Terms & Conditions

At Mount Vets, we’re committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet to Mount Vets. This form details our practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation or clarification if required.

There are certain situations where the best treatment of your pet may require the use of drugs that do not hold an appropriate licence for the species concerned. These drugs may be human medicines or veterinary drugs licensed for use in different species and include some commonly used medicines such as pain relief drugs. These drugs will only be used when they are indicated and deemed necessary and no licensed alternatives exist. Their use is sometimes referred to as “off licence”. If you have any questions about the use of off licence drugs then please do not hesitate to discuss them with one of our veterinary surgeons.

We are able to supply nearly all POM-V (Prescription Only Medicine – Veterinarian) drugs to our clients as required for their pet’s health. However, we are only able to do this for animals under our care. Pets requiring repeat prescriptions are usually re-examined every four months to monitor their progress, although this may vary due to individual circumstances. We are also able to provide private prescriptions for POM-V drugs to animals under our care by the same arrangement. Our staff will be pleased to inform you of the price of any medications upon request.


Terms and Conditions for Small Animal Clients

Records

The Practice keeps computer records containing client information, clinical records about your pet and any financial history you may have with the Practice. These records are held in accordance with The Data Protection Act 2018. Please be assured that our client records are treated as absolutely confidential. They are used for practice use only but may be sent to insurance companies for claims processing, other veterinary practices (referrals, moving to a different area) and for the purposes of debt collection.

Fees

All fees, diet and medications charged are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fees are determined by the time spent on the case and the medications, diets and consumable products used. Details of all our fees are available on request.

Payments

We require payment immediately after any consultations, upon collection of any medicines or food, and if you buy any products at reception. Payment for operations or procedures is required upon collection of your pet from the practice. If your pet is seen out of hours then payment is required at the end of the consultation unless your pet is hospitalised and then payment is required upon collection of your pet from the practice.

We accept payment by

  • CASH
  • CHEQUE with current bankers card
  • CREDIT/DEBIT CARD Switch/Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Delta including telephone payments. We do not accept American Express.

We respectfully remind clients that the terms of business at Mount Vets require payment to be made at the time of treatment.

Estimates

We will happily provide an estimate of the probable costs of treatment. Please be aware that any estimate given can only be approximate and your pet’s condition may not follow a conventional course and may require additional treatment. An upper limit to costs for any planned investigation or treatments can be agreed and we try to contact clients whenever possible where estimates are likely to be exceeded.

Pet Health Insurance

Mount Vets supports and recommends insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. Insurance ensures that you do not have to compromise your pet’s treatment for financial reasons. We recommend lifetime insurance cover for your pets so that your pet remains insured for conditions that may persist for several years.

We offer a direct claim service for £21.00 per claim to our clients. To help us process your insurance claim, you will need to provide us with an insurance claim form and pay your excess at the start of any condition. Any items that are not covered by your insurance policy will need to be paid for at the time.

Please remember that it is the responsibility of the policyholder to ensure that all the terms and conditions of the insurance policy are met. If your insurance company declines the claim, you will be responsible for paying all the fees direct to the practice.

Please ask for details about insurance from any staff member.

Complaints and Standards

Mount Vets are committed to providing outstanding patient care and excellent client service. We hope that you should never have any reason to complain about the standards of service received from Mount Vets. On the rare occasion that any part of our service should not meet your expectations, we have implemented a procedure designed to resolve any complaint speedily and satisfactorily. It is the policy of Mount Vets that all complaints are taken seriously and are dealt with uniformly. In the first instance please contact the Practice Manager, Beverley Snow who is available on 01823 662286 during office hours between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm or via email at office@mountvets.com.

All complaints received will be acknowledged within 3 working days and a proposed resolution to the complaint be issued within 10 working days. The complaint will be escalated to one of the directors for resolution where necessary.

In the event you remain dissatisfied then you can raise your complaint with the Veterinary Client Mediation Service who can be contacted at:-

Veterinary Client Mediation Service,

6 Market Square,

Bishop’s Stortford,

Hertfordshire,

CM23 3UZ

Or telephone 0345 040 5834 and press option 1.

The Veterinary Client Mediation Service can only mediate complaints which have already been raised with the veterinary practice in writing.

We are also keen to hear if you feel you have received exceptional service from a staff member so that we can recognise and reward our staff for their dedication and hard work.