updated July 2023
Thank you for entrusting your pet’s care to the team at Green Vets.
We are committed to providing the highest standards of care for our patients and to communicating fully with you.
This document sets out our practice Terms and Conditions which, together with the information on our website, hopes to answer any questions you may have.
If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact us directly and we will be happy to help.
Appointments
Consultations are by appointment only, which can be made by telephoning us at 01904 393 393 during normal opening hours.
Monday – Friday: 8am to 6pm Saturday: 9am to 1pm
Missed Appointments
We understand that there will be occasions where due to unforeseen circumstances, clients are unable to attend their appointment. Please let us know as soon as possible that you will not be able to attend so that we can reschedule and use that time for another animal in need of treatment. If you miss your appointment, this time is wasted and cannot be used to see other patients. Missed appointments also result in a direct loss of income to us and you will be charged £24 for missed vet appointments and £12 for missed nurse appointments.
Late appointments
When you make an appointment, we set aside time exclusively for you and your pet, and if you are late for your appointment, we may not be able to give you the full time originally set aside for you in consideration of the schedule of the clients who are next. If you arrive after the end of your scheduled time, we may not be able to see you at all at that time.
Informed Consent
Consent for any medical or surgical procedure including euthanasia can only be given by a person over 18 years of age. Clients are also requested that animals must not be brought to the surgery by children under 16 years of age even when in possession of a validly signed consent form. Similarly, we are unable to discharge an animal into the care of a minor.
24/7 Emergency Care
We are proud to be able to operate an in-house out-of-hours service for our registered clients, so if you are concerned about your pet outside of our normal opening hours, please call our telephone number 01904 393 393 to speak to the duty vet or nurse.
The duty vet or nurse will be able to advise you over the phone and go through a range of questions to decide if your pet needs urgent attention. As a result, the duty vet may ask you to bring your pet to the surgery at Green Lane at a specific time.
The fee for an out-of-hours advice call is £20. The emergency call-out consultation fee varies from £150 to £200, depending on the time of day. There will be additional costs for procedures and medication.
In exceptional circumstances, where we are unable to provide the emergency service at our Green Lane Surgery, emergencies will be directed to Swift Emergency, Unit 706 Ave E West, Wetherby LS23 7GA.
Client Waiting Area
Owners are responsible for keeping their pets under control whilst in the waiting room area. Dogs must be kept on appropriate leads; cats in secure cat baskets; and small pets in a secure carrier. A dedicated cat/small pet waiting area is provided, and we can provide covers for cat baskets – please ask our team on reception. Please return these to the consulting vet/nurse so they can be laundered for re-use. We please ask that dogs are always kept away from cats and other small animals to help keep their stress levels to a minimum.
Please note that some dogs, in particular those wearing a yellow ribbon or bandana, need space. In the interests of personal safety, clients should not approach animals that they do not know without the express permission of their owner.
Home Visits
Where necessary we can arrange to visit your pet at home. This will incur an additional charge based on the time taken to travel to and from the property, the number of employees required to attend, and the time of the visit. Whilst we can visit in an emergency, under these circumstances many pets benefit from being brought to the surgery where a comprehensive range of equipment is available to deal with the situation which has arisen.
Vaccinations
We will issue reminders for vaccinations when provided with the correct information by the client, however, we do not take any responsibility for any errors or omissions and it is the clients’ responsibility to ensure vaccinations are kept up to date.
Inpatient Care
If your pet needs to stay with us for the day, or overnight, they will receive the highest standards of inpatient care. At admission, a vet or nurse will discuss and record your pet’s nutrition, any allergies or intolerances, and any other special requirements on a record sheet.
All inpatients have an individual care plan with bespoke checks, including through the night. They have a full assessment both morning and evening. Veterinary assessments can be ongoing throughout the day and/or night, with intensive care, continuous monitoring, and administration of medications provided as necessary by the on-call team, depending on each patient’s individual medical requirements.
Fees
Consultation fees are based on 20-minute-long appointments. All fees, diets, and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by our current consultation fees, the time spent on a patient’s case, and according to the drugs, materials, and consumables used. A detailed statement is available on request for every consultation, investigation, surgical procedure, or other transaction with us.
No drugs or food will be dispensed without payment.
Estimate of Treatment Costs
At the time of consultation and/or admission, we can provide a written estimate on request regarding the expected costs of investigations, a surgical procedure, or course of treatment. Please be aware that due to the unpredictable nature of clinical work, any estimate given can only be approximate. The final invoice may be above or below the original estimate, depending on the clinical circumstances. We will always endeavour to keep clients fully informed if costs are likely to exceed the estimate, however, in an emergency this may not always be possible. By signing the practice consent forms in relation to those animals undergoing in-patient procedures, services, or operations it is deemed that consent has been given for administration of immediate treatment to prevent pain or suffering should the need arise where a client is not contactable.
Payment Terms
Payment is required at the time of the consultation, the discharge of your pet, or upon collection of drugs/diets. You may pay using cash or credit/debit card (we do not accept cheques or American Express).
If for any reason you are concerned about settling your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter prior to any work being undertaken with a member of staff.
Only in exceptional circumstances, and only by prior agreement with the directors, can payment be taken in instalments. Prior consent for deferred settlement will also need to be obtained where the treatment is subject to an insurance claim.
Queries regarding invoices must be raised within 7 days.
If an account is not settled within 30 days, then a reminder will be sent. If an account fails to be settled after 60 days, we refer to our debt recovery provider. This may result in a county court judgment.
Complaints
Here at Green Vets, we are committed to providing excellent service and the highest standards of patient care. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve is by listening and responding to the views of our clients this includes responding positively on the occasions when expectations are not met. We hope that we will always be given the opportunity to address any concerns, most of which can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and directly with the person concerned.
If you have encountered any problems with our services, please let us know:
- In the first instance, tell the person in charge of your pet’s care – they may be able to resolve your concern there and then.
- If they are unavailable, please discuss your concerns with any member of our team who will be only too happy to help – we would much rather talk to you about it now
- Alternatively, you are welcome to write to us. Please address all correspondence to one of our Directors, Rob Douwes or Anne Busch at:
Green Vets
71 Green Lane
Acomb
YO24 3DJ
In order for us to process your concern as quickly as possible, it would be helpful to provide the following information:
- Your name, address, and convenient contact telephone and email
- The name of your pet
- The date on which you last attended the clinic.
- A brief description of your concerns
- A summary of what in your opinion we can do to best deal with your concerns.
In general, if you have a concern, it is best to raise it as soon as possible – this will make it easier for us to investigate and resolve any matters, which are still ongoing.
If any of our staff were involved, it would be helpful if you can provide us with their names
In the event your complaint is relating to a Referral treatment that was not provided by our staff we would ask you to first direct the complaint to the relevant service provider. If you are not sure whether or not this was the case, please ask any of the practice staff and we can quickly clarify to whom the complaint should be directed. We would also appreciate it if you could keep us updated on the outcome.
We will treat any point you raise in confidentiality. Upon receiving your letter, we will aim to contact you to find out more. Please let us know the most convenient time to contact you. We may need to investigate the matter further before being able to reach a conclusion; if that is the case we will do our best to look into it as quickly as possible and will reply to you as soon as we are able.
In normal circumstances, we would aim to have addressed your complaint within 14 days of receiving it.
Escalation:
If you feel that the matter remains unresolved, then you can contact:
The Veterinary Client Mediation Service by writing to: www.vetmediation.co.uk
If you feel that your complaint has not been appropriately addressed by the mediation service, then you can contact: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons by writing to:
Professional Conduct Departments
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons,
Belgravia House
62-64 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AF
Pet Health Insurance
Pet health insurance against illness or injury can help alleviate the worry of meeting vet bills, particularly when referral to a specialist becomes necessary. It is advisable to consider the type and level of cover required as there are multiple formulations of benefits available.
Since insurance policies are a contract between you and your chosen provider, accounts should be settled in full with the practice and then reclaimed by you from your insurance company. If your insurance company requires the practice’s input to complete the insurance claims form, you will need to provide a claims form to our receptionist, and this will be completed in due course and as quickly as is possible. We do not routinely charge for this service; however, we reserve the right to charge a fee should the complexity of the claim increase the administrative time required.
Whilst many insurance companies offer a direct claim facility, we are currently only able to facilitate this in exceptional circumstances and with the express permission of the Practice Directors. If this is granted there will be specific terms relating to this and these would be advised to you before any claim is initiated. We will only allow direct insurance claims if they are processed by us, not by the clients themselves. We charge a £20 administration fee for all direct insurance claims, to reflect the additional administrative and processing time these claims represent.
Prescriptions
Animals with ongoing illnesses need to be reassessed at regular intervals by a veterinary surgeon, this is to ensure that the best results are achieved for your pet and that compliance with the relevant veterinary medicines legislation is achieved.
The interval between re-examination appointments will vary dependent on the condition, the stage of the disease, together with any specific requirements set out by manufacturers for monitoring certain medications. It is our practice policy that our patients are clinically examined by a veterinary surgeon at least every 6 months, however, for some conditions, a shorter interval may be deemed more appropriate by the prescribing veterinary surgeon. Please note that if you call to order a repeat prescription and we need to check your pet, we will need to book an appointment before the treatment is dispensed. There is a consultation fee for a medication re-examination.
All repeat prescriptions including written prescriptions will be issued for a maximum of 6 months’ supply, with the exception of controlled drugs which can only be a maximum of 28 days, and preventative treatments (e.g. flea and worming products) which may be purchased for up to 12 months. Please note each case will be based on the veterinary surgeon’s knowledge and clinical judgment of the individual case.
When requesting a repeat prescription of a drug for your pet, please give 48 hours’ notice to allow a veterinary surgeon to check your pet’s records and to ensure that prescribing the medication remains appropriate.
Written prescriptions for veterinary medicines are available upon request. These can only be authorised by our veterinary surgeons and are restricted to animals under their care. There is a charge for this service which covers the professional time taken for your vet to authorise the requested medication, provide dosage advice and maintain the required medical records for your pet.
Refunds on Medication
Please note that due to veterinary medicines legislation regarding strict storage policy for veterinary drugs, we are unable to offer a refund for any returned food or medication.
We are happy to dispose of any left-over medication that was prescribed by our clinic, through our clinical waste process.
Ownership of Records
The care given to your animal may involve making some specific 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 and will be retained by us. Case history records, radiographs, and similar documents are the property of and will be retained by us. On request, copies of clinical history will be sent to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
Your Data
We hold records of your name, address, telephone number, and email address, together with details of your pet(s). Further details on how we store and use your data can be found in our Privacy Notice on our website.
Contacting you
Data protection law and PECR do not stop us from telling our clients important information that they need to know as part of their relationship with us.
This type of communication is often referred to as a ‘service message’. It covers messages that are not promotional but are for administrative or customer services purposes, such as messages to reminding you that your pet’s vaccination boosters against serious disease are due.
Other communications we need to send you to deliver our services include financial statements and invoices, updates to our terms and conditions, changes to our opening times and emergency care arrangements, and pre-anaesthetic instructions should your pet be scheduled for surgery.
We will never send you unsolicited marketing emails without obtaining your explicit prior consent.
Full details on how we process your data can be found on our website: https://thegreenvets.uk/privacy-policy/
Our Staff
We are committed to providing a work environment that is free from harassment, bullying, intimidation, violence, or abuse and we will not tolerate any behaviour which is contrary to this.
If our staff reasonably believe that you are acting in an inappropriate manner we reserve the right to: (a) require you to leave the Practice; (b) suspend the provision of the Services; (c) contact the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and security of our staff, other clients, animals, and property; and (d) terminate your account.
Nurse consults
There are times when your pet can be seen by a veterinary nurse rather than a veterinary surgeon. For this, we have introduced a nurse consult fee of £20. Nurses can give advice on worm and flea treatment, help if your pet needs to lose weight, empty anal glands, clip nails, give some vaccinations, remove sutures, and perform post-op checks. They cannot diagnose illness or prescribe medications, so if you feel your pet is unwell, an appointment with a vet should be scheduled instead.
Pricing
We operate a transparent pricing policy. Itemised invoices and receipts are available on request. We endeavour to give specific estimates for proposed procedures, but due to the nature of some procedures, it is not possible to be precise about the final cost of treatment. We will make every effort to contact you and obtain your consent for additional medication and treatment if it becomes clear that this is necessary for the successful completion of the agreed procedure.
Our aim is to price responsibly and fairly so that all our clients have access to high-quality veterinary treatment for their pets. Like all businesses, we are subject to price rises from our suppliers. To reflect these costs, we generally update our prices every 6 months tracking current inflation.
Social Media
Any articles, views, comments, or statements on Green Vets website or Social Media platform are for general, educational purposes only and do not intend to prejudice or replace a veterinary consultation. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your pet please do contact the practice for qualified advice or make an appointment for a consultation.
Variation of Terms
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Practice 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.