Terms & Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care of your pets to Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice (“Practice”). These are our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you. If anything is unclear, please ask for further explanation or clarification.

Registration: It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this, we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold. If your details change please inform us so we may ensure our database is up to date as possible.

Fees: All fees, drugs and diets charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. We will happily provide an estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.

Invoicing and Payment Terms: Payment terms are strictly at point of treatment and subsequent invoice unless an account has previously been agreed with Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice. An itemised invoice will be produced after each investigation or treatment.

Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice reserves the right to add a late payment fee of £25 to any outstanding invoice after 30 days of issue. This late payment fee may be waived at the discretion of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice in exceptional circumstances . Any fees that are outstanding for more than three months will incur a 5% interest charge plus any subsequent debt collecting agency or court fees. 

If a substantial balance is outstanding on a client account the client will be asked to clear this before additional routine veterinary work will be undertaken. If a substantial balance remains outstanding despite requests no further veterinary work will be undertaken apart for emergency first aid. 

Ongoing failure to pay fees will result in Knotts Yard Veterinary Practices informing the client in writing that they are no longer able to provide veterinary care. 

In the event of non payment you will be liable for our costs of recovery which include any legal fees incurred and in addition. We may also refer your account to a debt collection agency and their fees will also be added to your debt and will be payable by you. In the event that court action is necessary all associated costs, including legal fees, will be claimed from you by Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice.

Methods of Payment: All accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge or your pet or upon collection of drugs/or diets. You may settle the account using cash, credit/debit cards or cheque with a valid cheque guarantee card. Equine accounts are due for settlement 30 days from date of invoice.

Inability to Pay: If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified above, we ask you to discuss this prior to the appointment. Obviously in an emergency this may not be possible.

Pet Health Insurance: We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. We are not able to recommend a particular policy, but be aware though that as with any insurance company it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover. We are happy to complete insurance claim form but an administration fee will be charged, all claims that are continuation will only be charge on the first claim. Please remember the contract is between you the client and the insurance company, and we cannot be held responsible for any matters which result in a claim being refused, and in these cases you will be responsible for settling our account in full.

Consent Forms: Before performing any test or procedure on your animal we will ask you to sign a consent form. By signing this form you are agreeing the proposed test or procedure has been clearly explained to you along with any potential consequences or possible complications and you are giving permission for the test or procedure to be carried out. The authorising signatory may be that of an authorised agent if you are not available. All signatories must be over 18 years old. Signing the consent form confirms you agree to pay the associated fees within the timescale laid out under our payment terms above.

Medication: We are obliged by law to use veterinary medicines licensed in the UK for use in a given species wherever possible. Dosages of such medicines must be given as per the manufacturer’s guidelines. Under certain circumstances the best course of treatment for your animal may require the use of a medicine not licensed for a given species or at a dose rate that differs from that recommended by the manufacturer. We may recommend the use of a medicine ‘off licence’ and it will be prescribed for your animal in accordance with the cascade. More information on the cascade can be found on www.gov.uk. Use of medicines in this way will be on the basis of careful consideration of the risks and benefits involved. You will be asked to sign the relevant consent form to indicate that you understand the nature of the medicine that is prescribed. 

Returned Medicines: The British Veterinary Association Code of Practice on Medicines states: ‘Once stock has been dispensed it should not be accepted back into the dispensary. No returned goods should be offered for resale because there may have been problems with storage conditions beyond the veterinarian’s control.’ We are therefore unable to refund the cost of returned medications but our Practice will safely dispose of any unused medications on your behalf. Drugs purchased from any other supplier will not be accepted for disposal.

Prescriptions: Should you require a repeat prescription for your animal we will require 48 hours notice to enable authorisation by a veterinary surgeon and preparation of the prescription ready for collection. Requests can be made via our website, over the phone, by email or in person. We are required by law to examine all animals on repeat or long term medication at regular intervals. This enables us to monitor the animal’s progress and to ensure that the medication given is still appropriate for their condition.

Written prescriptions for Prescription Only Medications, category IV and V, are available on request for animals under the care of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice. This gives you the option of obtaining medicines from another veterinary surgery or a pharmacy. Please note a ‘prescription fee’ is chargeable for this service and is charged per medicine. 

Out of Hours: Visit and consultation charges will be invoiced at an ‘out of hours’ rate for any veterinary service provided outside the normal opening times of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice. Our opening hours are 8.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 11.30am on Saturdays, outside 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

Outside of our normal opening hours, small animal emergencies are dealt with by Norwich Night Vets in Taverham. They provide dedicated emergency care for many vet practices within the Norwich area. Norwich Night Vets have a vet and nurse on site 24 hours a day, ensuring that if your animal needs to be in hospital they can receive proper supervision. More information can be found here www.taverhamvets.co.uk/norwich-night-vet or please talk to any of the vets about this.

Vaccination Reminders: Whilst we make every effort to send out reminders for annual vaccinations, the responsibility to keep them up to date remains with you. In particular, please be aware that Pet Passports require rabies vaccination boosters so please keep a personal record of when this is due.

Complaints and Standards: We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received at our Practice. However, if there is something which you are unhappy about, we would encourage you to let us know, so that we can take appropriate action. Please contact the Practice Manager in the first instance. We will reply to all instances promptly.

If you wish to make a complaint, please do so in writing, to our Practice Manager in the first instance. If you have any cause to dispute the fees on your invoice please contact our Accounts Department within seven days of receiving your invoice. 

Ownership of Records: Case records are the property of, and will be retained by Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice. Copies will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the care of your pet, or to the client following written request. The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make charges for carrying out these examinations and interpreting their result, owner ship of resulting record and similar data will remain with the Practice.

Client Relationship: It is your responsibility to ensure that we have up to date contact details for you and to inform us of any change of ownership of an animal. It is especially important that we have up to date telephone numbers, email addresses and the correct location address for all animals which are not kept at the client’s home. 

It will be in interest of the animal's welfare, continuity of care and treatment and of other considerations relevant to ensuring the best possible treatment and outcomes for animals under the care of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice that we are able to communicate not only with the owner of the animal, but also with others either directly or indirectly involved in the care, management, custody or ownership of the animal in question or its insurance. You accordingly authorise Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice to communicate with any and all such authorised third parties and to convey to them, as necessary, information which, but for this provision, might be regarded as confidential information between Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice and you. These may include farrier and physiotherapy services etc. 

Further you agree that we are permitted to liaise with others either directly or indirectly involved in the care, management, custody, insurance of or ownership of the animal in question or its insurance with regards to payment or recovery of fees incurred in connection with the animal in question. 

If you are acting as an authorised agent of an owner of an animal, (including but not limited to an agent, representative, custodian, referring practice, an insurance company or other third party), you represent, warrant and undertake that you are duly authorised by the owner to engage the services of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice in relation to such animal, provide information and personal data about the owner to Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice and, to the extent that you lack relevant authority, you hereby undertake to indemnify and keep indemnified Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice from and against all consequences of any such want of authority and confirm that you are liable for our fees for providing the services you instructed us to provide. 

Statutory Rights: These terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights. 

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by the Managing Director. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the company has the authority to alter or vary these conditions.

Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice - January 2020