Terms of Trading

Terms & Conditions Of Business/Privacy Notice

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your animal to Dundas Veterinary Group. This letter details our Practice Terms & Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

APPOINTMENTS
Our surgeries are run on an appointment basis. If you are transferring from another veterinary practice we will arrange to get your animal’s medical history emailed through to us prior to your consultation.

FEES
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Our fees are quoted inclusive of VAT. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. Our written fee list for consultations etc is available on request.

You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

METHODS OF PAYMENT
In the absence of a written agreement to the contrary, payment of our fees is due at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your animal or upon the collection of drugs or diets. You may settle the account using:

CASH
CREDIT/DEBIT CARD – Switch, Mastercard, Visa, Delta

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.

TERMS OF BUSINESS
As stated above payment is due at the time of treatment. Failure to make payment within 28 days of the due date will result in the matter being referred to our debt collectors whose charges will be added to, and payable with, the invoice debt. Any cheque returned as unpaid by our bank will accrue bank charges which will be added to the original amount.

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. Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of the partners.

EMERGENCY OUT OF HOURS SERVICE AND INPATIENT CARE
In an out of hours situation you will be given the emergency service phone number by way of our answering machine message. This service is run by EVETS, based at 171 Mayfield Road, Edinburgh. The current cost of an out of hours consultation is £230.00 including vat prior to 11pm, £275.00 including vat after 11pm.

Our own veterinary surgeons deal with our own inpatients. These animals are hospitalised at our Dundas Street branch where our duty veterinary surgeon will attend to the needs of their condition.  This service will be offered to patients deemed stable enough for this level of care.
Please be advised the duty vet may discuss with you the option of transferring your animal to our emergency provider if they feel this level of care is unsuitable for your animals condition.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE
Dundas Veterinary Group supports the principle of insuring your animal against unexpected illness or accidents. We cannot recommend any particular insurance company but can give you general advice about insurance – please ask any member of staff for details. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Patients on long term medication need to be “under our care” and re-examined on a regular basis. Once the animal is stable on treatment this interval is 3-6 months depending on the condition. The fee for this case review is £38.59 including VAT. Prescriptions can be issued by us on request. The cost for this £18.90 including VAT.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
We hope that you never feel the recourse to complain about the standards of service received by Dundas Veterinary Group. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to the receptionist or veterinary surgeon you are dealing with. Alternatively, please direct your complaint to the partners, either verbally or, preferably, in writing. The staff will give you a complaints procedure sheet on request

ACCESS AND OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS
Case records, including radiographs and similar documents, are the property of, and will be retained by, Dundas Veterinary Group. If you wish a copy of the clinical records for your pet, you should contact the practice to arrange this. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on by request to any other veterinary surgeon taking over the care of your pet either due to referral, change of address or any other reason.

Please note that for insured clients case clinical notes will be passed on to Insurance companies on request as this is a standard condition of insurance contracts.

The care given to your animal may involve investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with the Practice.

SECOND OPINIONS AND REFERRALS
Should you feel you would like another opinion on your animal’s condition or treatment we can arrange for you to see another colleague within the practice.

We are also happy to arrange referral to a specialist.

If such care is appropriate for your animal we will recommend and discuss the costs/benefits of referring your animal or involving a specialist in their care. Fees incurred at Referral Practices remain entirely the responsibility of the owner and must be paid either directly, or via insurance to the practice/university concerned.

 

DATA PROTECTION
For all client personal and payment information Dundas Veterinary Group is subject to and complies with the Data Protection Act.
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