Terms & Conditions

Registration: 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. Up-to-date contact details are particularly important. If your details change please inform us so we may ensure our data base is as up to date as possible.

Fees: All fees, diets and drugs charges include 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. A written fee list is available on request.

Methods of payment: Itemised bills will be provided with every transaction on request. Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets. We may ask you to pay at time of order for some non-stocked product lines. You may settle your account using: Cash, Credit/Debit card; Maestro, solo, MasterCard, VISA, Delta.

Estimates of treatment costs: We will provide on request 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. We will provide the details of the price of any medicine stocked or sold on request.

Settlement terms: Should an account not be settled within 7 days, a reminder will be sent. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, an additional administrative fee will be incurred, and charged to you. 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. Overdue accounts, after due notice to you, will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made with us. Any card payment not honoured, and cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being returned to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.

Missed appointments or procedures: If you miss an appointment or procedure we reserve the right to charge a missed appointment fee. Clients who have 3 or more missed appointments within any given 12 month period, or who have an excessive history of late cancellations, missed appointments, or a combination of the two, will be subject to discharge from the practice.

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 a director.

Pet health insurance: Bay Vets strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. It is your responsibility to settle your account direct with us. We are happy to assist you in making a claim. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff.

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.

Prescriptions: Under DTI regulations you may request written prescriptions for your pet’s medications. There is a charge for this service – please telephone the practice to ask for the relevant fee. However, you will be responsible for sourcing these medications from a suitable supplier and should bear in mind that delay in the start of treatment may not be in the best interests of the welfare of your pet.

Veterinary prescriptions are not covered by NHS prescription charges and you will have to pay any supplier separately for those drugs, which costs will be at their market rate. In circumstances where it is essential to begin treatment immediately then prescriptions will not be offered. This is most likely to be in the case of injectable medications where a delay would be unacceptable. Prescriptions will not be issued for similar drugs used in anaesthesia or emergency situations.

Complaints and Standards: Bay Vets is an RCVS accredited practice and is regularly inspected and audited for this purpose. We hope you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from the practice, however if you feel that there is something to complain about please see our complaints policy. This can be obtained from any member of staff.

Clinical records: Your pet’s clinical records, including radiographs, ultrasound scan records and laboratory test reports remain the property of Bay Vets and will be kept under the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018. You are entitled to see the records on request and if necessary an appropriate appointment to view them will be made. Your pet’s records will be sent to another veterinary surgeon on request from them. If you require a copy for your personal use, a charge maybe made at the rate for administrative work.

Ownership of radiographs and similar records: The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these examinations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph remains with the practice.

Return of unused drugs: We are happy to accept unused medications back into the practice for disposal only. Drugs which have left the premises and are no longer fit for resale cannot be refunded. Drugs purchased from any other supplier will not be accepted for disposal.

Repeat examinations: It is necessary both for the welfare of your pet and to meet legal obligations, for this practice to re-examine animals receiving long term medications. The interval will vary with the condition and the medication but will be no longer than every 3 months. The prevailing examination fee will be charged for that consultation.

Out of hours cover: Bay Vets run a year round 24hour emergency service. Initial contact should be made via the usual telephone number.

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 partners. No agent of person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

Updated March 2022