Terms and conditions of business for CVS (UK) Ltd
This veterinary practice is a member of the CVS (UK) Limited group of veterinary practices, registered in England and Wales with registration number 3777473 and whose registered office address is at CVS House, Owen Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4ER. This document sets out the terms of the contract established between us (CVS (UK) Limited) and you (the registered animal owner or individual requesting veterinary services) which comes into being when you register your animal with our veterinary practice or when you ask us to provide veterinary services.
Should you have any queries regarding any aspect of these terms of business please do not hesitate to ask us for further clarification.
Terms and conditions of business for Bell Equine
Fees
All our fees and medical charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Our fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the medicines, materials, and consumables used. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
Emergency service
Bell Equine provides a 24 hour, seven day a week veterinary service for emergencies. Our hospital is permanently staffed with a surgeon, intern and equine nurse; an ambulatory vet is also always on call. If you have an emergency out of working hours, please call the office on 01622 813700; you will be given two options:
- Press 1 to have your call diverted directly to our emergency pager service who will contact the duty vet for you
- Press 2 to leave a NON-URGENT message, which our receptionists will return during working hours
If in the unlikely event that you cannot get through on 01622 813700, please dial the emergency pager service direct on 01209 823271.
Methods of payment and settlement terms
Any new client will be expected to pay in full at the time of treatment for the first 12 months after registration. A £50 pre-payment will be taken at the time of booking the first appointment, with the remaining balance being cleared the same day. Treatment on account will ONLY be available to established clients known to Bell Equine and with a sound credit history. All hospital cases are asked to pay on collection unless other arrangements have been agreed with the director in charge of the case. If your horse is admitted to hospital you will be asked to pay a deposit towards treatment within 24 hours of arrival. You may settle your account using: CASH, CHEQUE (with current banker’s card), CREDIT/DEBIT CARD (Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa & Delta – we do not accept American Express). Payments by credit or debit card may be made by phone. Failure to pay the outstanding balance within 60 days of any treatment will result in referral to our debt collection agency. Further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt. We may also inform other local veterinary practices of the reasons for referral of the debt to the debt collection agency.
Estimates of treatment costs
We will happily provide a written estimate (not a quotation) as to the probable cost of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate; often a horse’s illness will not follow a predictable or standard course.
Liquidated damages
If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified we ask that you discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff. Please note that instalments or part-payments of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of the Clinical Director.
Termination of service
You may ask us to stop caring for your horse, pony or donkey at any time. We may stop looking after your animals if you do not accept our advice; or fail to settle your account on time; or if we are prohibited by law from doing any further work on your matter; or if the relationship between you and us sadly breaks down; or if we no longer have the expertise. Under these circumstances we will serve notice in writing of imminent withdrawal of services. We will then invoice you for any work already done. We reserve the right to hold your horse’s records until all outstanding invoices and expenses have been paid.
Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic is the trading name of CVS (UK) Limited registered in England and Wales.
Registration number: 03777473 Registered Office: CVS House, Owen Road, Diss Norfolk IP22 4ER
Horse health insurance
Bell Equine strongly supports the principle of insuring your horse against unexpected illness or accidents, although we cannot give any recommendations regarding individual insurance companies. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account in accordance with these terms and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. Insurance companies will often assume that this has been done and will deduct the 5% prompt payment discount accordingly. It is possible to arrange for payment to be made direct to Bell Equine when you complete your claim form, but if doing this, please submit claim forms as soon as possible in order to avoid losing the 5% prompt payment discount.
Complaints and standards
We hope that you never have reason to complain about the standards of service received from Bell Equine. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance in writing to the Clinical Director. Further details of our complaints procedure are available on our website under ‘Useful Info’.
Ownership of radiographs and similar records
The care given to your horse may involve making some specific investigations; for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph remains with Bell Equine.
Non-variation
No addition or variance of these T&C will bind Bell Equine unless specifically agreed in writing and signed by the Clinical Director. No agent or person employed by or under contract with Bell Equine has the authority to alter or vary these T&C in any way.
Data protection
In holding and using data about you, we will comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. In instructing us to look after your horse, you authorise us to use that data in the course of the work that we do for you, and also to send you from time to time in the future, free of charge, details of the services that we provide. We will, where specifically required, pass on to Insurers details of clinical histories, case records and diagnostic images relating to your horse.
Limitation of Liability
This condition applies to any claim:- by you; against us (including any successor business), any past, present or future directors of this firm, and/or any past present or future employees of this firm. Such claim shall be limited in amount to £5,000.00 for each and every claim, including claimants’ costs. All claims, whether made by one or more of the parties referred to above or by a third party, arising from the same act or omissions, shall be regarded as one claim. For the avoidance of doubt, this limitation of liability shall apply to any claim for negligence (other than professional negligence where a lower limit applies), breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, and any liability whatsoever.
Equal opportunities
We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to providing the same high quality service to all our clients, regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Passports
All horses, ponies and donkeys MUST have passports, which should be available for the vet to check and we strongly recommend that passports should be signed by the owner to confirm that the animal is not going for human consumption. If you do not have a passport, we can help you obtain one. Where a passport is not available the detailed record of medicinal products must be retained. This information is available on your account documentation. For further information on passports, see ‘Passports’ under ‘Useful Info’.
Prescriptions
Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V (POM-Vs) from Bell Equine OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. We can only prescribe POM-Vs for animals under your care. A prescription may not be appropriate for an in-patient or where immediate treatment is necessary. We will only issues a prescription for a horse with a passport. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring a repeat prescription every 6 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for an examination is available on request. Further information on the prices of medicines is available on request.
Referrals and second opinions
Whilst we endeavour to provide the highest level of care for you and your horse, if you wish to request a referral to, or second opinion from, another veterinary surgeon or practice we will, with your permission, assist you in the process and forward on all clinical records promptly to that veterinary surgeon / practice.
