Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Margetts & Associates. We at Margetts & Associates Ltd are governed by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD). We aim to provide the highest standards of veterinary care. This letter details our practice Terms & Conditions.  Some aspects of the Terms & Conditions may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

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.  Our written fee is available on request.  You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

Prescriptions

You may ask for a prescription for any prescription only medicine from us for which we make a charge.  You can get the medicine at any other source.  There will be a charge for a prescription   Animals requiring ongoing medication will have to be examined at least every six months and a consultation charge will be made for six monthly examinations.

Medicines

As a licensed supplier of veterinary medicines, we are unable to offer a refund for all medications as these goods cannot be offered for resale. This regulatory law exists to ensure the safety of your pet, as the returned medicines may have been subject to improper storage conditions or tampered with. However, we are happy to dispose of medication safely for you.

Repeat Medications

When you request a repeat prescription for your pet, we can only supply the medication if:

• The Veterinary Surgeon caring for your pet has authorised the repeat prescription.
• Your pet has been seen by one of our Veterinary surgeons within a specific time scale dependant on the drug category.

There will be a charge for such repeat prescription to cover the time, responsibility and professional insurance costs involved.

Methods of Payment

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of every consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection or drugs/diets.  You may settle the account using: Cash, or Credit/Debit card.

Estimates of treatment costs

We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate – often pet’s illness will not follow conventional course.

Settlement Terms

All accounts should be settled at the time of treatment.  Any Credit card payment not honoured and any Cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original sum with further charges added in respect of the bank charges and administrative costs together with interest on the principle sum.

Inability to pay

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter before treatment commences with a member of staff.  Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with express permission of Mrs S Margetts.

Pet Health Insurance

The practice strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents.  Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff.  Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company.

Complaints & Standards

We hope you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from us.  However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please put your comments in writing to Mrs Sarah Margetts.

Ownership of Radiographs and similar records

The care given to your animal may involve some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans.  Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpretation of their results, ownership of resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with the practice.

Data Protection

We comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and will take reasonable precautions to ensure your records are kept securely and used appropriately.

Subject to your agreement clinical records may be shared with another veterinary practice, insurance companies or referral centres. In the event you cannot be contacted only relevant records will be released to third party vets in the interest of animal welfare.

• The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound. Copies with a summary of the history of any patient can be passed to another veterinary surgeon taking over a case, on written request to us and upon settlement in full of all sums due to us in respect of such patient’s treatment by us.

We can provide a copy of all your data held, we request at least 48 hours’ notice.

The practice is covered by CCTV to protect our business and customers. Images can be provided within one calendar month to anyone that we have recorded. We will share images with the authorities, such as the police, if they ask for them. We will only keep images only for as long as our business needs them.

For more information, please see our Privacy Statement.

Miscellaneous
Users of our car parks do so at their own risk. Margetts & Associates Ltd will not accept any responsibility for accidents, loss or damage of any vehicle or its contents.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Sarah Margetts. No agent or person employed by, under contract with the practice has the authority to alter these conditions in any way.