Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Dacre House Veterinary Clinic.

This document details our Practice Terms & Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required. Dacre House Veterinary Clinic is the trading name of Dacre House Limited, a company registered in England, company number 09881885. Our registered office is Bank Chambers, 1-3 Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6UF. Our VAT registration number is 234458602.

In line with British Veterinary Association guidelines, to provide specific veterinary advice, medication or a written prescription for a patient, that patient must be 'under our care'. This usually means that patient must have been examined by one of our vets within the last 6 months and a working relationship established between vet, owner and animal.

Fees

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined in addition to Practice overheads and facilities by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. We shall provide clients with a prescription, if preferred, for which service a reasonable charge will be made. Our fee list is available on request. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

Methods of payment

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets. You may settle the account using cash, personal cheque, credit or debit card (Access, Delta, Maestro, Mastercard, Switch, Solo, Visa).

Estimates of treatment costs

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

Settlement terms

Should an account not be settled within 14 days then a reminder would be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges will be incurred. These, however, may be waived if payment is made promptly. After due notice, to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs together with interest on the principal sum.

Inability to pay

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with the attending veterinary surgeon.

Pet health insurance

Dacre House Veterinary Clinic 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. We will normally be required to complete an insurance claim form for this purpose. We do not charge for this service.

Complaints and standards

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Dacre House Veterinary Clinic, however, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to the attending veterinary surgeon or the Practice Manager.

Ownership of records

Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Dacre House Veterinary Clinic. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case and to requesting insurance companies. The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs (x-rays) 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 Dacre House Veterinary Clinic.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice (Dacre House Veterinary Clinic) unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by the Practice Principal. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these Terms & Conditions in any way.