Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice. This statement details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if needed. 

Ownership of Records 

Case records including radiographs and similar documents remain the property of Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice. Copies of a summary of the history will be passed on by request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. 

Ownership of Radiographs and Similar 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 the results, ownership of the resulting record, for example, a radiograph remains the property of the Practice. 

Out-of-Hours Emergencies 

The Practice provides an out-of-hours service for emergencies in partnership with out of hours care providers. They are separate practices, independent of Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice. They can be accessed by telephoning us as normal and the call will diverted automatically if we are closed.  

Hospitalised Animals Out-of-Hours 

Animals which are hospitalised at Hunters Lodge outside normal working hours are checked and treated according to their clinical needs but not necessarily continuously monitored. High-dependency cases may be transferred to Rowly House Vets or referred to a specialist for continuous monitoring if required; in this circumstance you may be asked to arrange transport for your pet. 

Treatment Costs 

We will happily provide a written estimate as 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. 

Fees 

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. A detailed breakdown of fees is available for every transaction with us.  We reserve the right to charge for missed appointments.  

Methods of Payment 

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the collection of your pet or on collection of diets/drugs. You may settle your account using: 

CASH , CREDIT/DEBIT CARD - Switch, Solo, MasterCard, Visa, Delta. Sorry we do not accept American Express or Diners Cards. 

Settlement Terms 

Payment is due at the time of provision of services or oat the point of ordering for products/medication. We reserve the right to charge an additional fees for the administrative time and debt collection. After due notice to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to a debt collecting agency and further charges will be levied in respect of  collecting the debt. Any cheque returned by our Bank as unpaid, any Card payment not processed or cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit may also result in further charges being added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs. 

Inability to Pay 

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter, ideally in advance, or 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 a Partner.  

Pet Health Insurance 

Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. We are not qualified to provide financial advice on individual insurance policies. If your pet is insured, you have consented to us providing that insurance company with a copy of your animal’s clinical history on request. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim fees from your Insurance Company. Some insurance claims we may, solely at our discretion, choose to settle directly with an insurance company. This is not an automatic right and we reserve the right to charge a fee for this service. In this event you may be required to pay a deposit up front and will remain liable for any and all outstanding fees not settled by the insurance company. 

Missed Appointments

We reserve the right to charge a fee for missed appointments or operations in certain circumstances. This will always be less than or equal to the cost of the service missed.

Zero Tolerance

The practice supports a zero tolerance policy against any abuse, verbal or physical, directed towards any members of staff. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) defines work-related violence as: “Any incident, in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work”. Violence and aggression towards a person may also be defined as: “A physical contact with another person which may or may not result in pain or injury. The contact is uninvited and is an attempt to cause harm, injury or to intimidate. Non-physical aggression includes the use of language which causes offence or threatens the safety of a member of staff”.

Removal from the Practice list

We value and respect good client relationships based on mutual respect and trust but if any of our team is subjected to any abuse - verbal or physical, we will withdraw our services with 7 days notice. Non payment of fees without an agreed repayment plan can also result in us withdrawing services.  We reserve the right to withdraw services without notice where there is a concern for the safety of our staff.

Complaints and Standards 

We hope that you never feel the need to complain about the standards of service received from Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please follow our Complaints Policy.

Name of company

Hunters Lodge Veterinary Practice

Registered office

1 Mapledrakes Road,

Ewhurst,

Surrey,

GU6 7RG

VAT no.

679848158