Ash Croft Vets
Hardwick
169 St Neots Road
Hardwick
Cambridge, CB23 7QJ
Tel: 01954 210250
Papworth
Pendrill Court
Papworth
Cambridgeshire, CB23 3UY
Tel: 01480 831615
Emergency Out of Hours
Tel: 08455 004247
Terms & Conditions
Terms & Conditions
We endeavor to provide you with the highest standard of care for your pet. We believe in the principle of responsible pet ownership and the benefits of preventative healthcare which includes regular appropriate vaccinations and regular flea and worming control for dogs, cats and rabbits.
Our opening hours can be found on our website: www.ashcroftvet.co.uk
Registration
By registering with us, you are agreeing that we can store and use your personal information to provide veterinary services and products. It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold.
If your details change, please inform us by email or in writing so we can ensure our database is as up to date as possible.
We will never pass on your personal data to third parties, with the exception of, and at your request, a referral to a specialist or the processing of an insurance claim on your behalf.
Fees
Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables used. You will receive a detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure & transaction with us. All prices are inclusive of the current rate of VAT.
You are liable for fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet, even if your pet is brought to us on your behalf, by an agent, for example by a relative or a friend.
Payment
We require payment, in full: at the time of consultation; upon discharge of your pet or on collection of any medication/diets.
We accept cash, BACs payments, debit and credit cards. We do not accept American Express.
Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, an additional administrative fee may be charged.
After due notice to you, the client, overdue accounts will be subject to our debt collection procedure and further charges may be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt: such as court fees; correspondence; court attendance; phone calls, etc.
Any card payment not honored or cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the account being returned to the original sum and there may be further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.
We reserve the right to withhold all but emergency treatment whilst a balance remains overdue.
Inability to pay
We do understand that your invoice may be due to an unexpected accident or illness and you may be unable to pay in full.
If this is the case, or there is any other reason you are unable to settle your account we do ask that you discuss the matter as soon as possible with our Practice Manager.
Please note that installments or part payments of any account may only be by prior agreement.
Failure to discuss your account with the Practice Manager and/or make payment within 30 days of the invoice issue date may result in a County Court Claim and additional costs and interest may be added to the outstanding balance.
Estimates of Treatment Costs
We are happy to provide an estimate regarding the expected costs of investigations, surgical procedure or courses of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate due to the unpredictable nature of clinical work.
The final invoice may be above or below the original estimate, depending upon clinical circumstances. Where possible we will keep clients updated if costs are likely to exceed the original estimate, although in a clinical emergency this may not always be possible.
Treatment Reminders
We will endeavour to send vaccination and health check reminders to you by email or a phone call. It remains your responsibility to present your pet for vaccination and health checks at the appropriate time and to keep us advised of any change in your contact details and delivery preference.
You have the right to ask us to stop contacting you for routine treatment reminders. Please reply to the email stating you no longer wish to receive these.
Appointments, failure to attend
If you have an appointment booked, do not attend and have not contacted us to cancel your appointment you are preventing us from seeing other clients. When this occurs on more than two occasions, we reserve the right to make a charge of 50% of the consultation fee without any further notice.
Consent
Written signed consent for procedures is required in all cases of admission to the hospital and we will endeavour to discuss alterations prior to action being taken.
Consent is also required for the use of medications in species for which they were not licensed e.g. rabbits and rodents. In this case a lifetime consent form will be provided to allow this to be done without asking for specific permission in each and every separate case.
Dispensing of Drugs
You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines Category V, (POM VPS) directly from us, as prescribed by the veterinary surgeon in charge of your pet’s care, or you may ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. A reasonable charge is made for formulating and supplying a written prescription.
Please also note we cannot take responsibility for medications purchased elsewhere.
Repeat Prescriptions
All requests for repeat medication must be authorised by one of our veterinary surgeons and an appointment may be required before further medicines can be provided.
Requests for repeat prescriptions can be made with our online ‘repeat medication request’ form, by e-mail or telephone call to the practice. When we process your repeat medication request, we shall contact you and let you know if you need an appointment, or email you when your medicines will be ready for you to collect from the practice.
Please note that 48 hours’ notice is required before the medicines are available for your collection. If your need for repeat pet medication is urgent, please call us directly.
Certain medications may have to be ordered in for the sole treatment of your pet and in these instances, we will require payment in full, even if they are not collected or used.
We will inform you, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your pet.
Return of unused drugs
Repeat examinations for long term medications
It is necessary both for the welfare of your pet and to meet legal obligations, for your pet to have regular check ups if on long term medications.
The interval will vary with the condition and the medication but will be no longer than every 6 months.
Pet insurance and direct claims
We will submit indirect insurance claims promptly to ensure you are reimbursed as quickly as possible. However, in the case of direct claims, please be aware that it remains your responsibility to settle your account within 30 days, if we have not received payment from your insurance company.
Any anticipated shortfall in the cost of treatment which is not covered by your insurance company will be payable by you, to us, at the time of making the first direct claim.
Any additional shortfall which is owing after the claim has been settled will also be payable by you, to us, within 7 days.
Patient records
Patient records are the property of Ash Croft Veterinary Surgery, but you are able at any stage to request a summary of your pet’s clinical history by giving us adequate 36 hours’ written notice.
The practice reserves the right to make a charge to cover the cost of producing these records. The charge will be notified to you at the time of the request, or as soon as reasonably feasible thereafter.
Ownership of patient records other than clinical notes
Out of hours care
Our out of hours provider for emergencies is Vet24 based at Milton & Whittlesford.
Contact with you
We email all newly registered clients a link to these Terms and Conditions. Upon registration with us we shall collect a range of essential personal data about you and your pet/s to be used by us and not to be shared with third parties.
We may contact you by letter, phone or e-mail to advise you of an outstanding account, as well as send reminders for your pet’s preventative healthcare treatments.
Speak to one of our team to advise or update your preferred way to be contacted.
Withdrawal of Services
We reserve the right to end our service to you and your pet by giving you notice in writing, allowing seven days to permit you to register your pet with another veterinary practice. Once we have received an e-mail request from your new veterinary practice for your pet’s patient records, we will e-mail your pet’s records directly to the new veterinary practice.
Complaints & Standards
We hope that you never have cause to complain about the standards of service received from Ash Croft Veterinary Practice. However, if you feel there is something you wish to complain about or bring to our attention, please contact the Practice Manager in writing or by email: office@ashcroftvet.co.uk
General
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind our Veterinary Practice, unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by our authorised by a Partner. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with our veterinary practice, has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way otherwise.
Our opening hours can be found on our website: www.ashcroftvet.co.uk
Registration
By registering with us, you are agreeing that we can store and use your personal information to provide veterinary services and products. It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold.
If your details change, please inform us by email or in writing so we can ensure our database is as up to date as possible.
We will never pass on your personal data to third parties, with the exception of, and at your request, a referral to a specialist or the processing of an insurance claim on your behalf.
Fees
Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables used. You will receive a detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure & transaction with us. All prices are inclusive of the current rate of VAT.
You are liable for fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet, even if your pet is brought to us on your behalf, by an agent, for example by a relative or a friend.
Payment
We require payment, in full: at the time of consultation; upon discharge of your pet or on collection of any medication/diets.
We accept cash, BACs payments, debit and credit cards. We do not accept American Express.
We reserve the right to request part-payments of estimated costs during extended stays or on admission.
Settlement terms
We require payment, in full: at the time of consultation; upon discharge of your pet or on collection of any medication/diets.
Should an account not be settled within 7 days of date of invoice, a reminder will be sent by email. Alternatively, if you do not have an email address we will telephone you.Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, an additional administrative fee may be charged.
After due notice to you, the client, overdue accounts will be subject to our debt collection procedure and further charges may be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt: such as court fees; correspondence; court attendance; phone calls, etc.
Any card payment not honored or cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the account being returned to the original sum and there may be further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.
We reserve the right to withhold all but emergency treatment whilst a balance remains overdue.
Inability to pay
We do understand that your invoice may be due to an unexpected accident or illness and you may be unable to pay in full.
If this is the case, or there is any other reason you are unable to settle your account we do ask that you discuss the matter as soon as possible with our Practice Manager.
Please note that installments or part payments of any account may only be by prior agreement.
Failure to discuss your account with the Practice Manager and/or make payment within 30 days of the invoice issue date may result in a County Court Claim and additional costs and interest may be added to the outstanding balance.
At this stage all services will be withdrawn with the exception of providing emergency first aid and pain relief to your pet/s.
We are happy to provide an estimate regarding the expected costs of investigations, surgical procedure or courses of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate due to the unpredictable nature of clinical work.
The final invoice may be above or below the original estimate, depending upon clinical circumstances. Where possible we will keep clients updated if costs are likely to exceed the original estimate, although in a clinical emergency this may not always be possible.
Treatment Reminders
We will endeavour to send vaccination and health check reminders to you by email or a phone call. It remains your responsibility to present your pet for vaccination and health checks at the appropriate time and to keep us advised of any change in your contact details and delivery preference.
You have the right to ask us to stop contacting you for routine treatment reminders. Please reply to the email stating you no longer wish to receive these.
Appointments, failure to attend
If you have an appointment booked, do not attend and have not contacted us to cancel your appointment you are preventing us from seeing other clients. When this occurs on more than two occasions, we reserve the right to make a charge of 50% of the consultation fee without any further notice.
Consent
Written signed consent for procedures is required in all cases of admission to the hospital and we will endeavour to discuss alterations prior to action being taken.
Consent is also required for the use of medications in species for which they were not licensed e.g. rabbits and rodents. In this case a lifetime consent form will be provided to allow this to be done without asking for specific permission in each and every separate case.
This is required as the majority of veterinary drugs are not licensed for use in small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. We must then use drugs which have a proven activity and efficiency despite this lack of licence.
You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines Category V, (POM VPS) directly from us, as prescribed by the veterinary surgeon in charge of your pet’s care, or you may ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. A reasonable charge is made for formulating and supplying a written prescription.
Please also note we cannot take responsibility for medications purchased elsewhere.
Ash Croft Veterinary Practice can only prescribe POM Vs. for animals under our care, which means they must have been seen within the last 12 months. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal.
All requests for repeat medication must be authorised by one of our veterinary surgeons and an appointment may be required before further medicines can be provided.
Requests for repeat prescriptions can be made with our online ‘repeat medication request’ form, by e-mail or telephone call to the practice. When we process your repeat medication request, we shall contact you and let you know if you need an appointment, or email you when your medicines will be ready for you to collect from the practice.
Please note that 48 hours’ notice is required before the medicines are available for your collection. If your need for repeat pet medication is urgent, please call us directly.
Certain medications may have to be ordered in for the sole treatment of your pet and in these instances, we will require payment in full, even if they are not collected or used.
We will inform you, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your pet.
Our standard consultation fee will apply when your pet needs to be re-examined for a repeat prescription.
We will accept unused medications back into the practice for disposal only. However as drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale, no refund can be given.
It is necessary both for the welfare of your pet and to meet legal obligations, for your pet to have regular check ups if on long term medications.
The interval will vary with the condition and the medication but will be no longer than every 6 months.
The prevailing examination fee will be charged for that consultation.
We will submit indirect insurance claims promptly to ensure you are reimbursed as quickly as possible. However, in the case of direct claims, please be aware that it remains your responsibility to settle your account within 30 days, if we have not received payment from your insurance company.
Any anticipated shortfall in the cost of treatment which is not covered by your insurance company will be payable by you, to us, at the time of making the first direct claim.
Any additional shortfall which is owing after the claim has been settled will also be payable by you, to us, within 7 days.
It is important to know that if we agree to process a direct claim for the treatment of your pet, this is not a guarantee that your insurers will settle your claim, and if they fail to do so, this will result in a shortfall for which you will be liable to pay us in full.
Patient records are the property of Ash Croft Veterinary Surgery, but you are able at any stage to request a summary of your pet’s clinical history by giving us adequate 36 hours’ written notice.
The practice reserves the right to make a charge to cover the cost of producing these records. The charge will be notified to you at the time of the request, or as soon as reasonably feasible thereafter.
No charge is made when transferring clinical notes to another veterinary surgery.
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 the practice and will be retained by us. Copies of these investigations with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over or assisting with the case. We retain the right in certain circumstances to levy a charge for providing copies of these records.
Our out of hours provider for emergencies is Vet24 based at Milton & Whittlesford.
Ash Croft Veterinary Practice LLP are not associated with, nor are they part of Vet24 and all costs of treatment are entirely separate.
When we are closed, our automated telephone line provides the option to be diverted to Milton Vet24.
We email all newly registered clients a link to these Terms and Conditions. Upon registration with us we shall collect a range of essential personal data about you and your pet/s to be used by us and not to be shared with third parties.
We may contact you by letter, phone or e-mail to advise you of an outstanding account, as well as send reminders for your pet’s preventative healthcare treatments.
Speak to one of our team to advise or update your preferred way to be contacted.
Healthcare reminders are sent as a complimentary service to you, without any liability on our part for loss, damage or any cost which could result if you do not receive the reminder, or if you failed to notify us of a change in contact/delivery preference. Please therefore contact us to advise us if you want to change/modify how we contact you for reminders for flea and worming treatments and or booster vaccinations or if you no longer want to receive healthcare reminders from us.
We reserve the right to end our service to you and your pet by giving you notice in writing, allowing seven days to permit you to register your pet with another veterinary practice. Once we have received an e-mail request from your new veterinary practice for your pet’s patient records, we will e-mail your pet’s records directly to the new veterinary practice.
In the event of verbal or physical abuse to any member of our veterinary practice team, we reserve the right to provide no further treatment for your pet and you would be banned from our premises with immediate effect. We also reserve the right to involve the police when this appears appropriate.
We hope that you never have cause to complain about the standards of service received from Ash Croft Veterinary Practice. However, if you feel there is something you wish to complain about or bring to our attention, please contact the Practice Manager in writing or by email: office@ashcroftvet.co.uk
General
We reserve the right to make changes to our Terms and Conditions without prior notice at any future time.
Changes to our Terms and Conditions will be available on our website ashcroftvet.co.uk
