andrew j. hutcheson - terms and conditions

ANDREW J HUTCHESON Veterinary Surgeon

54, PRESTON ROAD, LONGRIDGE, PRESTON PR3 3AY

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to our practice. This letter details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

FEES

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to V AT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. Our written fee list is available on request. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/pet food. You may settle the account using;

Ø CASH

Ø CHEQUE with current Banker's card

Ø CREDIT/DEBIT CARD - Maestro, Solo, Mastercard, Visa or Delta

Your co-operation in this matter is very much appreciated.

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

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

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Should an account not be settled, a reminder will be sent with a possible additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges may be incurred. 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. Further charges will be 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 a member of staff. Please note that instalments or part-payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of Mr Hutcheson.

We strongly support 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 our account and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance Company. It is our practice policy to process insurance claims on behalf of clients as soon as practically possible.

The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions at least every three months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. All animals receiving a repeat prescription must be 'under our care'. To qualify as being 'under our care' the vet must physically examine the animal within a three months time frame. The stadard charge for this re-assessment is the cost of our current consultation fee. Prescriptions are available from this practice on request. You will be informed of the price of any medicines that may be prescribed for your animal again on request.

We hope that you never have cause to complain about the standards of service received from our practice. However, if your feel that there is something you wish to discuss or complain about, please tell a member of staff - they may be able to resolve your concerns there and then. Alternatively you could arrange to speak, or write, to Mr Hutcheson and the matter will be dealt with promptly.

Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by our practice. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs, blood samples 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.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.