Vets practice for small animals in Kidderminster, Worcestershire

Thank you for using the services of Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre for small animal veterinary care. We aim to provide you with the highest possible standards of service. This page aims to explain our terms of business in plain English. 

Fees

All fees are subject to VAT. Fee levels are determined by the level of skill required, the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials and consumables used. You will be charged for each consultation your pet receives at the practice, except typically a post op check. A detailed written invoice is routinely provided for all charges incurred, and the separate cost of medicines. 

Estimates of Costs of Treatment

We will always endeavour to provide you with an estimate of fees prior to any investigations or surgeries, but please enquire if this has not been discussed. There may be situations in which it is difficult for us to be accurate and the final bill may vary because more or less treatment is required, complications may occur or because the full extent of treatment required is not apparent until treatment is started. 

House Visits

In addition to consultations at the practice, house visits are available during and outside working hours if you wish, within the limits of our availability to attend other emergencies concurrently. There are certain circumstances where it may be more appropriate to present your pet at the practice where a wider range of emergency medicines and equipment is available. 

Out of hours

We provide our own out-of-hours cover to Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre clients. OOH consult fees range from £180.00 - £475.00 (depending on the time of the consult), usually with a nurse in attendance (£84.00/hr). 

Prescriptions

Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain prescription only medicines, Category V (POMVs) from Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre OR ask for a veterinary written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgery or pharmacy. The cost for a veterinary written prescription supply is £37.50*, per drug, each time a prescription is supplied. Please allow 24hrs for our vets to check and authorise both in house prescription repeats and repeat veterinary written prescriptions. 

Your vet may prescribe POM-Vs only for animals under their care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. 

You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for any animal. The general policy for this practice is to reassess animals requiring repeat prescriptions every 4 months, but this may vary for individual circumstances and will be extended to 6months for very well managed, stable patients. Unstable patients need to be examined much more frequently, e.g. monthly, weekly, (daily). The standard charge for this reassessment is £47.00* (a consultation fee). * Prices accurate at 25th Oct 2023. 

Methods of Payment

We accept payment in cash or by the following credit or debit cards:- Visa, Visa Electron, Switch, Maestro and Mastercard. 

Settlement Terms

Fees are due for payment at the end of each consultation, when a patient is discharged from hospital after an inpatient procedure, or when medicine, diets or supplies are collected.

If all fees are not to hand when payment would normally be made we will send you an additional invoice. Invoices are due for payment on receipt. Where further reminders have to be sent we may add charges to cover the costs of administration (e.g. after 14 days and thereafter). 

If accounts remain unpaid they will be referred to an appropriate outside agency for collection and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt such as production of reports, as well as the charges of the agency used. 

Any card payments not honoured and any cash paid which turns out to be counterfeit will result in the original balance of the account being restored and any Bank or administration charges added. 

Interest

An administration fee of £25 +VAT will be charged for all accounts that are settled by instalment. An interest charge of 5% per month will be added to the outstanding amount after 30 days of the day the invoice is generated.   

Pet Health Insurance

Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or injury. We are approved by the Financial Services Authority and are affiliated with Pet Plan Limited. We do not receive commissions from Pet Plan and recognise that there are numerous other providers of insurance. Our staff have been trained only in respect of Pet Plan policies. 

Settlement Terms and Pet Health Insurance claims

We reserve the right to ask for full payment for insured animals and leave you to claim your costs back from your insurers. We are, however, able to facilitate direct insurance claims from certain insurance companies. You would still be required to sign a claim form and pay any fees up to the excess. This must be arranged prior to collection following a procedure or period of hospitalisation, or payment is due in full. In all cases, direct claims must first be authorised by senior management and confirmation of an active insurance policy without relevant exclusions by your insurance policy. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay any shortfall on the amount your insurance company pays us together with your excess. 

Inability to Pay

If for any reason you are unable to settle your account in full at the normal time we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with one of our staff. Please note that part payment or payment in instalments may only be sanctioned by specified staff members (Graeme Shepherd, Ali Shepherd or Louise Childes) and must be agreed in writing. A reliable credit history is required for a monthly instalment plan, which will have an administration fee attached of £25+VAT and will incur interest charges after 30 days. 

Complaints and Standards

We hope you will never have cause to complain about the standard of service you receive from Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre. However, should you have a complaint it should be directed to our office manager in the first instance. All complaints are carefully investigated and we aim to respond within 14 working days. 

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations may be made up to 1 hour before the consultation appointment. Appointments cancelled with less than 1 hours notice may be subject to a consultation charge of £36.. Non- attendance (without any prior cancellation) will incur the full consultation fee.

Client Records and Confidentiality

Any client or patient information will be kept securely and will not be shared unnecessarily as we adhere to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). We never discuss or sell confidential records to any third party, except when another veterinary surgeon requests them on your behalf. You, as a client, are entitled to a copy of clinical notes upon request.

Ownership of Records, Radiographs and similar images/recordings

Case records including notes, radiographs, photographs, laboratory results, ECGs and ultrasound scans are the property of and will be retained by Shepherds’ Veterinary Centre. Copies of radiographs can be supplied in a disc format at a cost of £5 per radiographic view.

Second opinions and referrals

In the event you would like a particular veterinary surgeon to examine your animal within the practice, please ask when you make the appointment. We encourage continuity where at all possible. If you wish, perhaps, one of our senior vets within the practice for a second opinion, either a standard consultation fee or a detailed 20-30 minute consultation fee may apply. We may suggest referral to a referral centre on occasion with special equipment/expertise for a particular type of condition. We will arrange this referral for you and explain the experience and qualifications that person holds. You can choose a second opinion at another practice (we do the same in reverse) and we will send them clinical records on request.

Telephone calls

All telephone calls are recorded for monitoring and training purposes

Variation of Terms

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