Dallance Farm, Breach Barns Lane, Waltham Abbey, EN9 2AD
01992 762 185
Terms & Conditions
The following details the Terms and Conditions for Galley Hil Veterinary Surgery. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required. We have provided below the important details that you should know before choosing us as your Veterinary Practice. This will enable you to understand our obligations to you and yours to us. When you request our services you and we are bound by the Terms and Conditions outlined below
1. EMERGENCY SERVICE
Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery provides a 24 hour veterinary service. Animals will only be seen out of hours after prior arrangement with the on call veterinary surgeon. The on call veterinary surgeon can be reached by ringing the practice on 01992 762 339.
2. FEES
Our professional fees are determined by the time spent on a case and the drugs, resources, materials, and consumables used. All fees, consumables and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. We are always happy to provide written estimates for any procedure should you require one, however please bear in mind that any estimate we give can only be approximate, as often an animal's illness will not follow a predictable or standard course.
3. METHODS OF PAYMENT and SETTLEMENT TERMS
Any new client will be expected to pay in full at the time of treatment
All hospital cases are asked to pay at collection unless other arrangements have been agreed with the practice manageress. If your pet is admitted to the hospital you may be asked to pay a deposit towards treatment within 24 hours of arrival.
You may settle your account using:
CASH, CREDIT/DEBIT CARD, ONLINE BANK (For American Express cards we charge a 1.5% fee). Payments by credit/debit card may be made by phone.
Treatment on account will only be available to established clients known to Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery and clients with a sound credit history. Payment is due within 14 days of the date of the invoice. An additional accounting fee of £15 in respect of administrative costs incurred will be charged on all invoices that remain unpaid after 1 month of the date of the invoice . We reserve the right to add this fee and interest to the account monthly until the account is cleared. Failure to pay the outstanding balance within 60 days of any treatment will result in referral to our debt collection agency and further charges will be levied in respect if costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.
4. INABILITY TO PAY
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your account, please immediately contact our Practice Manager to discuss the situation
5. TERMINATION OF SERVICE
You may ask us to stop caring for your animal at any time.
We may stop looking after your animals if you do not accept our advice; or fail to settle your account on time; or if we are prohibited by law from doing any further work on your matter; or if the relationship between you and us sadly breaks down; or if we no longer have the expertise. Under these circumstances we will serve notice in writing of imminent withdrawal of services. We reserve the right to charge an administrative fee for producing copies of clinical records.
6. ANIMAL HEALTH INSURANCE
Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery strongly supports the principle of insuring your animal against unexpected illness or accidents although we cannot give any recommendations regarding individual insurance companies. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account in accordance with these terms and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. It is possible to arrange for payment to be made direct to Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery when you complete your claim form, but if doing this a signed claims form must be handed in within 14 days after the start of the claim. We cannot guarantee that your insurance company will cover the costs of your animals treatment and you are therefore encouraged to contact the insurance company to verify cover before any treatment has been administered. Many policies insist on this and failing to do so will invalidate your policy
7. COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
We hope that you never have reason to complain about the standards of service received from Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance in writing to the Practice Manageress.
8. 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 their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery. We reserve the right to charge an administrative fee for producing copies of clinical records.
9. DATA PROTECTION
In holding and using data about you, we will comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
In instructing us to look after your horse, you authorise us to use that data in the course of the work that we do for you, and also to send you from time to time in the future, free of charge, details of the services that we provide. We will, where specifically required, pass on to Insurers details of clinical histories, case records and diagnostic images relating to your horse.
10. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to providing the same high quality service to all our clients, regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
11.HOME VISITS
The best place to examine and treat your pet is at the surgery but we do appreciate that there are circumstances where home visits are preferable. We will always try and accommodate requests for home visits during normal working hours. An additional charge for home visits will be made.
12. PRESCRIPTIONS
Our Veterinary Surgeon may prescribe Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POM-Vs) only for animals under his/her care. To comply with this law, the general policy of this practice is to reassess any animal requiring repeat prescriptions at a maximum interval of 6 MONTHS but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination is available on request as well as information on the prices of medicines. Prescriptions are available from this practice and you may obtain prescription only medicines from your Veterinary Surgeons or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another Veterinary Surgeon or pharmacy. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or immediate treatment is required.
13. NON-VARIATION
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice (Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery) unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one the practice partners.
No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice (Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery) has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way
14. REFERRAL and SECOND OPINIONS
The veterinary general practitioners at Galley Hill Veterinary Surgery are at the frontline of veterinary medicine.
Our services include consultations, physical examinations, health checks, vaccinations and preventative health care. Should any further care be required for your animal they will be referred to our main branch VETCall Veterinary Surgery where diagnostic procedures such as digital radiology, ultrasound, endoscopy, ECG, laboratory, clinical and medical techniques, dental and surgical procedures can be performed.
Sometimes however we may feel that a particular case would benefit by seeing someone with greater experience or training in a particular discipline or one with more specialised equipment. In these cases we will offer the client the chance to have their pet seen by a specialist at a referral centre or university. We believe this is in the best interests of the pet. We work as a team with the veterinary specialist who will take over the case. We will resume the preventative and regular care once the pet has overcome its injury or illness. It is practice policy to encourage clients to seek a second opinion if the situation demands it. We can recommend a number of referral centres, including private and university centres, and we will make the clinical records and any images or lab tests relevant to the case available to the referral practice.
15. FEEDBACK
We are always pleased to receive feedback on the service we have provided - please send to the practice manager.