Terms & Policies
Welcome
On this page you will find a copy of our terms and conditions. If you choose to become a client of our practice then, as per the requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS, the Royal College), we give all new clients a personal copy of their terms and conditions of business.
Below is the same terms and conditions.
On this page "we" and "us" and "our" relate to this veterinary practice and "you" and "your" relate to you, the client.
1. Veterinary Services
1.1 Veterinary services will be provided by James Horner and the team at James Horner Vets. Where we feel care or skills are needed outside of the expertise of James Horner Vets, with your consent, we will arrange a suitable referral to a specialist service provider.
2. Responsibilities
Our responsibilities are to:
2.1 Observe the code of conduct of the RCVS.
2.2 Treat and care for your pet with the view to prevent pain and suffering, and improve welfare.
2.3 Advise you honestly and openly in areas of animal welfare, disease and regulations to help promote and protect the welfare of your pets, for the period in which you engage with us as your veterinary provider.
2.4 Provide veterinary clinical services to an appropriate standard as would be expected by a veterinary professional and a member of the RCVS.
2.5 Provide estimates for services where possible prior to a course of treatment.
2.6 Keep and maintain records of work completed and make them available to you upon request.
2.7 Raise any issues or concerns that may be found during our term of the engagement.
2.8 Treat you and your pet with the utmost care and respect at all times.
2.9 Maintain patient and client confidentiality and not share information unless it is for the purpose of referral to a colleague, consented to by you, or during any criminal or legal proceeding.
2.10 On settlement of an account, transfer any clinical history relating to your pet, without prejudice or undue delay, to any new veterinary practice should you choose to instruct another business to undertake your veterinary work.
You Responsibilities as a client are to:
2.11 Bring your pet to our attention in a timely manner when you have a concern for their health. The sooner we examine your pet when they are injured or unwell, the sooner we are able to help and prevent conditions deteriorating.
2.12 Ensure you always have sufficient funds to cover healthcare requirements. Given the nature of healthcare, these cannot always be predicted and our recommendation to meet this requirement is through pet insurance. If you would like guidance on what to seek in an insurance policy please arrange an appointment with a vet, or ask our team.
2.13 Ensure appropriate preventative healthcare practices are undertaken annually with us including vaccinations against core diseases, and flea and worming treatment appropriate to the risk assessment of your pet.
2.14 Have your pet microchipped and registered with an appropriate database.
2.15 Update us with any change in circumstance including but not limited to: moving house, changing your contact details, changing ownership of your pet.
2.16 Settle your account at the conclusion of every visit. We will accept cash or card payments, but not cheque or bank transfer.
2.17 Share with us all information relating to the health and welfare of your pet, at our request, when we are helping in diagnosing, or advising you, of any concern.
2.18 Treat the team at James Horner Vets with respect and civility.
2.19 Raise any concerns with the care, service, or treatment of your pet quickly with any member of the team and they will direct you to the most appropriate person who will handle your concern.
3. Ethical conduct
3.1 All vets registered with the RCVS make a declaration to pursue the work of our profession with integrity and above all, endeavour to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to our care.
3.2 As a member of the RCVS, James Horner Vets has a duty to observe the highest standards of professional competence, honesty & integrity, independence & impartiality, client confidentiality & trust and professional accountability to uphold the good standing and reputation of the profession. At James Horner Vets all members of staff will observe the code where applicable to their position in the organisation.
4. Fees
4.1 Our fees are based on a time and service basis.
4.2 For all services we will provide an estimate detailing the predicted work. Please bear in mind estimates can only be approximate and will never constitute a quote.
4.3 Full payment of fees will be expected at the end of each visit.
4.4 We reserve the right to request payment up front for all procedures or consultations.
4.5 Should you miss an appointment without informing us, we will charge the value of the consultation and apply it to your account. We will send a communication to inform you of this charge. If you regularly miss appointments we will only reserve consultations on receipt of a full payment in advance.
4.6 We are unable to offer credit or payment plans.
4.7 If an account remains unpaid then we shall send a reminder. Overdue accounts will be passed on to a debt collection agency and any extra costs to recover the money will be your responsibility.
5. Retaining and Accessing Records
5.1 Any information produced or relating to the clinical work we undertake, including imaging, clinical notes, laboratory records, and all other documentation concerning your pet’s case will be property of, and retained, by James Horner Vets.
5.2 Should you wish to have a copy of the clinical records we hold about your pet, we will happily share this information with you.
5.3 We will not share the clinical information with any other third party unless we have your explicit consent.
5.4 Should you wish to change veterinary practice, we will transfer your pet’s clinical history in full once all outstanding debts have been settled.
6. Prescribing and Prescriptions
6.1 Medicines classified as Prescription Only Medicines - category V (POM-V) are available at our practice.
6.2 POM-Vs can only be prescribed by Veterinary Surgeons to animals under their care.
6.3 Should you wish to request a particular POM-V product, Veterinary Surgeons employed by James Horner Vets reserve the right to refuse, or prescribe a more suitable product, at their discretion.
6.4 If you wish to source a POM-V product elsewhere then we will provide a written prescription. Please allow up to one business working day for a written prescription to be prepared.
6.5 We will only provide a single prescription for a maximum of 1 month’s supply of medicines, and 3 month’s supply of parasiticides.
6.6 If you choose to source your POM-V product not from James Horner Vets, you accept the responsibility for any break, or delay in treatment, that may occur together with the potential impacts on your pet’s health and welfare.
7. Out of Hours care
7.1 Clinic opening times are clearly displayed on our website and practice window. Outside of these working times we use the services of Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, Solihull (WVCR).
7.2 Fees charged by WVCR are independent of James Horner Vets and will be subject to their own terms and conditions.
7.3 Should your pet require overnight care having been in the clinic with us, it is your responsibility to arrange transfer to the WVCR. We will ensure your pet is stable to travel and that WVCR is informed of any treatment plan and overnight requirements ahead of you arriving and your pet being admitted.
8. Liability
8.1 As a registered Veterinary Practice with the RCVS, we have a duty of care to you and we must observe the highest standards of conduct and integrity. Our services to you will be undertaken by appropriately qualified and suitably trained members of our team based upon the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and the RCVS Code of Conduct.
8.2 We will ensure we have appropriate liability insurance for all veterinary activities undertaken at James Horner Vets.
8.3 The advice we give you is specific for the pet we have examined not to be used by a third party or in general terms. The practice also accepts no legal responsibility from third party use of the information provided by us.
9. Complaints and disputes
9.1 We want you to be entirely satisfied with the services provided to you. Should your experience not meet with your expectations, however small, we will make every effort to understand the situation and try to put things right.
9.2 If you have a concern, please talk to any member of the team and they will direct you to the individual responsible for handling your complaint.
9.3 If you would prefer to write to us then please address any complaints to James Horner. We will acknowledge your letter in one working day and seek to give a full reply in 15 working days.
9.4 If at any time you feel the complaint cannot be resolved by our team at James Horner Vets, then you within your rights to approach the professional governing body directly, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Full details are available on the RCVS website.
10. Termination
10.1 We hope that our level of care and service is such that you will not want to leave, however, you, or we may terminate our engagement by giving 1 month written notice.
10.2 When you have elected for a new veterinary practice to provide your care please inform us personally and, upon settlement of any outstanding accounts, we will transfer the clinical notes to your new veterinary practice.