General Terms of Engagement
Our Commitment to you as a registered client of Beech
House Veterinary Centre Ltd:
We:
8.
We provide fully itemised accounts if requested.
9.
keep you informed of progress, and of any escalation in
costs once treatment has started
1.
make animal welfare our first consideration in seeking
10. obtain your informed consent to treatment unless delay
to provide the most appropriate attention for animals
would adversely affect your animal's welfare
committed to our care
2.
ensure that all animals under our care are treated
11. ensure that all staff are properly trained and supervised
where appropriate
humanely and with respect
3.
promote responsible animal ownership
4.
maintain and continue to develop our professional
12. ensure that you are made aware of any procedures to be
performed by support staff who are not veterinary surgeons
knowledge and skills
5.
foster and maintain a good relationship with all our
13. recognise that you have freedom of choice
clients, earning your trust, respecting your views and
protecting client confidentiality
6.
uphold the good reputation of the veterinary profession
The professional/client relationship is one of mutual
7.
ensure the integrity of veterinary certification
trust and respect, under which we will:
8.
foster and endeavour to maintain good relationships
with our professional colleagues
9.
understand and comply with our legal obligations in
relation to the prescription, safe-keeping and supply of
veterinary medicinal products
10. familiarise ourselves with and observe the relevant
1.
maintain client confidentiality
2.
treat you with respect, and observe professional courtesies
3.
avoid conflicts of interest
4.
give due consideration to your concerns and wishes where
legislation in relation to veterinary surgeons as
these do not conflict with the patient's welfare
individual members of the profession, employers,
employees and business owners
11. respond fully and courteously to complaints and
We ensure that all our professional activities are covered
by professional indemnity insurance.
criticism
Continuing Professional Development
By providing veterinary services we agree to a
contractual relationship under which we will:
1.
1.
by keeping up to date with the general developments in
ensure that clear written information is provided about
veterinary science, particularly in their area of professional
practice arrangements, including the provision, initial cost
activity and maintain a record of CPD undertaken as
and location of the out-of-hours emergency service, and
information on the care of in-patients
2.
We guarantee that we continue our professional education
evidence of so doing.
2.
We encourage and facilitate participation in CPD
take all reasonable care in using our professional skills to
programmes. As part of this commitment, we close for staff
treat patients
training every Wednesday between 1pm and 4pm.
3.
keep our skills and knowledge up to date
4.
keep within our own areas of competence save for the
Medicines prescribed or supplied by veterinary surgeons
We: -
requirement to provide emergency first aid
5.
maintain clear, accurate and comprehensive case records
1.
Medicines Directorate at all times but we may need to
and accounts
6.
7.
We will at all times aim to offer and explain a range of
reasonable treatment options, including prognoses and
possible side effects
Follow the Cascade system determined by the Veterinary
prescribe a medicine that is not specifically licensed due to
the lack of a suitably licensed veterinary medicine
2.
Ensure you are able to obtain prescriptions, as appropriate
but we as Veterinary Surgeons may prescribe a medicine of
We aim to give realistic fee estimates based on treatment
category Prescription Only Medicine, Veterinarian, [POM-V]
options
only following a clinical assessment of an animal deemed
to be under our care; a prescription may not be appropriate
if the animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is
4.
necessary
3.
Client Satisfaction
1.
requires not only a professional approach on
Subject to any legal restrictions, ensure there is adequate
our part, but that we should be kept aware of
provision of information on medicine prices, including the
any concerns that you have about our care
current prices for the ten relevant veterinary medicinal
and service. We therefore hope that you will
products most commonly prescribed during a recent and
raise any such concerns promptly and frankly,
typical 3-month period, to provide you with a fair and
and indeed tell us of any suggestions to
representative illustration of the practice's medicines prices.
4.
Satisfying your requirements and expectations
improve our services.
Provide the price of any relevant veterinary medicinal
2.
Any concerns or complaints you may have in
product stocked or sold, to you, or other legitimate
relation to our services not resolved informally
enquirers, making reasonable requests; and if requested,
above, should be raised by writing to the
inform you of the price of any medicine to be prescribed or
Practice Manager. They will investigate the
dispensed.
subject matter of the concern or complaint
promptly, and attempt to resolve the issue to
5.
Where possible and relevant, inform you of the frequency
your and our mutual satisfaction.
and charges regarding further examinations of animals
3.
requiring repeat prescriptions.
6.
the concern or complaint relates to the
Practice Manager, you should contact the
Provide you with an invoice that distinguishes the price of
Practice Director, who is responsible for trying
individual relevant veterinary medicinal products.
7.
If such a resolution cannot be achieved, or if
to resolve disagreements between the practice
and clients. They will explain to you the
Advise you, by means of a prominently displayed sign (in
procedure that they will follow to investigate
the waiting room or other appropriate area), with reference
the matter, and to try to resolve the issue in
to prescriptions being available:
question.
“Prescriptions are available from this practice.
4.
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving the
You may obtain relevant veterinary medicinal products from our
Dispensary OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines
from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy.
Practice Director’s report, the complaint or
We may prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products only
following a clinical assessment of an animal under our care.
Road, London, SW1P 2AF.
A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or immediate treatment is necessary.
matter of concern can be referred to the
RCVS, Belgravia House, 62-64 Horseferry
5.
Payment of Fees
1.
Fees are invoiced as the services are provided
You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine
that may be prescribed for your animal.
with payment due at this time (at the time of
The gap between checkups may vary, depending upon the
veterinary medicinal product and the patient. The interval
between prescription and the re-examination may vary from a
few days to an absolute maximum of twelve months for Flea
and Worm treatments, with the Practice’s general policy usually
being a maximum of 3 months, depending upon the situation,
for all other drugs.
our hospital, or when any other services are
your appointment; your pet’s discharge from
performed).
some may be unknown and will therefore be
invoiced at a later date. We do not provide
credit.
We charge our Minimum Check Up Fee of £25.65 for a Reexamination for Repeat Prescriptions. This Minimum Check Up
Fee is charged if the re-examination is on time, otherwise the
normal Consultation Fee will apply. Please give at least 2
working days notice so that we can have them ready for
collection.
Further information on the prices of medicines is available on
request.”
Fees are generally complete
when your pet is discharged from hospital but
2.
We reserve the right to charge 2% interest
each month on any outstanding amounts in
addition to a £25 Administrative Fee for late
payment
6.
Missed Appointments
1.
We ask most respectfully that you arrive on
Your Commitment to us as a registered client of Beech
House Veterinary Centre Ltd:
time for your appointments and if - for
3. Communication
Please ensure you keep us informed of all of your current
contact details and any changes, as they occur. We aim to keep
you informed & in touch and presently use post, text and email
but our commitment to the environment means we would prefer
to use text & email to keep you informed of urgent news and
special offers.
appointment, that you contact us
whatever reason - you cannot attend your
immediately, ideally giving us 24-hours
notice. In this way, we may be able to rebook the appointment, so giving another pet
with more pressing needs, an earlier
opportunity to be seen. Unfortunately, if you
fail to attend, or cancel only a couple of hours
before your appointment, such cases will have
been prevented from being seen at an earlier
and more beneficial opportunity
2.
Therefore, please don’t miss or cancel the
appointment at the last minute; if you do,
then please offer to pay the £10, or please do
not be offended when we ask for £10. We feel
that £10 is a small amount to charge in these
circumstances
7.