Scourfield Veterinary Services T&Cs
SCOURFIELD VETERINARY SERVICES TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS
PROVISION OF SERVICES
We offer a home visit service to provide dogs & cats with medical healthcare services. The home visit will be carried out by a fully qualified Veterinary Surgeon who is registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
We are a limited service provider. Due to the nature of the service, it is not possible for us to provide surgical treatment, hospitalisation facilities or to carry out certain diagnostic procedures (e.g. x-rays) at home. We work with partner practices in London who can provide such services for your pet if required. Scourfield Veterinary Services is a registered practice with the Royal College of Veterinary Services.
OPENING HOURS
We are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am-5:30pm, and for pre-booked appointments between 10am-12pm on Saturday. Please note Saturday appointments must be pre-bookedduring Monday to Friday opening hours, as communications (phone/text/email) are not monitored at weekends. Appointments may be available outside of these times (e.g. early morning or late evening), to try and provide clients with a convenient, flexible service. These must be arranged directly with the veterinary surgeon, and are subject to availability. We are closed on bank holidays. Please check our website which will always have up to date information on opening hours (www.scourfieldvetservices.co.uk).
FEES
All fees are due for payment at the time of the home visit appointment. We accept payment by cash or card (credit/debit) and all fees must be paid up front and in full. Payment plans are not available. A price list can be provided to you on request. We reserve the right to increase or decrease any fee or costs of services with no prior notice. The most up to date information will always be available on our website. No medications will be dispensed without prior payment. For repeat prescriptions, or medications dispensed & sent by post, we are able to accept payment by BACS or online payment. Please note we are unable to take payment by phone. We reserve our right to charge a home visit fee if the vet has travelled to your home for a pre-booked appointment, but you or a representative are not available for the appointment.
CANCELLATIONS AND WAITING TIMES
All appointments cancelled on the same day or with less than 24 hours notice will incur a £30 cancellation fee, unless the appointment slot can be refilled. If the vet has arrived at your address and the appointment cannot go ahead for any reason, a £45 cancellation fee will apply. In the event of a client arriving late for an appointment, any waiting time will be charged at £1/minute, starting from the time at which the vet arrives on-site.
OUT OF HOURS/EMERGENCY SERVICE
Our clients are able to access out of hours veterinary care at home with Veteris when we are closed. Veteris are a 24/7 emergency home visit practice. If you have an emergency, or need veterinary assistance, please always call our normal number, on 07827 999 020, whatever the time of day or night. During opening hours, we will be pleased to assist you. If your call is outside of our normal working hours, you will be automatically diverted through to Veteris, who will be able to provide assistance.
Should your pet ever require hospitalization for treatment or procedures, we also have a professional agreement with Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital (Goddards) in Wimbledon, who are also available 24/7 to help our clients if required. The address for Stone Lion is: 41 High Street, Wimbledon, SW19 5AU. Tel: 0208 879 4790.
In the very rare circumstance of home visit appointments being fully booked, or if we are closed due to staff holiday/sickness, you may be advised to call Veteris or travel with your pet to a practice in order to receive treatment during our normal opening hours. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure a plan is in place should the animal require transporting, either in a routine or emergency situation, should the need arise. “Veterinary Assist” (tel: 07961 952 379 or 07940 360 936) is an example of a pet transport company who may be of assistance in the instance of an owner not having their own transport. All fees that arise from the use of any such service must be paid directly by you to the provider.
OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS AND CLINICAL NOTES
Records and clinical notes are the property of, and will be retained by, Scourfield Veterinary Services Ltd. Copies of the clinical history will be passed on by request to another veterinary surgeon or practice taking over the patient’s care. If you are registered with another veterinary practice, we will request the clinical history for your animal prior to the appointment. This is in the best interest of your animal, to ensure all veterinary surgeons know what treatment has been administered to your pet, and to ensure continuity of care.
INSURANCE
We advise that you take out pet insurance, so that your pet can receive high quality care in the unfortunate event of an accident or illness. It is the owner’s responsibility to choose an insurance policy that best suits the needs of their pet, we are unable to recommend any specific policy on an individual basis.
WRITTEN PRESCRIPTIONS
Written prescriptions are available subject to a fee. In accordance with legal requirements, a prescription can only be issued by a veterinary surgeon following a clinical assessment of an animal under his or her care. Our normal policy is that the animal has been examined by the prescribing veterinary surgeon within the previous 6 months, but this may vary depending on individual circumstances. The veterinary surgeon reserves their right to request a health check appointment is made prior to prescribing any medicines, regardless of any prior appointments. In such circumstances, the pet owner will be liable for the full cost of such an appointment.
MEDICATION POSTAL SERVICE
We supply a free of charge postal service for all medication orders. On receipt of your medication order, an invoice will be sent by email, which allows payment online with a credit or debit card. Within 24 hours of payment, your medication will be sent via Royal Mail 1stclass post. Please allow 1-3 days for delivery (times may vary depending on Royal Mail delivery times, and is out of our control). Unfortunately we cannot post out any medications which have not been paid for. We recommend repeat prescriptions are ordered one week before you run out of medication, to allow plenty of time and ensure your pet doesn’t run out.
GENERAL
Whilst every step is taken to ensure administrating medicines to your pet is as safe as possible, adverse reactions to certain drugs or administration routes can occur. All medicines are used on a risk/benefit analysis after clinical assessment by a veterinary surgeon. Please discuss any concerns you may have with the vet prior to any treatment being administered. Always inform your vet if your pet has had a previous reaction to any medication.
LIABILITY
We have professional indemnity insurance to the sum of £250,000. We supply veterinary services and products to you on the condition that our liability for any loss, claim or cost shall not exceed, and shall be limited to, the maximum of the above-mentioned sum. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury caused to a human being.
Any dispute shall be referred to the Veterinary Defense Society to settle the claim, and shall be governed by English Law. We reserve our right to change or amend these terms and conditions without prior warning, and with immediate effect.
COMPLAINTS
We aim to provide a high level of care for your pet, and hope you never have reason to complain. If you wish to do so, please do so in writing, by emailing info@scourfieldvetservices.co.uk.
ACCEPTANCE
Please ensure you have read and understand the information provided. Please contact us in writing if there is anything you do not understand. Practice details (e.g. opening hours, holiday hours etc) may change from time to time. Any changes will be kept up to date on our website, so please ensure you check there regularly. Your continued use of our services constitutes your acceptance of the above information.
