PENMELLYN VETERINARY GROUP Terms and Conditions of Business Office Hours: Penmellyn Small Animal Department Penmellyn Equine Department Penmellyn Farm Department * Out-of-hours emergency service: An emergency service is available for emergency calls outside office hours. Two dedicated veterinary surgeons provide this service supported by a nurse. Hospitalized patients will be checked on a regular basis through nights and weekends with animals in intensive care receiving continues attention supported by CCTV. The out-of-hours service is provided at and from the St. Columb Major facilities while branch surgeries remain closed. Whether attendance away from the practice premises is essential, or not, is the decision of the on-duty veterinary surgeon taking into account the needs of the animal and the relevant health and safety issues. Information on initial costs of out-of-hours emergency service can be obtained from the veterinary surgeon on call or during daytime from the office. Surgeries and Visits are by appointment only, we appreciate at least 24 hours notice for non-urgent calls Information on fees and charging structure are available on request from the office during working hours or from the veterinary surgeon on duty. All Clients are entitled to a second opinion. If we are asked to provide a second opinion we will only do so after consulting the first opinion veterinary surgeon or making all reasonable efforts to do so. Referrals can be arranged for any patients. Client Data: At the request of a client, we provide copies of relevant clinical records, including any clinical records for the animal that have been acquired from another practice . Where any significant expense is involved in providing such copies, a charge will be made. We will not disclose any information about a client or animal to any third party without either expressed or implied permission. Complaints Procedure: All clients are encouraged in the first instance to discuss any problems with the service offered by Penmellyn Veterinary Group with one of the partners. The Client is the person who requests veterinary attention for the animal and the client is liable to pay for the professional service and any treatment offered. Payment is due upon receipt of invoice. Additional patient invoicing may be necessary for any charges not posted at the time of preparing the initial invoice. Accounts are only available by prior arrangement for equine and farm clients and payments can be made by cash, cheque or credit card. Standing orders or Bacs can be set up on request. Special discount schemes for equine clients exist when settling their account in full at time of consultation or visit. Account querys: If you have any question about your invoice please contact the accounts department within 7 days from receipt of the invoice. We reserve the right to persue unpaid fees in any manner we deem appropriate including civil proceedings. Any costs incurred collecting overdue accounts will be passed on to the debtor. These costs are legally binding as of government legislation effective from 8th August 2002. If you experience financial difficulties please discuss this matter prior to a consultation so that appropriate arrangements can be made. We reserve the right to withhold veterinary services from persistently slow payers and bad debtors and will give notice of this in writing. We reserve the right to charge interest at a rate of 2.5% per month on amounts remaining unpaid 30 days from the date of invoice. We will issue reminders for vaccinations when provided with the correct information by the client. We however do not take responsibility for any errors or omissions and it is the clients responsibility to ensure vaccinations are kept up to date. It remains the clients responsibility with an insured animal to maintain and document all correspondence as required by the insurance company and to inform us of any relevant issues, in particular limitations and exclusions. Prescriptions: Prescriptions are available on request from this practice. You may obtain relevant veterinary medicinal products from Penmellyn Veterinary Group or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. We prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products only following a clinical assessment of an animal under our care. A prescription may not be appropriate if an animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. Clients will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for an animal. Repeat Prescriptions: The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions and supply of relevant medicinal products every six month ,but this may vary with individual circumstances. The present standard charge for a repeat prescription examination can be obtained from the office during working hours. Discussion of Fees: Discussion of fees and related matters should take place, covering a range of reasonable treatment options and prognoses, and the likely charge so to ensure informed consent by the client. Estimates: Written estimates are available on request and will cover the approximate overall charge for any procedure or treatment including VAT, pre-and post-operative checks, any diagnostic tests but additional charges may arise if complications occur. If during the course of treatment it becomes evident that an estimate or limit set by a client is likely to be exceeded, every reasonable effort will be made to contact the client so that consent to the increase may be obtained. Website: Any articles, views, comments or statements on the Penmellyn Website are for general, non educational purposes only and do not intendto prejudice or replace a Veterinary consultation. If you do have any concernes about the wellbeing of your animal, please do Contact the practice for qualified advice or make an appointment for a consultation or visit.