New Forest Equine Vets Ltd is committed to providing the highest possible standards of veterinary care and attention to patients and their owners.
‘We’ and ‘Our’ means New Forest Equine Vets Ltd and ‘You’ means the person/s who is/are our client/s.
Where we act for two or more clients jointly it is on the understanding that we are authorised to act on instructions of either, both or any of them.
Office Hours
Office hours are 9.00am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday, excluding public bank holidays. We offer a 24 hour emergency service outside these hours which will attract an additional charge depending on the time of day / night.
Client confidentiality
The client-veterinary surgeon relationship is founded on trust and in normal circumstances we will not discuss or disclose any information to a third party about an animal or client without express or implied consent.
Fees
All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate and are determined by the time spent on the case and according to the medicines and materials used. A visit fee is charged unless the visit qualifies for a free visit. A detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, procedure or transaction. Details of our fees and written estimates are available on request. Written estimates are valid for one month. Please bear in mind that any estimate can only be approximate as the progress of any illness or condition is not certain. We will always try to keep you informed of costs as they arise.
Payment terms
It is our policy that all treatments must be paid for at the time of consultation. We do not carry debt, which allows us to keep our fees very competitive.
Any invoice queries should be raised within 7 days of the date of invoicing.
We reserve the right to charge 2.5% interest per month on any accounts not paid within 28 days of the invoice date. All invoices not paid within 56 days will incur a £21.23 administration charge and a subsequent £21.23 charge every 28 days until cleared. If our payment terms are not complied with, we will require settlement of the account before undertaking further work. We also reserve the right to withdraw veterinary services and will give notice of this in writing.
We reserve the right to pursue any unpaid account in any manner we deem appropriate. This may include the use of a debt collection service or civil proceedings. Any costs incurred by us in recovering unpaid accounts will be passed onto the respective client.
We understand that on occasions, unexpectedly large bills can occur, and emergencies can happen. If you find yourself in a difficult financial situation, please discuss payment terms with the veterinary surgeon prior to the consultation.
Payment Methods
Our preferred methods of payment are credit/debit card (excluding American Express) or cash. We also accept bank transfer. Please reference payments with the account holder’s surname and the horse’s name.
Missed/Cancelled appointments
One working day’s notice of cancellation of a visit is required. We reserve the right to charge 50% of the normal fee for the work booked where less than one working day’s notice is given.
www.nfev.co.uk 24 Hour Practice
info@nfev.co.uk 01425 600080
Insurance cover for your horse
We strongly support the insurance of horses. Various companies offer policies offering protection against vet fees, accidental death and permanent loss of use. Your broker should be consulted for specialist advice on this subject.
The account remains the responsibility of the owner/keeper of the horse. Any contract of insurance is a contract between the owner/keeper and the insurance company and it is the role of the insurance company to reimburse you for the fees paid for veterinary treatment. Such fees must be paid to New Forest Equine Vets within our normal payment terms.
We will accept payment directly from the insurance company if expressly agreed in advance with New Forest Equine Vets. In such circumstances we will require all veterinary history for the horse from previous veterinary practices, a copy of any pre-purchase vetting certificate, a copy of your policy including any exclusions, and a copy of our direct insurance form signed by the client. New Forest Equine Vets are not responsible for invalid insurance claims for whatever reason.
Complaints and standards
We will always do our very best to provide a first class service. However, should you wish to discuss any concerns you may have with our services, please address such issues to a director.
Liability
You agree that you will not bring any claim arising out of or in connection with our services or goods provided against any individual member or consultant of New Forest Equine Vets in their personal capacity.
Any duty of care which would otherwise, as a matter of law, be owed to you by any of our partners or consultants is excluded from our contract with you. However this does not alter or reduce any liability which New Forest Equine Vets Ltd may have to you. The limitation and exclusions of liability shall not apply to any liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or to any other liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
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 animal/s, 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, 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.
Ownership of radiographs and similar records
The care given to your animal may involve doing specific investigations; for example taking x-rays or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership and retention of the resulting record, for example an x-ray, will remain with New Forest Equine Vets. Case records are also the property of the practice.
On request from another veterinary surgeon taking over the case, copies and a summary of the history will be passed to them following client authorisation.
Influenza vaccination reminders
Whilst we endeavour to provide a vaccination reminder service for patients that we have previously vaccinated whilst under the client’s ownership, and new clients that have provided us with the date of their last vaccination, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure vaccinations are kept up to date.
Prescriptions
Clients may obtain a prescription from us providing that the patient has been examined by, and is under the care of, one of the veterinary surgeons at New Forest Equine Vets. Repeat prescriptions can be issued if the patient is reassessed at regular intervals, never more than six months.
www.nfev.co.uk
24 Hour Practice
info@nfev.co.uk
01425 600080
