Client Information
Emergencies and Out Of Hours
In case of emergency - Telephone 02476 343400
In all cases of emergencies, contact the practice on the above number. During the day we will see emergency cases as soon as possible. Please be aware that in this situation, there may be a delay with routine appointment times. We will keep you updated of such delays.
In cases where the practice is closed including nights, weekends and all bank holidays, our phone answer message will detail our out of hours provision of care.
Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service based in Solihull provides our out of hours care and can be contacted on 0121 712 7070 when we are closed.
Further details can be found here; https://www.willows.uk.net/in-patient-care/out-of-hours-emergency-service/
Willows employ fully qualified vets and nurses, who specialise in emergency and critical care work. Their staff are on out of hours shifts and stay on site so you can be assured they are well rested and ready to see you and your pet, whatever time it is.
As you would expect, staffing and equipping an emergency service is expensive. Therefore you should expect to pay higher fees for a consultation outside of normal hours. Fees will vary according to the time of day and treatment costs will be discussed with you prior to commencement.
Should you require telephone advice, this is provided free of charge.
Out of hours fees should be covered in the same way by your insurance as any other veterinary fees- check with your provider if in doubt.
Emergencies will be required to attend the practice where the staff have access to all the equipment they need- you will be advised on transporting your pet if required. By planning ahead Willows can plan for your arrival.
Terms and Conditions
Our aim is to provide you with a modern, caring, friendly service. In order for us to be able to concentrate our efforts on veterinary care and to reduce our administrative burden we operate a payment at the time of consultation system.
Payment up front or deposits will be requested for some routine procedures, consultations, operations and previous failure to attend appointments. Refunds will only be given if cancellations are made with at least 24 hours notice. (Please note should the practice need to cancel a booking at short notice due to an emergency or unforeseen circumstances then payment will be honoured)
Payment can be made by cash, cheque, credit/debit card or BACS
Fees
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT 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. You will receive a detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us. More common fees (consultations, vaccinations and routine neutering) are available at reception and on our website pages; https://www.midshirevets.co.uk/content/whitestone/wvc-common-prices
Estimates
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs 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 and treatment plans will vary dependant upon earlier test or treatment results.
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 our administration manager Mrs Debbie Holmes.
Should an account not be settled by the end of the month during which treatment was performed, a reminder will be sent with an additional fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges will be incurred.
After due notice to you, the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency and further charges (£ 40 minimum) 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 with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.
Once referred to our debt collection agency, we may withdraw our provision of Veterinary Services.
Insurance
Midshire Vet Group strongly advises pet insurance to cover unexpected illness or injury. We ask that you settle your invoice with the clinic and then reclaim the costs from your insurer. In exceptional circumstances we may allow payment to be delayed pending payment directly from your insurer. Please note however that where there is a delay in payment caused by your insurer this may incur administration fees and we reserve the right to request payment from yourself in this instance.
An small insurance processing fee is applicable per claim.
Medication Prescriptions and Repeat Prescriptions
Only veterinary surgeons may prescribe and authorise medication. The vast majority of routinely used medications are available to be dispensed from the practice. Written prescriptions can be provided on request. There is a fee for this service.
For those patients on long term medications, repeat prescriptions/dispensing may be authorised by the case veterinary surgeon. The period of time that prescriptions can be dispensed for will vary on a case by case basis and will be as advised by the vet. This may vary from a few weeks to several months dependant upon the condition being treated and the condition of the patient.
The maximum period we are able to dispense medication to any patient without a check-up is currently 6 months.
PLEASE NOTE we CANNOT refund any medication once it has left the practice premises. However, we will dispose safely and correctly your old medications issued by this practice free of charge. Pouring medicines away or putting them in landfill poses a greater risk and harm to our environment.
Hospitalised Patients
Where patients require hospitalisation, this will be undertaken at our PAWS surgery or our emergency service provider, Vets Now in Coventry.
Patient Records
Whilst all medical records relating to your pet are the property of Midshire Veterinary Group we are happy for you to view these at any time by request.
Lost + Found Animals
Whilst healthy animals cannot be admitted to the practice all injured animals should in the first instance be reported to the RSPCA who will authorise any veterinary treatment and issue a log number.
Injured wild animals will be checked at the practice free of charge and released where possible.
Stray dogs are dealt with by the Local Authority Dog Warden and via the Local Authority Kennels.
All strays presented to us will be checked for a microchip to enable reunion with an owner as soon as possible.
If you have lost a pet we will be happy to record the details in case your pet is brought to us.
Complaints Procedure
Midshire Veterinary Group is committed to high quality veterinary service and client care. If you are unhappy details of our complaints procedure can be found here; https://www.pawsvets.co.uk/content/generic/complaints-procedure
We hope these questions help you understand our Terms of Business please feel free to contact the practice with any further questions you may have.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the practice Directors. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice, has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.