Terms of Business
Thank you for choosing Moorgate Veterinary Group and entrusting our practice to care for your pet/animals. The following terms and conditions are set out for your information. As a mixed practice some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you so we would be happy to discuss any of the content further should you wish.
Our friendly team is here to help you during the following opening times:
Bovey Tracey: Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm
Saturday 8:30am to 1:30pm
Moretonhampstead: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am to 6:30pm
Tuesday & Friday 8:30am to 5pm
Saturday 10am to 12pm
Christow: By appointment – this surgery is manned by the vet alone for consultations only.
In order to provide the best service to all of our clients, consultations are by appointment. Please contact the surgery to arrange a suitable time. Appointments for the Christow surgery are made through the Bovey Tracey surgery. Urgent cases will always be seen on the same day. As we are a very busy practice, please advise us if you are running late or if you wish to cancel an appointment. Any missed appointments may be charged for.
In cases of emergency, a phone call to the surgery detailing the emergency is recommended. We operate our own 24 hour emergency service from our Bovey Tracey surgery. One of our vets is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When the surgery is closed please call us on the usual number and you will be forwarded to a specialist call handling service who will contact the duty vet on your behalf with your preferred contact details. The charge for an out of hour’s call out is dependent on the time of day.
Call Out- Out of Hours (8am-10pm) - £60.00 + Consult Fee - £40.00
Call Out - Out of Hours (10pm-8am) - £120.00 + Consult Fee - £40.00
We carry out a variety of surgical procedures here at Moorgate. Operations and admissions take place at our Bovey Tracey surgery. Routine surgical procedures take place five days a week.
We also carry out routine surgical procedures at our Moretonhampstead branch on Wednesdays.
Hospitalised animals are cared for throughout the day by the nurses and veterinary surgeons on duty at our Bovey Tracey surgery.
A Veterinary Surgeon or Nurse is not continually on the premises overnight. After our premises close, a Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary Nurse or Animal Nursing Assistant will check your pet at intervals as deemed necessary by the case veterinary surgeon.
If possible we recommend that patients are brought into the surgery where we can offer more extensive facilities. We are aware that this is not always possible and we are able to carry out a home visit for an extra charge. We ask that for same day, routine visits you contact the surgery before 10am.
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. You can request a detailed copy of your account. Please ask one of our receptionist at the time. We are always happy to advise you of our fees prior to treatment if you are worried about costs. You are liable for any fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your pet is brought in on your behalf by a relative, friend or agent.
In line with standard veterinary practice, all small animal client accounts are due for immediate settlement: at the end of the consultation, on your pet’s discharge or upon collection of drugs or diets. Large Animal Accounts are processed once a month and payment is due 30 days from the invoice date. Non-payment will incur a credit surcharge after 30 days. After due notice (to you the client), overdue accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges will be levied in respect of the costs incurred in collecting the debt: production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.
We accept cash, cheques, BACS payments, as well as credit/ debit cards (Switch, MasterCard, Solo, Visa).
Any cheque returned by our Bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honored or any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs together with interest on the principal sum.
If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with our Practice Manager Tracy Laban. Please note that installments or part-payments of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of the Practice Manager.
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable cost 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. We will try to contact you on the contact numbers you have given us if we believe the treatment costs are going to exceed the estimated costs. If you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.
You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POM Vs) from our veterinary surgery or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. Our veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs only for animals under his or her care. A written prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.
We ask for 48 hours’ notice for repeat prescriptions to be prepared. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 3-6 months (every 12 months for flea and worming preparations), but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination for a repeat is £27.50 inc vat.
Written Prescription charge per animal/medication - £16.00
If you wish to collect a repeat prescription from Christow, we ask that you book an appointment in advance. Please note no medications including flea & worm treatment are kept at Christow, therefore it is important that if you wish to collect these that they are ordered in advance.
We are happy to accept unused medication back into the practice for disposal only. However due to government legislations drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale, no refund can be given. A charge will be made to dispose of medicines purchased from another supplier.
It is our policy to provide the best care possible to animals under our care. In cases where we feel your pet may benefit from greater expertise in a specific area, we may consider arranging an appointment for your pet at a specialist veterinary centre; this is known as a referral. After the specialist treatment, you will be referred back to us to continue your pet’s treatment. Clients must settle their referral account with the referral centre directly.
If you are disappointed at the progress your pet is making while under treatment at Moorgate it is your right to seek a second opinion. It is in your pet’s best interest that you discuss your concerns with your veterinary surgeon. He or she will be in the best position to recommend whose opinion to seek. Ideally we would wish you to see another of our vets, or to refer you to a specialist. If you wish to see a different local veterinary surgeon you are free to make an appointment and we will provide all relevant clinical information when requested.
Insurance can help you cover the cost of these unexpected bills leaving you free to concentrate on helping an important member of your family recover. If you would like to make a claim through your insurance or have any queries. You can contact our Practice Administrator Becky Reynolds on [email protected]
As a practice we strongly recommend that all pet or horse owners insure against veterinary expenses, which can be ongoing and costly. We ask that treatment or consultations are paid for at the time and once the relevant paperwork has been completed your insurance company will reimburse you at their discretion. We do not do direct claims unless you are insured with Vetsure.(Alternatively we recommend that you set up a bank account for your pet(s), saving money for when it is needed.)
Photographs of your pet may on occasion be used for educational or marketing purposes, please let us know if you would prefer this not to happen.
We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Click Privacy Policy here to see our client Privacy Policy for further information or click here to see our Privacy Policy for www.moorgatevets.co.uk.
Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by Moorgate Veterinary Group. Copies or a summary of the history will be passed directly, upon request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking of radiographs or laboratory tests. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record remains with the practice.
Here at Moorgate Veterinary Group we pride ourselves on being a compassionate practice that offers the best care and attention to all animals, large and small. We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from the practice, however there may be an occasion when you feel your expectations are not met. We hope that if this is the case you will give the surgery a chance to put it right.
If you wish to make a formal complaint we would like you to let us know in writing within three months. In the first instance please address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager. Alternatively complaint forms are available on request from reception. An acknowledgement letter will be sent once your formal complaint has been received.
Any suggestions for improving our services are very welcome. Feedback forms are available on request from reception.
No addition or variation of these Conditions will bind the Practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Directors.