Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your horse to Central Equine Vets.
This page details our Practice Terms & Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you contact the surgery (0131 664 5606) for further explanation/clarification if required.
REGISTRATION
By registering with us by phone, in person or by e-mail means that you agree to abide by our terms and condition of business. It also includes consent for the occasions when equine patients which we are treating may have to be prescribed commonly used medicines (usually human) that have not been specifically licensed for horses. We might ask for further informed written consent if we consider that the use of these medicines might be potentially dangerous to your horse.
Clients registering for the first time out of hours, must pay for treatment in cash to the attending duty vet.
PLEASE NOTE: Central Equine Vets has a minimum age requirement of 18 years old and over to register or hold an account with Central Equine Vets. Should anyone under the age of 18 years old wish to register, it will need to be completed by a parent or legal guardian as the legal account holder and bill payer.
FEES
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate, where applicable. 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 upon request. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.
NO SHOWS
Please note that it is at the vet's discretion that a fee may be chargeable should the vet attend an appointment that the client has forgotten about/fails to show at. In these instances, as a minimum, the visit fee is chargeable if the vet gets to the appointment and no-one arrives. In some cases, depending on the length of time the vets waits / tries to contact the client etc, professional time may also be charged in addition to this.
METHODS OF PAYMENT
You may settle the account using:
ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment/procedure. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate - often an illness will not follow a conventional course.
SETTLEMENT TERMS
Invoices are produced on the Wednesday of every week and posted out. All invoices are due for payment 14 days following the invoice date. Any client with an outstanding invoice beyond this point will be called by our practice manager to discuss the matter and to arrange for a payment to be made. If payment is not made at this point, then the outstanding invoice will be subject to a late payment fee of 10%. Accounts outstanding for 2 months or more may be referred to a debt collection service and/or legal proceedings taken. This fee together with all other charges and legal fees incurred will be the responsibility of the customer and will be legally enforceable. Invoices outstanding for more than 90 days will be subject to a further late payment fee of 1.2% of the outstanding balance each month until the debt is cleared. 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 together with appropriate late payment fees 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 one of the partners (Malcolm Corsar, Matt Hanks or Holly Marshall). Please note that a payment plan may only be sanctioned with the express permission of one of the partners. If a payment plan is not honoured then the debt is immediately payable in full and a £40 *late payment fee added. Further late payment fees at 1.2% monthly on the balance outstanding thereafter.
INSURANCE
Central Equine Vets strongly supports insuring your horse against unexpected illness or accidents. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance Company.
WRITTEN PRESCRIPTIONS
Central Equine Vets would be happy to provide a written prescription for drugs required in the treatment of your horse by request. We require 48 hours notice for this service (fee applicable).
COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS
Central Equine Vets take all complaints very seriously and our Partners Malcolm Corsar, Matthew Hanks and Holly Marshall will happily discuss any grievances in person, via telephone or in writing in the first instance.
OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS
Case records, including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Central Equine Vets. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
OWNERSHIP OF RADIOGRAPHS AND SIMILAR RECORDS
The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs 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 by one of the practice partners. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
* Section 5A of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998
