Our Commitment to You

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Chichester Vets Ltd. We aim to provide you with a first class service and your animal with the highest standard of treatment and care.

Fees

All fees, diet 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. Details of our fees are available on request and a detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, investigation, surgical procedure or other transaction. No drug or food will be dispensed without payment. Estimates can also be provided on request – see details below.

Methods of Payment

Accounts are due for settlement in full at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your animals or upon collection of drugs/diets. Your account may be settled using:
Cash
Credit/Debit card
Cheque
Bacs

Estimates of Treatment Costs

We will, upon request, be pleased to provide a written estimate as to the expected cost of a course of treatment, investigations and a surgical procedure. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, as sometimes an animal’s treatment will not follow a predictable course. The final invoice may be above or below the original estimate, depending upon clinical circumstances. Where possible we will keep clients updated if costs are likely to exceed the original estimate, although in a clinical emergency this may not always be possible.

Settlement Terms

If for any reason your account has not been settled at the end of consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collections of drugs/diets, an invoice will then be issued at the end of the month. In the event of non-payment within the following month, a further invoice will be sent which will incur administrative costs. Overdue accounts, after due notice to you, will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency or the County Courts if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made with us. This could incur you further costs whilst collecting the debt. Any cheque, which you issue which is returned unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in your account being restored to the original sum together with any fees incurred in the process.

Inability to Pay

If, for any reason, you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your account, we ask you to discuss this matter as soon as possible with the office manager. Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of the office manager.

Pet Health Insurance

Chichester Vets Ltd strongly recommends the principle of veterinary insurance to protect against the unexpected fees incurred following illness or accident. While it is your responsibility to settle your account with us and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company, we are happy to assist you with this (we do charge an administrative fee to cover basic costs).

Written prescriptions

Written prescriptions are available from the practice. You may ask for a written prescription and obtain Prescription Only Medicines (POM Vs) from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. A prescription may not be appropriate however if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. Please note that we cannot take responsibility for medications purchased elsewhere. A charge is made for writing and supplying a written prescription.

Client data and confidentiality

We keep records of our patients in both hand written format and on a computer database, including certain essential details about their owners. This information is entirely for use within the practice and is not divulged to any third party without prior consent of the client. Please note, however, that pet insurance invariably confers right of access to records by the insurance company.

Complaints

We aim to provide the highest standard of patient and client care at all times and hope that our service does not give you cause for complaint. However, if you do wish to complain, please contact a member of our reception staff in the first instance. Our office manager will assist with any issues that remain unresolved and where appropriate they will escalate the matter to the Directors. See below for complaints procedure.

Feedback

We are always pleased to received compliments/feedback on the service we provide.

Ownership of Records

In accordance with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines:
Clinical and client records including diagnostic images and similar records, are the property of, and should be retained by, veterinary surgeons in the interests of animal welfare and for their own protection. Although clients do not own their clinical records, they have the right to access information about themselves under data protection legislation as well as under professional guidelines set by the RCVS.
Upon request copies of records with a summary of the history of your animal will be passed to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over your animal’s well being.

Variations of Terms and Conditions of Business

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless specifically agreed in writing by the Chichester Vets Ltd Directors. Additionally, no agents or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these terms and conditions in any way.

Complaints Procedure

Chichester Vets Ltd is committed to providing the highest standards of patient care. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve is by listening and responding to the views of our clients, including responding positively on occasions when expectations are not met.
We hope that we will always be given the opportunity to address any concerns, most of which can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and directly with the person concerned.
If, however, the problem cannot be resolved immediately, please speak to our Office Manager, either in person or by telephone on 01243 779111. They will hopefully be able to address your concerns personally and promptly. If this is not possible they will clearly explain any further action necessary including time frames. If you are still not satisfied, please put your concerns in writing.

Please be aware that if you leave things too long after the event, it may be impossible to investigate the complaint properly; therefore it is always best to alert us to any concerns you may have at the time. To help us to help you, please provide as much detail as possible with regards to dates, times, personnel involved and the nature of the complaint and the outcome you are hoping for.
All written complaints will be acknowledged within five working days, detailing the proposed actions, how we will keep you updated and the timescales involved. The time from complaint to resolution can vary depending on the individual circumstances, availability of personnel and complexity of the problem.
If we do not succeed in resolving the problem to your satisfaction, you should contact the professional conduct department of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons at Belgrave House, 62- 64 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AF.