The Vet Health Centre Ltd, trading as Daisy Street Veterinary Centre
Terms and Conditions of Business
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Daisy Street Veterinary Centre. This document details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of these terms may not be relevant to you. If you require any further explanation or clarification, please do not hesitate to ask.
FEES
All fees, diets and drugs include VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and the costs of the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used.
You will receive a detailed breakdown of charges for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us when payment is made.
METHOD OF PAYMENT
Accounts are due for settlement on the same day that the consultation, surgical procedure or investigation takes place. All diets, drugs and waiting room sales must be paid for before they are removed from the premises.
You may pay using one of the following methods:
Cash
Credit or debit card (excluding American Express)
Bank transfer
ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS
We will happily provide a written estimate of the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate can only be approximate, as every pet is an individual and illnesses do not always follow a predictable course.
SETTLEMENT TERMS
Payment is due at the time of the consultation, procedure or transaction.
If an account is not settled immediately, a reminder will be sent within 14 days. Further reminders may be sent at two-week intervals.
Please note that we may apply statutory interest and collection costs in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002 to all overdue accounts.
If a debt remains unpaid in full after reminders have been issued and additional charges have been applied, it may be passed on to a debt collection agency and/or a claim may be submitted through the Small Claims Court.
Any further charges incurred in recovering the debt will also be levied. These may include the costs of producing reports, correspondence, court fees, court attendance, telephone calls and home visits.
Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured or any counterfeit money tendered will result in the account being restored to the original outstanding amount, with additional costs applied in respect of bank charges and administrative expenses, together with interest on the principal sum.
INABILITY TO PAY
If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask that you discuss the matter with a member of staff as soon as possible.
You will not be allowed to take any medication (unless essential for the welfare of your pet) or goods without payment. A higher consultation fee may be charged to cover the additional costs associated with non-payment.
You will be asked to complete a payment form, which will require proof of address and specific details of any proposed payment arrangement.
Please note that instalments (a maximum of four) or part-payments can only be authorised with the express permission of one of the directors. If you fail to keep to an agreed payment arrangement, further costs may be incurred.
PET HEALTH INSURANCE
Daisy Street Veterinary Centre strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents.
Please ask any member of staff for further information about pet insurance.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account with us and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company.
Please note that we cannot advise on specific insurance policies or companies, as these matters are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
RECORDING
No audio, video or photographic recordings may be made on the premises without the express permission of the individuals involved. This is to respect individuals' rights to privacy and comply with applicable data protection requirements, including GDPR.
COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
We hope that you will never have cause to complain about the standard of service you receive from Daisy Street Veterinary Centre.
However, if you have any concerns or wish to make a complaint, please direct your comments in the first instance to a member of our team.
DATA PROTECTION
We collect personal data directly from staff and clients. We store personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. This information is required to identify individual clients and enable us to provide services for them and their pets.
This data may be shared with external laboratories, referral practices, other veterinary practices, insurance companies, vaccine companies and our practice management software provider.
Please see our Privacy Statement for further details.
We use this information to send vaccination and treatment reminders by letter, telephone and email.
OWNERSHIP OF RADIOGRAPHS AND SIMILAR RECORDS
The care given to your animal may involve carrying out specific investigations, for example, taking radiographs (X-rays).
We charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results. However, ownership of the records (e.g. the radiographs themselves) remains with the practice.
Copies of your pet's clinical history will be provided, upon request, to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case, together with copies of radiographs where required.
No addition to or variation of these conditions will be binding on the practice unless specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the directors.
No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
The Vet Health Centre Ltd.
Registered in England No. 06556557.
Registered address: The Veterinary Health Centre, Daisy Street, Blackburn, BB1 5EW.
Directors: S. V. Hird and W. J. Davies.