FEES AND TERMS OF BUSINESS
Welcome to Andy the Vet & Friends, a proudly independent companion animal veterinary practice based in Storrington. We offer comprehensive whole life veterinary care for all ages and breeds and for small pets too! Care is delivered by a highly experienced team in surroundings that are modern and welcoming.
Thank you for entrusting the veterinary care of your companion(s) to us, we know these aren’t decisions you take lightly and it is very much appreciated.
This document sets out our standard terms and conditions of business. Please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff should you require further explanation regarding the way we operate, we will be only too happy to help.
Fees
All charges made in respect of services, medications, retail products and diets are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate. (Currently 20%).
Fees are determined by the amount of time taken to deliver our services, together with the drugs, materials, consumables and specialist equipment required. A fully itemised invoice will be generated for any consultation, surgical procedure or other transaction made with us.
Taking our environmental responsibilities seriously it is practice policy that the invoice will be available in ‘electronic’ form and can be emailed to you prior to payment, however a printed copy will be made available on request.
Methods of Payment
Being a new business with significant overheads unfortunately we are unable to offer accounts or terms to clients under any circumstance. We therefore require payment in full at the time of consultation or upon the discharge of you pet from the practice following hospitalisation. Medications, diets or retail products will not be dispensed/issued without full payment.
Payment can be made by credit or debit card (with the exception of American Express) as well as digital payment methods such as Apple Pay.
We DO NOT accept cash.
We have reluctantly made the decision to be a cashless business due to the lack of local banking support.
If accounts remain unpaid after treatment we will make contact with you via email phone or PetsApp to advise of the balance owing and to request payment. Should an account remain outstanding after 14 days have passed from the time of discharge/consultation, a reminder letter will be sent and an additional administration charge of £20 (excl VAT) levied.
After due notice we may refer any overdue accounts to debt collection or credit reference agencies. Any additional charges incurred in the collection and administration of the debt such as the cost of court fees or correspondence will be added to your account.
All outstanding balances remaining due one month or more after treatment will be subject to monthly interest charges as detailed on the invoice until the balance is cleared.
Inability to pay
We hope you understand that being a ‘fledgling’ business we are unable to offer payment plans at this time.
If for any reason you are unable to settle your account, please discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staffso we may be able to assist in any way we can.
Carefree Credit
At Andy the vet & friends we are able to offer clients a range of payment options from Carefree Credit from 0% APR upwards depending on circumstances. All applications are online and decisions instantaneous. Applications are subject to status and require a full credit check.
Estimates
We will provide a written estimate of the likely cost of treatment based on any procedures, tests or medication anticipated at the time of examination. Please note we cannot always foresee the complexity of a procedure or the progression of a disease at the time of consultation.
Where such complications arise we will contact you as soon as is practicable so that supplementary consent can be obtained and the associated costs discussed. If we are unable to make contact or it is deemed inappropriate to do so on welfare/safety grounds, the veterinary surgeon will act in the best interests of your companion and the invoiced reflect this accordingly.
Insurance
We strongly support the principle of insuring your companion against unexpected illnesses or accidents. Although we are not permitted to recommend specific companies or policies, we would be only too happy to discuss the options for you to consider.
We reserve the right to charge a small fee to process insurance claims as there is time and expertise involved in doing so.
Please note it remains your responsibility to settle your account with us directly at the time of treatment/discharge and subsequently reclaim monies owed from your insurance provider.
Direct Insurance Claims
In exceptional circumstances we will consider requests to process claims for veterinary fees directly from your insurance company. This will be at the discretion of the Director and will only be granted after preauthorisation has been obtained from the insurer.
Upon acceptance we will require all necessary documentation to be completed, together with payment of the following at the time of discharge:-
• Your policy excess.
• Any copayment detailed by the policy.
• A non returnable fee of £40 inc VAT (to cover the cost of administration must be paid at the time of discharge.)
Any balance left after settlement of the direct claim will remain the responsibility of the insured.
Written Prescriptions
In line with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidance you may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, ( POM-V) from your veterinary surgeon OR request a written prescription to obtain such medicines from another practice or pharmacy.
We are happy to offer written prescriptions for POM-V medications should you chose to purchase such medications elsewhere.
A prescription may not be appropriate when immediate treatment is required or in the case of hospitalised patients. You will be informed on request of the price of any medication that may be dispensed.
By law we can only prescribe POM-V s to animals deemed to be under our care and after a clinical assessment has been undertaken. It is our interpretation that the mandatory clinical assessment described will take the form of a physical examination conducted by a veterinary surgeon.
In the interests of animal welfare and to satisfy RCVS ‘Under Care’ guidance, any animal requiring repeat prescriptions for POM-Vs will require re examination by a veterinary surgeon
at least once every six months depending on the condition and at the veterinary surgeon’s discretion. This is extended to 12 months for anti parasiticide POM-Vs and therefore if you attend the practice for vaccination we will be happy to prescribe such medications for a period of 12 months.
Examination will allow the veterinary surgeon to review your pet’s medical condition, discuss any new medications which may be appropriate and check for any issues relating to long term treatment. It also provides an opportunity to discuss any other concerns you may have regarding your companion’s health.
We charge a fee for written prescriptions in line with RCVS guidance.
A price list relating to of the 10 most commonly prescribed medications is available on request.
Out of Hours Emergencies
Being a small practice with limited sources, unfortunately we are unable to operate our own out of hours emergency service. Instead, in the first instance, we offer complementary access to a veterinary triage service, Vidivet, offering help and advice for you and your pets when you need it most. Vidivet work directly with us, so that if you have any concerns you know if it is a true emergency and need to be seen immediately or if it can wait until we re open.
In addition we have an arrangement with a local emergency provider ‘24 Hour Vetcare’ based at Arthur Lodge in Horsham to offer physical care outside of our working hours. ‘Andy the vet’ is not responsible for, nor has any influence regarding any charges levied or the service delivered by them. You will be bound by the ‘24 Hour Vetcare’ terms and conditions when using their service.
We receive no commission for the referral of our clients to ‘24 Hour Vetcare’.
Please refer to our website for further information regarding our out of hours provision.
Ownership of records
Clinical records including radiographs, ultrasound images and other similar documents remain the property of, and will be retained by Andy the vet & friends. Copies of these records together with a summary of the history can be forwarded to another veterinary surgeon on request should you no longer wish to use our service, require referral or request a second opinion. We will only do so with your express permission.
Although we charge a fee to obtain and interpret diagnostic images such as x-rays and ultrasound, ownership remains the property of and will be retained by Andy the vet & friends.
Referral and second opinions
Andy the vet & friends is a first opinion veterinary practice. As such we endeavour to undertake the majority of the care required for the treatment of our patients, however, where we need specialist imaging, treatment, prolonged hospitalisation or it is felt treatment would be better provided by an expert in the field, we will recommend referring your pet to a multi disciplinary veterinary hospital or RCVS Recognised Specialist for the provision of that care.
Second opinions
Should you wish to seek a second opinion from a different veterinary surgeon we will liaise with the appointed practice in order to provide a clinical summary and case records as required.
Data Protection
Andy the vet & friends will store your personal information, which will be used solely for the benefit of your pet when in our care, and to improve standards of preventative medicine for example by allowing us to remind you when vaccines or anti- parasiticides are due. We will also keep you up to date with practice news and offers.
We are committed to respecting your privacy and take the protection of your personal data seriously and to that end have installed comprehensive cyber protection measures to keep it safe.
If you do not wish to be contacted by us for any or all of the purposes mentioned above please make your preferences known to our reception team.
Your details will never be passed to a third party without your express permission except for debt collection purposes.
Patient Photographs
We may, on occasion, use photographs of your companion for educational or promotional purposes. We will always request your permission before they are used in any promotional material and will ensure that their name is not associated with the image unless you have expressly agreed to us doing so.
Feedback/ Complaints
At Andy the vet & friends we promise to provide the highest standards of care to our patients whilst in addition delivering excellence in customer care.
We hope you never have cause to complain, however where we fall short of this promise we would prefer to hear from you as soon as issues arise so we can be given the opportunity to put things right immediately and improve our service in the future.
In the first instance please tell us in person by raising your concerns with the vet in charge of your companion’s care. If you feel uncomfortable in doing so, please discuss with another member of staff so that the concern can be discussed with management at the earliest opportunity.
Subsequently, if we are unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, please email feedback@andythevet.co.uk or write to us providing as much detail as possible at the following address:-
Andy the vet Ltd, Unit 7 Robell Way, Storrington, West Sussex RH20 3DW. Full details of our complaints policy is available on request.
About our company
Andy the vet & friends is the trading name of Andy-the-Vet Ltd (ATV) Registered company number 14661153 incorporated in England and Wales. The sole director of ATV is Andy Mead.
Variation in terms
No addition of variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is agreed in writing and sanctioned by the Director. No person employed or under contact with the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.