GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS
On registration of your pets with us, you are confirming that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
Surgery Opening Times
Monday to Friday 09:00 – 20:00
Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
Sundays and Bank Holidays CLOSED
Consultations take place at 15-minute intervals throughout the day with a scheduled time for surgical procedures, starting late morning. We do not carry out routine operations on a Saturday.
Our contact details are:
Essex Vets
Clements House
Knight Street
South Woodham Ferrers
Chelmsford
Essex CM3 5ZL
01245 328400
info@essexvets.co.uk
www.essexvets.co.uk
When Essex Vets South Woodham Ferrers is closed and you have a medical emergency, please call our Rainham branch which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Essex Vets Rainham
2 Southend Road
Rainham
Essex RM13 7XH
01708 592290
info@essexvetsrainham.co.uk
www.essexvetsrainham.co.uk
Out of Hours consult fees are £75 before 11pm and £125 after 11pm.
Fees and Charging Structures
All services provided by Essex Vets are subject to VAT at the current rate. A member of staff will always be happy to discuss any queries you have regarding your bill.
Payment for treatments, drugs, etc. are due at the time of treatment unless other arrangements have been made in advance i.e., insurance claim, payment plan.
If the account is not settled at the time, a reminder will be sent out, this may be either a telephone call or a posted invoice. If it is necessary that any further reminders need to be sent then a £20 administration charge will be added to the account. After a period of time given, if the account remains outstanding, the account will be handed to our debt collections agency where you will become liable for all costs incurred in obtaining payment.
If you cannot pay your account at the time, you must discuss this with a member of staff before treatment begins.
We do offer a credit loan agreement with a third-party company, but this will only be accepted by that company if certain criteria are met. Direct payment plans with Essex Vets for payment of an account may be agreed with the permission of a senior member of staff, but again this will need to be put in place before treatment begins.
You may settle your balance using cash or debit/credit cards (we do not accept American Express). We are able to take card payments over the phone if necessary. We do not accept payment by cheque.
At times, we may provide you with an estimate of costs. Please remember that this is an estimate and we can only give an approximate cost, any additional costs that cannot be foreseen at the beginning of treatment may occur as treatment develops. If this occurs, you will be kept updated.
Missed Appointment Fees
You must ensure you inform us if you are unable to attend an appointment. Appointments cancelled with less than 24-hour notice will incur a missed appointment fee of £20.
For litter vaccinations there will also be an additional £5 per puppy missed appointment fee. Therefore, if your booking is for less puppies/kittens than you booked for, please ensure you inform us in advance of your appointment.
Prescription Policy
Written prescriptions are available from Essex Vets. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines Veterinary (POMVs) from your veterinary surgery or ask for a prescription and obtain these from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM-Vs for animals under his or her care. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medication that may be dispensed for your animal. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 6 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. Further information on the prices of medications is available on request.
Pet Insurance
Essex vets recommends insuring your pets against any unexpected health problems and, sometimes, the very high bills that can arise with that. If you wish to claim your veterinary bills to be paid directly from your insurance company to us, this will need to be specifically arranged with a senior member of staff ahead of the treatment.
Otherwise, it is your responsibility to settle your account and reclaim the fees back from your insurance company.
Pet Health Care Plan
Please visit myvetshealthplan.com for full terms and conditions. Please note, this is not an insurance policy.
In-Patient Care
Our dedicated staff will deliver appropriate and suitable in-patient care for your pet, as instructed by the Veterinary Surgeon. This will include being accommodated in a comfortable environment, monitored and treated in accordance with your pet’s condition, by a member of the team that is trained with the requisite knowledge and expertise.
If your pet requires overnight care, transfer arrangements will be discussed with the Practice for the owner to take their pet to our dedicated out of hours provider.
Procedures for Second Opinions and Referrals
In the event we need to refer a patient to receive specialist care or second option, we would usually refer to Southfields Veterinary Specialists. They cover 14 different specialist areas. We can also refer somewhere else if the client requests this option.
A second opinion is only for getting the view of another veterinary surgeon. We can do this in house, or you are welcome to get this opinion elsewhere, and with your permission we will forward on the medical history.
Vaccination Reminder
We will make every effort to send reminders out for your pet’s annual vaccinations, but the responsibility to keep them up to date remains with the owner.
Complaints Procedure
You will find this on our website www.essexvets.co.uk
Abusive and Violent Behavior
Essex Vets take it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the Veterinary Surgeons or Nursing team is treated in an abusive or violent way.
We support a ‘Zero Tolerance’ approach to such behavior. All members of staff have the right to care for their patient and their owners without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all staff and their clients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients and their owners’ needs and individual circumstance. We would like to remind clients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult situations, all at the same time. The staff understand that the owners of ill patients, do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint.
However, aggressive behavior, be it violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice, and the Practice list, and in extreme cases, the police being contacted.
In order for Essex Vets to maintain good relations with their clients, we would like to ask all clients to read and take notice of the occasional types of behavior that would not be found acceptable:
- Using bad language or swearing at practice staff
- Any physical violence towards any member of staff, or other clients, such as pushing or shoving
- Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting staff
- Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated
- Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met
- wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot.
- Causing damage/stealing from the Practice’s premises or staff
- Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently.
We ask you to treat our Veterinary Surgeons and staff courteously at all times.
Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Please ask in practice for the latest version.