Practice Details

Small Animal Clients

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Ribble Vets Ltd. This notice sets out our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be applicable to you, and you are welcome to ask for an explanation or clarification of these Terms.

Fees

All fees, prescription food, drugs charges and ancillary sales 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. You will receive a fee note for every transaction with us, and a more detailed itemisation will be provided on request.

Methods of Payment

We are happy to accept payment using any of the following methods:

Credit/Debit Card, Contactless, Cash, Cheque, BACs (bank details printed on the invoice)

Estimates of Treatment Costs

We will provide an estimate of the probable costs of a course of treatment on request. Please note any written estimate can only be approximate – a pet’s illness does not always follow a conventional or predictable course.

Pet Health Insurance

We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. If your animal is insured, it remains your responsibility to settle your account and then claim the fees from your insurance company.

Payment Terms

All accounts are due for settlement in full at the end of each visit, on discharge of your pet or upon collection of medication / prescription foods.  In the event of an unpaid account, an invoice will be sent to you and failure to pay within 30 days of the Tax Point Date may result in a surcharge of 5% being added to the account and this will be added for each 30 day period it remains outstanding.

Any accounts that remain unpaid after more than 90 days will then be charged a debt administration fee of £10 or 10% of the overdue balance whichever is the greater.

It will automatically be referred to our Debt Collection Agency which will result in further fees being applied such as interest, compensation and debt collection costs.

Inability to Pay

Please ensure you contact us immediately, if you are unable to settle your account in full so we can ensure the charges do not escalate unnecessarily.  Repayment options/instalment plans may be available subject to approval by a Director or the Practice Manager.  This may require you to sign a payment plan agreement, whereby separate Terms & Conditions will be provided should this be offered to you.

Written Prescriptions

Prescriptions are available from this practice at a fee of £18.80.

You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V (POM Vs) from your veterinary surgeon OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs only for animals under his or her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.  You will be informed on request the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal.  The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 4 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances.  The standard charge for a Consultation Medication Review is £42.08.

Complaints and Standards

We sincerely hope that you never have cause for complaint about the standards or service received from Ribble Vets. However, if you feel there is an issue you would like to complain or comment on, please direct your comments in the first instance to the Practice Manager either by post or email.

Ownership of Records

Case records and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, the Practice. Copies, with a summary of the clinical history will be passed on request to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over the case.

Ownership of X-Rays and Similar Documents

The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking X-rays or performing ultrasound scans. We make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, and ownership of the resulting record, for example an X-ray image, 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 a Director or the Practice Manager. No other agent or person employed by, or under contract with the Practice, has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in anyway.

For information on surgery opening times please refer to our practice brochure