Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Folly Gardens Veterinary Clinic. The information set out below details our practice terms and conditions of business. Some of this information may not be relevant to you and if you have any queries arising from this document, please ask for further explanation or clarification from one of our team members.
All practising Veterinary Surgeons must be registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and are bound by the provisions of the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct. Folly Gardens Veterinary Clinic offer a high and continually improving standard of care within the parameters of the RCVS guidelines.
Ownership records & case histories
Records of all treatment and examinations received by your pet are recorded on our veterinary practice management system to ensure that any veterinary surgeon examining your pet knows the medical history of your pet. Where treatment has been provided by another veterinary practice the practice reserves the right to contact your former veterinary surgeon to obtain a full case and treatment history for all animals to be treated.
The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, together with all other case records, remains with the practice. Should the information need to be passed to another veterinary practice (for example, in the case of referrals) a copy shall be produced.
Fees and treatment instructions
All fees, diets and drug charges 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 and diets used. Our full written price list is available on request. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us. If we receive instructions from a person acting on your behalf to provide treatment to one of your animals, we would respectfully remind you that responsibility for all our costs and charges lies with you, as if you yourself had given us the instructions.
Under the care of your veterinary surgeon and repeat prescriptions
Many of the drugs supplied by your veterinary surgeon can only be supplied to you if your animal is under the care of one of our veterinary surgeons. For most conditions this will mean that it will be necessary for the vet to examine your pet immediately prior to prescribing a drug for the first time. Following this, if your pet requires a repeat prescription or written prescription of medication, you will need to give us 24 hours notice so that we can ensure the script is written or that we have the correct drugs available for your request. Where your pet requires repeat medication it will be necessary for the vet to see your pet at least every 3 – 6 months, in some cases the vet may require to see your pet more often.
For certain flea and worming products it will be possible to prescribe these drugs providing the vet has seen your pet within the last 12 months for its annual health check and vaccination. If we have not seen your pet within the last 12 months it will not be possible to prescribe these products but we will be happy to carry out a full health examination during a consultation with the vet for the prescription of flea and worming products. For all repeat prescription requests, please be advised that Prescription Only Medicines (POM-V & POM- VPS) will not be dispensed to anyone under the age of 16 years. Please be aware that proof of age may be requested.
Insured Animals
Folly Gardens Veterinary Clinic strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask a member of our team for details about insurance.
Even if your pet is insured, responsibility for payment of fees remains with you the client at all times and you will be asked to pay for any treatment given to an insured pet at the time of treatment. You will then be able to claim the fees directly from the insurance company less any excess due on the policy.
Due to the time taken to accurately complete an insurance claim form for submission to an insurance company, Folly Gardens reserves the right to charge for this service.
Payment Terms
Our payment terms require payment in full on delivery of treatment or collection of your animal or prescriptions, as appropriate. If payment is not received within seven days of treatment, we reserve the right to add a fee to your bill to cover administration charges. After due notice has been given to you, the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as court fees etc.
Where medicines or products are collected by a person acting on your behalf, goods must either have been paid for beforehand or paid for at the time of collection. Payment can be made in the following ways: cash, credit cards, switch and debit cards. Payment can be taken over the telephone.
Estimate of treatment costs
We will happily provide an estimate of the probable treatment costs on request and in good faith. You must, however, understand that complications or unforeseen circumstances could arise which may require additional treatments or further surgical interventions and that we will charge you for these as they occur.
Out of hours service
Folly Gardens, Barton Road, Tewkesbury –is currently closed for Veterinary treatment. Your telephone calls will be re-directed to our Walton Cardiff branch. Surgeries are run on an appointment system
Out of Hours – Folly Gardens subscribes to a dedicated Out of Hours Service with skills staff dedicated to providing effective and reliable emergency treatment. If you require a Veterinary Surgeon in an emergency, outside of our normal opening hours please telephone our normal number, where you will be given the telephone number of the duty veterinary service.
Overnight Hospitalisation - If your pet requires observation or treatment during the night, they will be transferred to our Out of Hours service who will monitor the patient throughout the night. Please be aware that there is no on site accommodation for staff at Folly Gardens, therefore should your pet remain on the premises overnight, they will be alone in the building.
Complaints
We hope you never have reason to complain about the standard of service received from the team at Folly Gardens Veterinary Clinic. However if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your complaint in the first instance to Mr Brad Cooper MRCVS.
Telephone Recording
Please note that our calls both incoming and outgoing are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by a director. No agent or person employed by or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
Over 30 years of caring for our clients pets’ well-being