Terms & conditions

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Terms of Service 

The Countryside Vet Ltd is a mobile veterinary services. As a mobile vet offering additional services, we come to your home (or in certain circumstances to a remote setting where appropriate) and bring the necessary equipment and medication we need. During the visit, we aim to provide you and your animal with the highest standard of treatment and care. 

As a single handed vet offering a mobile service, we are unable to provide you with the number of services/facilities that are typically available at a full-service practice. As such, to ensure the best for you and your animal, you must also be registered with a primary ‘bricks and mortar’ practice to provide the facilities and equipment that your pet may need (for example surgery, hospitalisation, xrays, ultrasound, etc) if/when your animal is unwell and requires more than the basic emergency first aid and pain relief that we can offer.  You are welcome to chose whichever primary ‘bricks and mortar’ practice you prefer, but to ensure we fulfil all the requirements your pet needs, we work closely with Arun Veterinary Group in Chichester to ensure your pets 24/7 provisions are met.

All veterinary services shall be supplied in accordance with normal professional standards under the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).  

If you need clarification on any of our terms, please contact us. 

We reserve the right to decline registration to supply Veterinary Services at our discretion. Your rights for basic emergency first aid and pain relief will not be compromised.  

These Terms of Service and the resulting contract between the client and The Countryside Vet Ltd shall be governed by the Laws of England and Wales. 

Practice contact details 

Telephone number:  01243 943501 / 07842245387

Email: info@thecountrysidevet.co.uk

Normal Business Hours 

Monday to Thursday: 08:30-17:00

Friday: 08:30-16:00. 

Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays: Closed. 

With prior arrangement, appointments can be made outside of these hours.  

Out of Hours and Emergency Care   

Given that we are a mobile service limited to wellness related appointments, we can only provide basic emergency first aid and pain relief during opening hours. If you have any concerns about your pet inside our opening hours, please call. Alternatively, your registered veterinary practice may be able to provide more than basic emergency first aid and pain relief.  

If you have concerns about your pet outside of our opening hours, please contact our out-of-hours provider Arun Veterinary Group/ South Downs Emergency Vets based in Chichester (01243 978800), who will provide basic emergency first aid and pain relief on our behalf, and may also provide more given that they are equipped with additional facilities. Alternatively, please contact your registered veterinary practice and their out-of-hours. 

Appointment Times 

At the time of booking, we will give you an approximate time for your appointment with us. However due to the nature of a mobile veterinary business, please be aware that there can on occasion be delays. If we can foresee a delay in your appointment time, we will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible to keep you informed. Any last minute cancellation due to a delay of less than 1 hour of the approximated time will be subject to charges as per our cancellation policy.  

Fees 

All fees and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent (including travel), and according to the drugs, materials, and consumables used. Details of fees are available on request, and a detailed invoice can be provided on request.  

Methods of Payment 

Full payment is required prior to, or at the time of the appointment. Your account may be settled using cash or BACS. Your animals right to emergency first aid and pain relief will not affected by any financial arrangements. 

Estimates of Treatment Costs 

An estimate can be provided on request with the expected costs. Please bear in mind that estimates are 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. Estimates are valid for 28 days. 

Settlement Terms 

If, for any reason, your account has not been settled at the time of consultation, after 7 days you will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency or the County Courts if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made. This could incur you further costs whilst collecting the debt.  

Inability to Pay 

If, for any reason, you find yourself in the position of being unable to settle your account in full, we ask you to discuss this matter at the time of consultation. Please note that instalments or part payments of your account may only be sanctioned, in exceptional circumstances under the direction or the Directors. 

Cancellation Policy 

Any appointment cancelled within 48 hours is subject to a cancellation fee at the total value of the consultation or service booked. The only exception to this is a euthanasia appointment where an emergency has occurred which has necessitated alternative arrangements for euthanasia to ensure your pets welfare. 

Pet Insurance 

We recommend veterinary insurance to protect against the unexpected fees incurred following illness or accident, however please note that any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer. Please be aware that the majority of the limited services we provide are not often covered under most insurance policies. If they are, it is your responsibility to settle your account, and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company, so we are unable to accept direct claims. We will complete the relevant sections of any insurance forms that we need to complete, however reserve the right to charge an administrative fee to cover basic costs should your insurance company require additional information/paperwork/letters. 

Always refer to the terms and conditions of your policy with the insurance provider, and directly any queries regarding your insurance with your insurance provider. 

Prescriptions 

You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal. 

Written prescriptions are available to prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products only following a clinical assessment of an animal under their care. You may request 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. A charge is made for writing and supplying a written prescription. The period of time a written prescriptions is valid will vary depending on the medication prescribed.  

Further information on the prices of medicines and examinations is available on request. 

Please be aware we will only provide prescriptions for medicines which are directed for use under the limited services we provide.  

Referral or second opinion

Although uncommon due to the services we offer, from time to time we may suggest referral to a specialist and/or outside consultants for a consultation, investigations or a procedure. If you decide to proceed with the referral, you consent to us passing your contact details on to the referral centre or consultant so they can contact you to arrange a mutually convenient appointment. The referral centre or consultant will then notify me of the appointment date and we will arrange for the medical records to be sent to that referral centre or consultant in advance of the appointment.  

You are entitled, at your own cost, to seek a second opinion on or concerning any Veterinary Services we provided. This can be made by means of referral should you request. 

You are also entitled to use our services as a second opinion for advice, however please be aware of the limitations in the services we offer to ensure they are appropriate to your pets needs. If in doubt, please contact us. If you do request this, we will require your animal’s clinical history to be sent over from your primary practice. The simplest way to facilitate this is for you to call your practice and request they email your clinical history to our email address. Alternatively, we will ask for the details of your current veterinary surgeon, and require express written permission and consent to personal data such as your name and address/email address/telephone number being shared with your current veterinary surgeon to enable us to request your animal’s medical history. They will then call you to obtain consent to send over yours clinical history together with your information (name and address/email address/telephone number) under GDPR regulations.  

Products
All products supplied must only be used in accordance with the instructions issued with them, or as verbally given by the veterinary surgeon. Any products supplied shall be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose as expressly agreed by the veterinary surgeon providing the veterinary service and shall comply with any description given.  All other warranties, expressed or implied, are excluded. In the event of any defect or failure in any product supplied to you, which is attributed to our fault, our liability shall be restricted to replacing the said product or refunding the price paid by you.   

Complaints 

We aim to ensure clients are satisfied with the services we provide, however if you are dissatisfied and do wish to complain, please contact us in writing via email. All written complaints will be responded to within 28 days. We will then investigate the matter fully and resolve the situation at the earliest opportunity. The time from complaint to resolution can vary depending on the individual circumstances, availability of personnel and complexity of the problem.  

Please note we may share your information with our insurers, indemnity providers, or other professional advisors if we think that this will help us to resolve your complaint more effectively. 

Any dispute, whether resulting from a complaint or otherwise, shall be first referred to mediation and, if not resolved at mediation, to the Courts of England and Wales. 

Feedback 

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

Your Pet's Clinical History

A clinical history must be sent to us from your primary practice prior to your appointment with us. Following our appointment a report with relevant information will be provided back to your primary practice. 

By engaging with our services you are providing explicit consent for your personal information to be transferred between us (The Countryside Vet Ltd), Arun Veterinary Group/ South Downs Emergency Vets, and/or your chosen primary 'bricks and mortar' practice under GDPR law. 

At any vaccination appointments, please ensure you provide a vaccination history at your appointment, either in the form of a completed and up-to-date vaccination card or a print out of your clinical record.  

Client data and confidentiality 

Under normal circumstances we will not disclose to any third party any information about a client or their animal either given by the client, or revealed by clinical examination. The duty of confidentiality is important but it is not absolute and information can be disclosed in certain circumstances, for example: where your consent has been given, disclosure can be justified by animal welfare concerns or the wider public interest, or disclosure is required by law. 

In addition to the duty of confidentiality, the personal data of clients must be handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please note that animal data falls outside the scope of the GDPR. Under the GDPR, the disclosure of personal data without consent is permitted where it is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, or for the purpose of a legitimate interest. Accordingly, the GDPR is not a barrier to the reporting of concerns and suspicions to the appropriate authorities.  

Permission to pass on confidential information may be express or implied. Express permission may be either verbal or in writing, usually in response to a request. Permission may also be implied from circumstances, for example in the making of a claim under a pet insurance policy, when the insurance company becomes entitled to receive all information relevant to the claim and to seek clarification if required. 

We keep records of 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 company 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. 

For further details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.  

Ownership of Records 

In accordance with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines:
Clinical and client 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 company 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. 

Mutual Relationship 

The veterinary surgeon/client relationship is founded on mutual respect and trust. We reserve the right to terminate my services to any client who in any way damages this relationship. Once notice for termination has been given, you will be given 14 days to find alternative veterinary care, during which time we will only be obliged to provide emergency services including pain relief and first aid.  

Severance 

If any of these Terms and Conditions should be determined to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction then such Term or Condition shall be severed and the remaining Terms and Conditions shall survive and remain in full force and effect and continue to be binding and enforceable.

March 2023

The Countryside Vet Ltd

Company No. 14717975

Registered Office 15 Bowen Lane, Petersfield, GU31 4DR