Practice terms & conditions
Terms & Conditions of Business
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to STAR Vets. This document details our Practice Terms and Conditions.
By registering your pet/pets with the practice you agree that you have read and understood our conditions of business and agree to be bound by them. Should you require any clarification of any aspect of the terms, then please ask.
Registering your Pet
By registering your pet/pets with the practice you agree that you have read and understood our conditions of business and agree to be bound by them. Should you require any clarification of any aspect of the terms, then please ask.
You are welcome to call our reception team to register your pet with us and make an appointment to see a member of our Veterinary or Nursing Team.
Clients referred by another Veterinary practice to our referral rehabilitation, pain management or sports medicine services can also phone our reception team to register their pet; alternatively, your local Vet can make a referral by emailing us a completed Referral Request Form, available on our referrals page. Your local Vet will also need to ensure that they send us your pet’s medical history and any relevant imaging.
All General Practice and Referral clients will have an initial consultation, during which further procedures or treatment will be discussed in detail. It is not possible to book your pet in for a specific procedure or treatment without an initial consultation with a member of our Veterinary team. Fees will be charged for your consultation and for any further procedures or treatments.
If you wish to discuss potential costs in more detail, either prior to or following your consultation, please contact us directly on 01530 270170.
Fee Levels
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a patient’s case and according to the drugs, materials and consumables used. A detailed statement can be provided for every consultation, investigation, surgical procedure, or other transaction with us if requested. No drugs or food will be dispensed without payment.
Estimate of Treatment Costs
We are happy to provide a written estimate regarding the expected costs of investigations, a surgical procedure or course of treatment if you request one. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, as a result of the unpredictable nature of clinical work. The final invoice may be above or below the original estimate, depending upon clinical circumstances. Where possible we will keep clients updated if costs are likely to exceed the original estimate, although in a clinical emergency this may not always be possible.
Settlement Terms
Payment will be expected, in full, at the time of consultation, on discharge of your pet or on collection of drugs/diets. Cash, cheques, debit and credit cards are acceptable.
Should an account not be settled a reminder will be sent. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, administration charges will be incurred. After due notice, unpaid accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges, such as for the production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court and phone calls will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt. While it is our policy to co-operate with our clients whenever possible, if payment is not made in accordance with our terms, then debts will be escalated for further action which may include referral to the County Court to issue proceedings
Any cheque or credit/debit card transaction not honoured, or any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the account being restored to the original sum with further charges added to cover 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 as soon as possible with the Practice Manager and before treatment takes place. Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of the Clinical Director or Practice Manager.
Pet Insurance and Direct Claims
We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against illness or accidents and we will always submit indirect insurance claims promptly to ensure you are reimbursed as quickly as possible. We do not allow direct claims unless sanctioned with the express permission of the Clinical Director. However, in the case of direct claims, please be aware that it remains your responsibility to settle your account within 30 days from submission of the claim, if we have not received payment from your insurance company.
Agreement of a direct claim does not transfer liability of fees incurred to the practice. If at any point the insurer refuses payment for a direct claim, you will still be fully liable for all costs incurred. The insurance policy is a private agreement between you and the insurer.
Written Prescriptions
Prescriptions are available from the Clinic. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, (POM Vs) directly from us as prescribed by the Veterinary Surgeon in charge of your pet’s care, or you may ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another Veterinary Surgeon or pharmacy. Your Veterinary Surgeon may prescribe POM-Vs only for animals under their care. A prescription may not be appropriate, however, if your animal is an in-patient or where immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal. A reasonable charge is made for formulating and supplying a written prescription.
We strongly advise the regular use of routine anti-parasitic medication. Many of these products are POMVs and legally we are only able to dispense such products without the need of an examination when an animal has been examined by a Veterinary Surgeon in the last 12 months. We may therefore, be required to examine your pet prior to dispensing. To assist our clients, when the patient is just examined for the purpose of dispensing routine anti-parasitic treatment there is no charge for the consultation. However, should a clinical condition for which treatment is necessary arise out of that examination then a consultation fee will be incurred at this time.
Repeat Prescriptions
The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every six months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for a medication re-examination is available on request. We kindly request that, wherever possible, you give 48 hours’ notice for repeat orders of either medication or prescription food.
Ownership of Clinical Record and Diagnostic Images
(including radiographs and scans)
We work in accordance with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines i.e.
- Clinical and client records, including radiographic images and similar documents, are the property of, and should be retained by STAR Vets in the interests of animal welfare and for our own records. In the event of supersession, second opinion or referral, copies with a relevant clinical history will be passed on request to a Veterinary Surgeon taking over or seeing the case.
Concerns and Standards
We aim to offer the highest standards of patient and client care at all times, and as such we hope that you never feel that you need to complain about the standards of service received from us. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to bring to our attention, please speak to a member of reception in the first instance. Our Practice Manager will assist with any issues that remain unresolved and, where appropriate, they will escalate the matter to Clinical Director.
As a veterinary business, our Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Nurses must comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct. If you have concerns relating to the professional conduct of a staff member and have not been able to resolve it with STAR Vets directly, you can contact the RCVS on their website www.rcvs.org.uk for further details of how to register a complaint.
Client Data and Confidentiality
The General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1999 give anyone the right to be informed about any personal data relating to themselves on payment of an administration charge. At the request of a client we will provide copies of relevant clinical records, including any clinical records we have acquired from the referring practice. Please be advised that for training and monitoring purposes, telephone calls may be recorded.
Variations in Terms and Conditions of Business
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by the Clinical Director. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with The STAR Animal Rehabilitation or Wellness Clinic Ltd has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.