Lagan Valley Vets Ltd

The following are our terms and conditions of business. By registering your animal with Lagan Valley Vets Ltd or requesting that we examine and provide veterinary treatment for your animal, you are deemed to have read and accepted our terms and conditions.

Definition of a client

A client is the person who requests veterinary attention for an
animal. The client is liable for the vet bill.

Registered Details

It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold, which will include name, address, home and mobile telephone numbers, email address and animal insurance details, if applicable, as well as maintaining complete clinical records. If your details change, please inform us so we can keep our records up to date

Small Animal Consultations

All routine consultations are by appointment only, during our advertised surgery hours. There will be a charge for all veterinary consultations. If you do not give us reasonable notice that you will be unable to attend an appointment, we reserve the right to charge for each missed appointment.

Small Animal Emergencies and Out-of-hours

We provide a 24 hour emergency service for all registered clients. Please telephone the normal surgery number –for the emergency number or browse our website. We will endeavour to see you at the surgery you usually attend. The charge for an out-of-hours consultation is considerably higher than during normal surgery hours, and emergency treatment and out-of-hours hospitalisation can be considerably more.

Guidance on when to phone out of hours

Please phone the emergency number if you believe your animal may need out of hours emergency treatment.This is not a number for making routine appointments or non emergency issues.

Overnight Hospitalisation

There is no vet or nurse ordinarily resident in either premise out-of-hours (overnight and at weekends). This is common practice in
veterinary clinics. If your pet is hospitalised out-of-hours they will
have regular checks by a vet and/or veterinary nurse and/or animal
care assistant, the frequency and nature of which will be dependent
on their condition.

Small Animal Home Visits

We are happy to examine your pet at home by arrangement, although the range of tests and treatment we can perform at home is limited. We can also visit out-of-hours for emergencies, if appropriate. The charge for an out-of-hours visit is considerably higher than a visit arranged during normal surgery hours.

Equine Visits

We are happy to visit individual premises and yards.Horses may be brought up to the yard at Taughlumny by arrangement only.This will avoid a call out fee. If horses belonging to different clients can be seen at the same time on a yard we will be able to reduce the charges for the visit. There must be a capable person present who can handle the horse for examination and treatment. We will also visit out-of-hours for emergencies. The charge for an out-of-hours visit is considerably higher than a visit arranged during normal surgery hours.

Large Animal / Farm Pricing

Our price list allows for business clients to purchase certain products at a discounted rate. The discounted rates are available if the client is on our direct debit scheme, where the discount is applied automatically, or when a client with no outstanding debt pays at the time of collection.

Standards of Care

Lagan Valley Vets Ltd aims to provide high quality veterinary services in accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Professional Conduct and the Practice Standards Scheme. We reserve the right to refuse treatment for animals belonging to clients who behave in a threatening or aggressive way to our staff, or who have an unauthorised outstanding debt with the practice. Consent.
Written signed consent for investigative tests, surgery, hospitalisation or treatment is required for all animals admitted to the practice. If we need to alter the agreed procedure(s) or treatment, we will make every effort to contact you and obtain verbal consent before proceeding. In an emergency, or if we cannot contact you, we reserve the right to proceed without consent, making decisions that we consider to be in the best interests of the animal

Prescriptions and Dispensing of Medication

You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines (POM-V) prescribed for your animal from Lagan Valley Vets Ltd, or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. There is a charge for providing a prescription. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or if immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medication that may be prescribed for your animal. Lagan Valley Vets Ltd can only prescribe POM-V medication for animals that are ‘under our care’, according to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines. However we can provide POM-V medications if presented with a prescription from another veterinary surgeon.

Repeat Prescriptions

It is necessary for both the welfare of your pet, and for the practice to meet the legal requirements of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, that animals receiving long term medications are regularly re-examined. The standard interval for medication checks is 3 months – if the condition has been recently diagnosed or is not stable it may be less than 3 months. Certain medications may be available on repeat prescription with checks every 6 months. We cannot dispense medication or provide prescriptions for pets or horses that have not been seen by one of our vets for longer than 6 months. A consultation or repeat examination fee will be charged for each medication check.
When requesting a repeat prescription, please allow 2 working days before collecting so that one of the vets can check your animals clinical records, the medication can be prepared, and one of the vets check the preparation again before it is dispensed. Return of unused drugs
We are happy to accept unused medications back into the practice for disposal only. However as drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale, no refund can be given. Drugs purchased from another supplier will not be accepted for disposal.

Clinical records

Your pet or horse’s clinical records remain the property of Lagan Valley Vets Ltd. and will be kept under the terms of the Data Protection Act (2018). You are entitled to see your records on request and if necessary an appropriate appointment to view them will be made.
We will, as a requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, contact any vet who has previously treated your animal to ask for a copy of your pet’s clinical records. Similarly, with your permission, we will release a copy of your pet or horse’s clinical records, or a summary of their treatment, to any veterinary practice making a request for this information because you have registered your animal elsewhere, for example moving to a new practice or seeking a second opinion. We reserve the right not to release such information where you have an outstanding debt with the practice.

Ownership of Radiographs and Other Documents

The care given to your animal may involve, for example, taking radiographs (xrays), performing ultrasound examinations or running blood tests. The fee charged for these services is for carrying out the investigations and interpreting the results. The resulting documents remain the property of, and will be retained by, Lagan Valley Vets Ltd. Copies of these documents may be available for inspection on request, but we are not obliged to release them to you.

Referrals

On occasion, we may recommend referral of your animal for specialist investigations or treatment. After discussion with you, we will send information about your pet or horse to the specialist centre including case notes, radiographs and blood test results. You will be responsible for the transfer of your animal, and for all fees charged by the specialist centre. On discharge from the specialist centre, Lagan Valley Vets Ltd will resume responsibility for your animals ongoing care, having been provided with a referral letter summarising the diagnosis and any treatment received.

Fees and Charges

Fees are made up of services (including consultations, visits, investigative tests, procedures, surgery and hospitalisation) and medication, drugs, food, consumables and other materials used to treat your animal. All are subject to VAT at the current rate. You may request a detailed invoice for every transaction.

Estimates of Treatment Costs

We are always happy to provide an estimate for routine procedures. We will also provide an approximate estimate for a course of treatment, investigative tests, more complex procedures, surgery or hospitalisation tailored for an individual animal, if requested.Please be aware that an estimate is only that, and that the actual cost may be more. The costs of unforeseen complications or unexpected conditions are not included in the estimate. If during a procedure or period of hospitalisation the costs appear likely to exceed the estimate, we will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible to explain the reason and obtain your permission to proceed.

Small Animal Payments

All fees are due at the time of treatment. Payment is expected immediately following a consultation or when your pet is discharged from the practice. All medication, drugs, food and other items must be paid for at the time of collection. This applies equally to out-ofhours treatment and home visits.

Farm Animal Payments

An invoice will be sent to registered business accounts clients at the end of the month following the visit. Payment is due on receipt of invoice. New clients will be requested to pay in advance or to provide proof of a method of payment. New business clients may only open an account on application to the management.

Methods of Payment

You may pay for your animals treatment using cash, a cheque with
a current banker’s card, or a credit card/debit card. Payment by
BACS can also be made to
Ulster Bank Ltd Sort Code 98-10-75 Account Number 22070016.

Inability to pay

If you anticipate having a problem with payment, please inform us before your consultation or visit. If you are likely to be unable to cover the costs of the estimate for a procedure as specified, please ask to discuss this as other options may be available. We will help where we can, but do not offer credit, are not a charity, and cannot provide reduced fees to those on benefits. Payment in full, part payment, or proof of a method of payment, may be requested before any treatment is given to animals belonging to clients with previous payment problems.

Unpaid accounts

Any invoice not settled within 30 days will be referred to Ian Moore MRCVS and a reminder issued. We reserve the right to charge interest on any invoice unpaid after 30 days. Any invoice remaining unpaid will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency or proceedings started to recover the debt through the Small Claims Court. This will incur further costs in respect of collecting the debt, phone calls, home visits, production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid will incur a £10 charge. We will not provide any further treatment for pets or horses belonging to clients who have an unauthorized outstanding debt with the practice.

Complaints

We hope that you never feel the need to complain about the standards of service received from Lagan Valley Vets Ltd. However, if you feel there is something that you are not happy with, please discuss it with the member of staff involved in the first instance. Alternatively, or if the problem is still not resolved to your satisfaction, put your complaint in writing addressed to Ian Moore MRCVS.
No addition to, or variation of, these terms and conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Ian Moore MRCVS. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, Lagan Valley Vets Ltd has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.