, you agree to be legally bound by these Terms - please read them carefully. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you, and we request that you ask for further explanation or clarification if required. For more information, visit our website at www.langfordvets.co.uk.
These Terms will have been presented to you as follows:
- within the "Consent Form" document (after the wording about consent and the request for your signature) presented to you on attending the Practice/Hospital; or
- as an electronic copy within the Welcome Pack (provided in advance of your appointment).
1. Information about us and how to contact us
1.1. Who we are - We are Langford Veterinary Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company no.06798554 and registered office address at Beacon House, University of Bristol, Queens Avenue, Bristol, England, BS8 1SE. Our contact details can be found at www.langfordvets.co.uk. These Terms apply to our Services provided at or from the following premises:
a. Langford Vet Practice, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU;
b. Farm Animal Practice, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU ((a) and (b) each a "Practice"); and
c. Small Animal Referral Hospital, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU ("Hospital").
1.2. How to contact us - You can contact us by phone or by email:
a) Langford Vet Practice, 01934 852422, lvp@langfordvets.co.uk
b) Farm Animal Practice, 01934 852650, farmpractice@langfordvets.co.uk
c) Small Animal Hospital, 0117 394 0513, sah@langfordvets.co.uk
1.3. How we may contact you - If we have to contact you, we will do so by phone or by writing to you at the email address or postal address provided to us.
2. Our contract with you
2.1. These Terms will apply to all Services that we provide to you. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our Services.
2.2. You must tell us by contacting us on the details provided in clause 1.2 (How to contact us) if any information you provide becomes out of date or is no longer correct. This includes your contact details and any information relating to the health of your animal.
2.3. Non-emergency treatment: In cases where treatment is not an emergency, you will need to make an appointment with us prior to coming into the Practice/Hospital. Following a referral to us from your first opinion/primary care practice, we will contact you to arrange your appointment. You may also contact us for that purpose. Normally, the appointment will be confirmed by us in writing (which may mean an email), although we may do this over the phone. You will then receive an email containing our 'Welcome Pack' in advance of your scheduled appointment. If you make an appointment by phone or email (i.e. not in person at the Practice/Hospital), subject to clause 3.1 (Right to cancel an appointment), you have the right to cancel it within 14 days without giving any reason. Please see clause 3.1 for more information. On attending your appointment at the Practice/Hospital, the attending Clinician will discuss with you the details of your animal's treatment and you will then be asked to give your consent for the planned treatment/admission by signing the Consent Form (and any other form required by the Practice/Hospital).
2.4. Emergency treatment: In cases of emergency, you may attend the Practice/Hospital without a prior appointment. On attending the Practice/Hospital, the attending Clinician will discuss with you the details of your animal's treatment and you will then be asked to give your consent for the planned treatment/admission by signing the Consent Form (and any other form required by the Practice/Hospital). A Clinician may conduct a preliminary assessment of your animal and may determine that emergency treatment is not required, in which case we may ask you to book a non-emergency appointment.
2.5. Subsequent updates to costs/scope of Services: Regardless of whether your animal requires non-emergency or emergency treatment, unfortunately sometimes (including in event of complications) the nature and/or scope of the treatment required will be different from what was originally anticipated (and discussed with you at the consultation or referred to in the Consent Form). Such changes are likely to mean that the treatment will cost more than expected and more than any estimate provided to you. We will give advance notice before incurring such additional costs but if the animal’s life is in danger and we are unable to contact the owner we may need to proceed with treatment if deemed in the animal’s best interests. We will always try to give you advance notice before incurring such costs, but in some circumstances (e.g. emergency surgery) advance notice may not be possible. In those cases, we will let you know as soon as possible if additional or unplanned treatment has been necessary, and the costs incurred as a result.
3. Right to cancel and cancellation
If you make an appointment for non-emergency treatment by phone or email, you have the right to cancel your appointment during the 14-day period after we confirm the appointment, without giving any reason. However, if the appointment falls on a date within that 14-day period, and you are content to waive that cancellation right, you must expressly request that the appointment go ahead as
3.1. scheduled (you are considered to have done this if you attend the Practice/Hospital for your scheduled appointment). In such circumstances you may only cancel the appointment in accordance with our cancellation policy in clause 3.3. To exercise your statutory right under this clause 3.1 to cancel the appointment, you must inform us of your decision to cancel in writing using the contact details above.
3.2. If you do not make an appointment in advance of your visit to the Practice/Hospital (i.e. you attend for emergency treatment), there will be no applicable statutory cancellation period. However, your standard rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are unaffected.
3.3. Cancellation policy
a. Appointments - In addition to cancellation right referred to in clause 3.1, a booked consultation appointment may be cancelled without charge provided you let us know you wish to cancel at least one hour before the scheduled appointment time. If that minimum notice period is not given, we reserve the right to charge you for the consultation appointment, even if you do not attend. The charge payable for a missed appointment is £[xxx].
b. Treatment/admission - There is no statutory right of cancellation in respect of admission and/or treatment if you sign the Consent Form at the Practice/Hospital, unless you disagree with any proposed changes to the scope/costs of Services we have told you about under clause 2.5 (Subsequent updates to costs/scope of Services). In such circumstances you can end the contract before the change takes effect, and receive a refund for any Services you have paid for, but not yet received. If payment has not been made upfront, then upon discharge you will be liable to pay for any Services already received up to that point. Otherwise, your rights to terminate the contract are set out in clause 18 (Termination).
c. Cancellation or delays by the Practice/Hospital - We may sometimes need to cancel or reschedule an appointment or planned surgery/treatment if an event outside our reasonable control occurs (for example, a piece of key equipment breaking down or emergency scenarios). In such circumstances, we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know, and we will do what we can to minimise disruption/delay. We will use all reasonable endeavours to reschedule it within 24 hours of the original scheduled appointment time. As long as we do this, we won't compensate you for the disruption/delay, but if the delay is likely to be substantial you can end the contract and receive a refund for any Services you have paid for but not yet received. If payment has not been made upfront, then you must pay for any Services already received up to that point.
4. Using our Services
4.1. By using our Services, you confirm that you are and will be a "Consumer" as defined by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (that is, an individual receiving Services for purposes outside of their trade, business, craft or profession).
4.2. You are responsible for providing us with all relevant information relating to your animal's health and/or treatment. We are entitled to rely on what you tell us, although we would not proceed to provide Services contrary to our clinical judgment. If you provide us with incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate information or instructions, we reserve the right to terminate the contract, amend any treatment plan and/or cost estimate(s) provided and to charge you for any additional Services provided as a result.
4.3. If (or if you suspect that) your animal is showing signs of infection (whether bacterial or viral), we request that you inform our reception team prior to bringing your pet into the building because even those with mild presentation in some animals can be deadly to others with compromised immune systems. In such circumstances, please contact Reception via the contacts provided in clause 1.2 in advance of attending the Practice/Hospital and they will advise you on what to do. Certain diseases are notifiable to regulatory authorities by law and you must let us know if you suspect your animal may be infected with any of them - the list of diseases is available here.
4.4. We reserve the right to refuse access to any Langford Vets premises (either Practice or the Hospital) and reject any request for Services at our sole discretion at any time (including for the purpose of managing infection risk), even if you have previously used our Services or visited a Practice or the Hospital.
4.5. You must treat our staff and other users of our Services with respect. The use of physical violence, discrimination or abuse of any kind will not be tolerated, including on social media platforms. If you cause nuisance or disturbance at our premises or harassment through any social media platform (including posting disparaging content or remarks directed at Langford Vets or any of our Clinicians) you may be refused access to our Services and premises and we may cancel your scheduled appointment and any planned treatment for your animal. In these circumstances, we may also charge you for a missed appointment.
4.6. The filming or recording in any format (including photography) of any:
a. area of our premises at either of the Practices or the Hospital; or
b. aspect of our Services
is strictly prohibited, as is posting of such recorded material or any disparaging content or remarks directed at Langford Vets or any of our Clinicians to social media platforms or other public forum. Langford Vets reserves the right to take legal action in such circumstances, including to pursue claims for violation of privacy.
4.7. Please look after your belongings carefully when visiting Langford Vets premises. We are not responsible for the loss of or damage to any valuables, cash or other items belonging to you or any persons accompanying you while you are visiting the Practice/Hospital. At our discretion, if we consider that any possession of yours or other object poses a risk of spreading infection, we are entitled to remove and destroy it.
5. Our Clinicians
5.1. The Services will be delivered by a combination of veterinarian undergraduate or postgraduate students studying at the University of Bristol and experienced veterinary professionals and other qualified staff (each a "Clinician"). The Services provided will be supervised and overseen by an appropriately qualified Clinician. You may express a preference, but the Services will be provided by Clinicians of our choosing (which we may change at any time).
6. Fees
6.1. All veterinary services (including consultations, any treatment, surgery, admissions and the supply of any drugs, food or other supplements, together the "Services") provided by the Practice/Hospital are subject to charge. Subject to clause 2.5 (Subsequent updates to costs/scope of Services), the estimated charges for Services provided in respect of your animal will be discussed with you at the consultation appointment when you attend the Practice/Hospital and will be set out in the Consent Form or otherwise notified to you. All estimates represent our assessment of the likely costs taking into account the circumstances and our experience, but you acknowledge that the actual charges may exceed the estimates given.
6.2. All Services are subject to VAT at the applicable rate.
6.3. Unless otherwise agreed, at the time of:
a. the consultation appointment; and
b. the discharge of your animal,
you will receive an invoice accompanied by a detailed fee note for Services provided. In some circumstances, we may instead need to issue your invoice by email following the consultation or discharge (as applicable).
6.4. Unless:
a. you are paying directly through your insurer (in which case see clause 9 (Animal Health Insurance) below);
b. we require that you make payment upfront (in which case see clause 6.6 (Payment upfront) below); or
c. we agree different payment terms with you,
the default position is that payment of any invoice will be due on receipt of invoice.
6.5. With respect to the supply of drugs, food, supplements and other goods, we will ask you for payment in advance or at the point of supply, and no goods will be dispensed or otherwise provided to you until we have received full payment.
6.6. We reserve the right to require payment for our Services upfront. Where we exercise this right, no Services will be provided unless and until payment is made in full.
7. Estimates of Treatment Costs
7.1. As part of the Consent Form, we will normally provide a written estimate as to the range of probable costs of an anticipated course of treatment (though this is not exhaustive and will not include, for example, costs of medications or cost of any potential complications arising from treatment). We will provide further estimates as to likely cost ranges if/when subsequent updates are required per clause 2.5 (Subsequent updates to costs/scope of Services).
7.2. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate and estimates do not constitute quotations – often an animal’s illness will not follow a conventional course.
7.3. You must confirm acceptance (whether verbal or written) of any estimate given before Services are provided. Please contact us and do not proceed if you are unable to afford the Services, which may end up costing more than the highest range of the estimate.
8. Methods of Payment
8.1. Please see clause 6.4 (Payment terms) above for information on the timing of payments. You may settle your account using:
a. CASH;
b. CHEQUE;
c. CREDIT/DEBIT CARD – Switch, Solo, MasterCard, Visa, Delta; or
d. INSURANCE (where relying on an insurance policy, see clause 9 (Animal Health Insurance)).
9. Animal Health Insurance
9.1. Langford Vets strongly support the principle of insuring your animal against unexpected illness or accidents.
9.2. If you wish to make a claim under your insurance policy, you will need to bring the following to your first appointment:
a. your valid insurance policy document; and
b. a claim form or have arranged a link to be sent by your insurance provider
We recommend that you contact your insurance provider beforehand to provide permission for Langford Vets to discuss your claim. You will need a new claim form each time you visit the Practice/Hospital.
9.3. We often manage insurance claims on behalf of clients, with proceeds being paid directly to Langford Vets to cover the charges for the Services. We charge an administration fee of £25.50 for this Service. Please let us know if you wish to have Langford Vets process your insurance claim for you by contacting the relevant Reception via the contact details provided in section 1.2 to discuss details before treatment. We reserve the right to refuse to manage your insurance claim, and we do not make any promises that we will be able to achieve any particular result (the claim will depend on what you have agreed with your insurer and what your insurer will pay for). For further details, please see our website.
9.4. If Langford Vets is not administering your insurance claim on your behalf, you will need to settle your account first and submit a claim to your insurer afterwards. If we are administering your insurance claim, but we consider that the insurer will not pay our charges within 60 days of the claim being submitted, you must at our request pay using an alternative method.
9.5. Even if your animal is insured, and even in cases where we are making a direct claim on your behalf, please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that any outstanding payment is made within 60 days of the date of the invoice.
10. Settlement Terms
10.1. If you are not paying through an insurer, invoices must be paid in accordance with clause 6 (Fees). Any direct insurance claims must be agreed before treatment starts - see clause 9 (Animal Health Insurance) above for more information.
10.2. All materials provided by us remain our property until your account has been settled in full.
10.3. If payment is not received by us in accordance with this clause 10 and clause 6.4 (Payment terms), we reserve the right to charge interest on any balance outstanding at the rate of 8%, such interest to accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the date of actual payment of the overdue amount, whether before or after judgment. We also reserve the right to issue a further invoice incorporating an additional fee in respect of administrative costs associated with chasing and obtaining payment from you. Please let us know if you are having or anticipate difficulty in paying for our Services.
10.4. If, following written demand for payment, any element of an invoice remains outstanding for [90 days], overdue amounts will be pursued, and you will be liable for our 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 the addition of any further charges incurred by us as a result (including bank charges and administrative costs), together with interest on the principal sum in accordance with clause 10.3 (Interest).
11. Limit on Liability
11.1. We do not exclude or limit our liability for:
a. death or personal injury caused by our negligence (or that of our employees, agents or sub-contractors);
b. fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
c. anything else that cannot be excluded or limited by law.
11.2. Except as described in clause 11.1 above, we are not legally responsible for:
a. losses that were not foreseeable when the contract was formed (i.e. it was not obvious that it would happen and nothing you said to us before the contract was formed meant we should have expected it);
b. losses that were not caused by any breach of these Terms on our part (e.g. where you failed to provide us with information which you should have provided about any condition, ailment or allergy, or loss caused by your negligence);
c. business losses (i.e. relating to use of or reliance on our Services for the purpose of your trade, business, craft or profession); or
d. losses to non-consumers.
11.3. If you breach these Terms in a way that causes us to suffer or incur any loss (including, for example, losses that other clients claim from us), you may be responsible for those losses.
12. Vaccine and Other Reminders – for the Practices only
12.1. We will endeavour to send you vaccine reminders, but we recommend that you keep a note of when your animal is due their annual vaccination. We do not accept responsibility for missed vaccinations.
12.2. In the course of the Services, we may recommend that you take certain actions by a particular date or on a regular basis, but we are not assuming or taking responsibility for reminding you to do so and we are not liable if you do not comply with the recommendation.
13. Complaints and Standards
13.1. We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Langford Vets, and we will try to resolve any disputes with you quickly and efficiently. However, if you are unhappy with the Services we have provided or any other aspect of your relationship with us, in the first instance please contact the relevant Reception on the contact details provided in Section 1.2. You may request for your complaint to be escalated to the appropriate management team.
13.2. As a veterinary business, our veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses must comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Professional Conduct (available Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons - Professionals 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. Your complaint may then be referred for mediation.
14. Ownership of Clinical Records, diagnostic images and samples
14.1. Clinical records and similar documents, diagnostic images and residual biological samples (such as bodily fluid and tissue) are the property of and will be retained by Langford Vets as part of the clinical record of your animal. These may be used for teaching and research purposes.
14.2. A summary of the clinical history of your animal will be passed to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case on your request.
14.3. We do not promise that you will have access to any samples taken from your animal and we are entitled to analyse, transfer, store, destroy or take any other action (or have any other person take any action) in relation to those samples without your permission. If we or any other person makes or isolates any discovery, or generates any new invention, material or information, as a result of any action relating to the samples, you will have no right to receive any attribution or compensation (including royalties) and you irrevocably waive, disclaim ownership of, and release us from any right you or the owner of the animal would otherwise have.
15. Euthanasia and management of remains
15.1. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts in treatment, occasionally an animal's health will deteriorate such that it is in their best interest to euthanise them to prevent further suffering. Where our clinical team believes this is the best course of action for your animal, we will try to contact you on the details you provided to us to let you know, and to update you in accordance with clause 2.5 (Subsequent updates to costs/scope of Services). If we contact you successfully, we will discuss our recommendations with you and - if it is feasible - you may be able to attend the Practice/Hospital for the procedure. The provisions of clause 6 (Fees) and 10 (Settlement Terms) will continue to apply in relation to settlement of your account.
15.2. If your animal dies in our care, we will try to contact you on the details you provided to us to let you know, and to discuss next steps. The provisions of clause 6 (Fees) and 10 (Settlement Terms) will continue to apply in relation to settlement of your account.
16. Your privacy and personal information
16.1. Your privacy and personal information are important to us. Under data protection legislation, we are required to provide you with certain information including who we are, how we process your personal data and for what purposes and your rights in relation to your personal data and how to exercise them. This information is provided in our privacy policy, available at https://www.langfordvets.co.uk/privacy-policy/.
16.2. Information collected about your animal may be shared with other researchers for the ultimate benefit of animal welfare. However, any personal information that could identify you or your animal will be removed.
16.3. We reserve the right to report:
a. incidences (or suspected incidences) of infectious and other notifiable disease to the necessary authorities; and
b. crimes (or suspected crimes), including (but not limited to) cruelty to animals, wildlife crimes, ownership of banned dogs, hunting or livestock theft to the police,
in compliance with our legal, regulatory and professional obligations.
17. Changes to the Services and these Terms
17.1. We may need to change these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in laws, regulations and codes of practice, to deal with additional elements of the Services introduced by us, or for other reasons.
17.2. We will aim to give you at least 30 days' notice of any significant change by sending you an email at the email address you provide to us, with details of the change. Alternatively, we may notify you of any change when you next make an appointment. If you do not agree to any such change you can contact the appropriate Reception [see contact details outlined under section 1.1] to end the contract before the change takes effect and receive a refund for any Services, you have paid for but not yet received. If payment has not been made upfront, then you will be liable to pay for any Services already received up to that point. Otherwise, your rights to terminate the contract are set out in clause 18 (Termination).
17.3. When you make an appointment, it is your responsibility to review the current form of these Terms, because they will apply to that appointment. If you attend a booked appointment after we have notified you of a change to these Terms, that will be treated as your confirmation of acceptance of that change in the Terms.
18. Termination
18.1. You may terminate this contract for any reason at any time by notifying us.
18.2. We maintain the right to terminate the contract with you if the trust between us and you has sufficiently broken down such that further delivery would be unfeasible. In this unlikely circumstance, we will send a letter to you and your referring veterinary practice 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, and we retain records for [six years] following contract termination.
18.3. If you terminate the contract under clause 18.1, or we terminate the contract under clause 18.2 you will be liable to pay:
a. for any Services received up to the date of termination; and
b. any costs properly incurred by us in connection with the Services planned for your animal, which we would not have incurred if we had not entered into the contract with you (for example, any drugs which were ordered for your animal, the cost of which we are unable to recover using reasonable efforts),
and payment will be due immediately on presentation by us of the invoice setting out those costs.
18.4. On termination of the contract for any reason, you will be required to collect your animal (if admitted) from the Practice/Hospital within [24 hours] of request from us to do so.
18.5. Cancellation or termination of the contract for any reason will not affect either party's outstanding rights or duties under these Terms.
19. Prescriptions
19.1. All clients have a right to ask for a prescription. You may obtain 'Prescription Only' Medicines, Category V, ("POM Vs") from your Clinician (if they are a vet) OR ask for a prescription from a vet to obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. Your Clinician 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. Nothing in these Terms or the Consent Form will limit the Clinician's discretion to make any clinical judgment regarding prescriptions.
19.2. You can be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed to your animal.
19.3. We require 2 business days’ notice for a repeat drug and food collection. Any drugs, once made up, will be charged for whether collected or not.
19.4. You will answer questions about your intended use of prescribed medicines and your ability to administer them to your animal fully and truthfully, and we may ask you to provide written confirmation of your answers to any such questions. You must only use medicines for which you have been provided a prescription for administration to your animal identified in the prescription in Great Britain and strictly following the Clinician's guidance and any information leaflet accompanying the medicine.
20. Repeat Prescriptions
20.1. 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, in line with our Services fees at that time, available at https://www.langfordvets.co.uk/about-langford-vets/our-prices/.
21. Disclaimer
21.1. No addition or variation of these Terms 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 Terms in any way.
21.2. While we promise to provide the Service using reasonable care and skill, we do not promise or otherwise guarantee any particular result. The animals we treat are complex living organisms with a large spectrum of health issues and widely varying backgrounds. As such, even with appropriate care, adverse outcomes are possible.
22. Other important terms
22.1. Neither you or we are permitted to transfer any of your or our rights and obligations under these Terms to another person. The contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms.
22.2. Each of the clauses of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining clauses will remain in full force and effect.
22.3. Even if you or we delay in enforcing these Terms, you or we can still enforce it later.
22.4. The laws of England and Wales apply to these Terms. Any disputes which are not resolved through the complaints procedure set out above will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. This means that you can choose whether to bring a claim in the courts of England and Wales or in the courts of another part of the UK in which you live.