Fauna Terms and Conditions.
Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet to us at Fauna Veterinary Ltd. We aim to provide the very best care for your family member and this document details our Practice Terms and Conditions. If you require any clarification regarding any of the terms, then please email priya@faunavets.co.uk
Consent
Our veterinary staff will recommend treatment plans and courses of action to care for your pet. Wherever possible we will gain your consent before giving any treatment or performing any veterinary services.
In the case of an emergency, we reserve the right to provide such veterinary services as are reasonably necessary at that time. This will be at the professional discretion of the veterinary surgeon providing the service at that time. You will be responsible for the costs incurred to perform these emergency veterinary services and we will provide you with full details of the treatment provided as soon as is possible.
Fauna Veterinary is approved to train Student Veterinary Nurses. Students may be involved in the care of your pet. Students are supervised at all times by qualified Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please ask a member of our team.
Fees
Our prices are quoted inclusive of value added tax or other indirect taxes, duties or levies.
Our fees are determined by the time spent on a case, and according to the drugs, materials and consumables used. Written estimates can be provided on request and remain valid for a period of one month. Please note that any estimate given can only be approximate as a pet’s illness can be unpredictable.
Settlement terms
Full payment is required at the time of consultation, or if the pet is admitted, when they are discharged.
If an account is not settled a reminder will be sent. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, administration charges may be incurred.
After due notice unpaid accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and any further costs incurred to collect the debt will be passed on to the client.
Methods of Payment
You may settle your accounts using cash or credit/debit cards.
We may, at our own discretion, and subject to conditions, accept a request to reclaim fees directly from your pet insurance provider.
Prior to this we will require a completed claim form and proof of insurance, including confirmation about exclusions and the policy excess. This excess plus a direct claim administration fee will need to be paid in full at the time.
If any, or part of your application is rejected, the full balance is payable immediately by yourself.
Pet Insurance
Fauna Veterinary strongly believes in the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents.
Please note that any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer, and it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover. Any queries regarding your insurance should be taken up directly with your pet insurer.
Complaints
We hope to ensure you never have reason to complain about the standards of care received from us.
Making a Complaint:
At Fauna, we aim to provide the highest quality of care for your pet. However, we understand that there may be occasions where our service falls short of your expectations. If you feel this is the case, we want to hear from you as soon as possible so we can resolve the issue promptly and effectively.
In many instances, complaints can arise from misunderstandings that can be quickly clarified. Please be assured that we take all complaints seriously and will investigate each one thoroughly and fairly.
How to Get in Touch:
By Telephone: 01923 881 633
By Post: Fauna Veterinary, 40 Green Lane, Northwood, HA6 2QB
By Email: info@faunavets.co.uk
Information We Need to Help You:
To ensure we can address your concerns as efficiently as possible, please provide the following information in your written complaint:
Mark your letter or email with the subject “Complaint” and keep a copy for your records.
Your full name and your pet’s name.
Your full postal address, including postcode, and a daytime telephone number where we can reach you.
A detailed outline of the situation, including relevant dates and a clear timeline of events.
Your preferred resolution or what you would like us to do next.
Any relevant documents (please retain originals for your records).
What Happens Next?
If you call us, we will try to resolve the issue immediately.
If you submit a written complaint, we will acknowledge receipt within five working days.
If you do not hear from us within seven working days, please call us to confirm whether we have received your complaint.
We may need to contact our veterinary team to investigate the details of your complaint. Once we have completed our investigation, we will send you a written response explaining the outcome.
We aim to resolve all complaints within four weeks from the initial communication.
What happens If You Are Still Not Satisfied?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our internal investigation, you have the option to seek external mediation through the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS). This service is free of charge and can assist with resolving complaints related to service, fees, or professional negligence.
For more information on VCMS, please visit: VCMS Website
You can also contact them at:
Phone: 0345 040 5834
Email: enquiries@vetmediation.co.uk
When Will the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Get Involved?
The RCVS can only investigate serious concerns regarding professional conduct, such as poor performance or failure to meet the standards outlined in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. If your complaint pertains to the professional conduct of a vet or veterinary nurse, you may contact the RCVS at:Phone: 020 7202 0789
RCVS Concern Form: RCVS Concerns
Client Confidentiality
All information relating to both client and patient is held in confidence and in line with the Data Protection Acts.
Please see our privacy policy for further details.
Ownership of Records and Radiographs and similar records
Case records and similar documents are the property of, and retained by, Fauna Veterinary Ltd. Copies, with a summary of the clinical history may be passed on by request, to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over care or at the request of your insurance company. These requests to be in writing to us and will only be released upon settlement in full of any sums outstanding to us.
The care given to your pet may involve doing some specific investigations, for example, taking x-rays, or performing ultrasound scans. Ownership of the resulting records remains with the practice.
Patient Photographs
Photographs of your pet or their conditions may sometimes be used for educational or marketing purposes. Please let us know if you would like for your pet not to be photographed.
Prescriptions
You may purchase Prescription Only Medicines, category V (POM V’s) directly from us or ask for a prescription and purchase these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. You will be charged a fee for the prescription, please ask a member of staff for details.
A prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.
If you request a repeat prescription for your pet, we will only supply the medication if;
your pet is registered with us, your pet has been seen by our veterinary surgeon in the last three – six months (depending on medication) and the veterinary surgeon caring for your pet authorises the issue of the repeat prescription.
A standard consultation charge will be applied for each re-examination under such circumstances.
In accordance with the Medicines Act we will always use a veterinary licensed product if possible. Any use of off-licence medication will be based upon our knowledge of its use in animals and an assessment made of the risks and benefits involved. Please speak to a veterinary surgeon if you have any concerns regarding this.
Opening Hours
Fauna Veterinary Ltd normal working hours are published online and may vary from time to time.
Outside these hours we have provisions in place to provide emergency care. Further details concerning the precise arrangements for emergency care are available in the practice.
No alteration may be made to these terms and conditions without the express written permission of the Practice Principal. We reserve the right to up-date or amend these terms and conditions at any time.
By accepting the above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the terms & conditions of Fauna Veterinary Ltd. service provision.
Conduct
We expect all clients to treat our Fauna team with respect just as we will treat all our clients. If we feel our staff are being disrespected we will issue the client with a written warning. If following that warning the client is unable to act appropriately with our staff we reserve the right to ask them to register elsewhere.
How do we collect information from you?
We obtain information about you when you register with the practice, purchase products or services from the practice or use our website (for example, when you complete a contact form).
We have CCTV in and around the practice for the purposes of prevention and detection of crime and employee monitoring.
Some of the information we collect may be classed as personal data as defined by UK data protection laws.