Thank you for choosing Wrights’ Veterinary Services Limited (trading as Wrights’ Vets) for the veterinary care for your pets. By registering your pet with us then you agree to have read and understood these terms and conditions which apply to all services and products provided by Wrights’ Veterinary Services Limited (WVS).

All services will be provided in accordance to the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966 (including any exemptions governed by Schedule 3 of that Act) and in accordance with the standards laid down in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon’s Guides of Professional Conduct for veterinary surgeons and registered veterinary nurses and the guidelines for practice standards.

As a practice we accept veterinary and nursing students but any procedures undertaken by them will only be done under direct and constant supervision of a fully qualified member of staff.

All fees, including profession fees and product drug charges, are available on request and are subject to Value Added Tax at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the complexity and time necessary for the procedure and depending on the drugs, consumables and materials used. A member of staff will be happy to discuss any queries you may have.

Payment is due at the time of treatment or discharge unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance. Invoices may be settled using cash or credit/debit cards (excluding American Express). Card payments can be taken over the phone. BACS payments are to be paid to the bank account shown on the foot of your invoice and should include your invoice number as an account reference.

Should an account not be settled a reminder will be sent. Should accounts remain unpaid, they will be referred to our debt collection agency. All further charges, including but not limited to administration charges, court fees, and attendance at court will be payable by the client.

Any cheque or credit/debit card transaction not honoured, or any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the account being restored to the original sum with further charges added to cover bank charges and administrative costs.

If the debt is a business to business debt, then we will pursue payment of all charges and interest to which we are entitled under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 including any administrative costs. If outstanding accounts are referred for legal proceedings the Court Fees and Legal Costs will also be claimed.

If for any reason, you are unable to settle your account, we ask you to discuss the matter with a member of staff, as soon as possible and before treatment takes place. Emergency treatment to alleviate suffering will always be given irrespective of ability to pay as per the RCVS guidelines. 

We will have discussed with you the probable costs of a course of treatment or surgical procedure prior to undertaking/beginning it. Please bear in mind that any estimate given is only approximate and additional costs which cannot be predicted may arise as treatment progresses. We will make every effort to discuss any increase in estimate with you prior to continuing with treatment. In emergency situations this may not be possible and in this case the veterinary team will instigate life-saving alterations to the treatment plan prior to informing you.

Wrights’ Vets strongly recommends insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. However it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover. While we can advise on the differences between types of insurance policies we are unable to comment on any particular companies.

It is your responsibility to pay any excess and any percentage of the outstanding costs that may be required by your policy and to have knowledge of any condition exclusions. If, for any reason, the insurer refuses payment, you will still be fully liable for all costs incurred. We allow 30 days from completion of the claim form to receiving settlement. Should the insurer not settle within that time period, you may be required to settle the outstanding fees in full.

It is our practice policy that fees are settled by clients and insurance companies reimburse the clients. In certain instances we will undertake direct claims, but only when sums involved are greater than £250.

An administration fee will be charged for the completion of an insurance form: this is usually not recoverable from the insurance firm.

In an emergency it is usually best for your pet to be seen at the surgery where there are better facilities and a fuller range of drugs available. However home visit may be requested: please note that these will incur additional costs and may not be available immediately.

Medications will be prescribed in line with the prescribing cascade, good practice guide to veterinary medicines and current guidelines on antimicrobial stewardship. We may only prescribe prescription only medicines (POM-Vs/POMs) to animals under our care. Our practice policy is that this means we will only prescribe these products if your pet has been seen by a veterinary surgeon within the last three months, although this may vary with individual circumstances. The charge for this re-examination is our repeat consultation fee. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal.

Written prescriptions are available from the practice on request. The current charge for a written prescription is displayed in our reception areas or you may ask a member of staff for this information.  A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.

We require 72 hours’ notice for repeat prescriptions. Any unused medication should be returned to the practice for disposal. Unfortunately we are unable to refund any medication returned to us.

Out of Hours Emergency Cover is provided by VetsNow. In an emergency please call the normal practice telephone number and this will direct you to this service. Please note that VetsNow terms and conditions apply in these situations.

In the case of complications arising from a surgical procedure you may not be charged at VetsNow. The invoice may instead be sent for consideration to WVS. This does not mean, ultimately, that clients are not responsible for the bill – in these cases the decision shall be made by WVS.

The care given to your pet will involve taking a history and examining your animal, and may involve undertaking further investigations, all of which shall generate practice records. These records will remain at all times the property of the practice.

You may view these records, including your pet’s clinical notes, or receive a copy of these, on request. Please note it is your responsibility to provide us with accurate contact details.

These records (including, but not limited to, copies of radiographs, laboratory results, and clinical history) will be passed on, by request, to another Veterinary Surgeon should the need arise. Please note any tests being sent to an external company will require some of your details to be shared with that companies. This will also be the case should you request a referral for your pet to attend another veterinary practice. You will be informed of this at the time.

We hope to ensure you never have reason to complain about the standards of service received from Wrights’ Vets. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to raise, please initially attempt to speak directly to the member of staff involved, or to one of the practice directors.

Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, please put your issue in writing, within 28 days, for the attention of the Practice Manager, Wrights’ Vets, 52A Durham Rd, Birtley, DH3 2QH, or alternatively via email to kbridgewvs@gmail.com. An acknowledgement will be sent by return and then a period will elapse while the case is investigated, and reports collated from those staff involved. A reply in writing will follow, usually within 14 working days, although the period may be longer if the Practice Manager or staff involved are temporary unavailable or delayed.

We will not tolerate any aggressive or abusive behaviour to any staff member. Any client behaving in such a way will be asked to leave the premises immediately and will then be notified in writing that they must find alternative veterinary cover. After this point no further treatment will be provided to that client.

Dermatology referrals may only be requested by another veterinary surgeon using the form found online. Wrights’ Vets will then contact the client to arrange a mutually convenient time for the consultation. A referral report will then be provided to the referring vet within seven working days.

If you have first attended Wrights’ Vets as a referral from another practice we are afraid we are unable to accept you as a first opinion client.

No alteration may be made to these terms and conditions without the express written consent of Wrights’ Veterinary Services Ltd. We may update or amend these terms and conditions at any time and inform clients of this by placing a notice in our premises.

These terms and conditions shall be governed by English Law and we and you submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

We are a company registered in England. Our company registration number is 11249294 and our registered office is 52A Durham Rd, Birtley, DH3 2QH. Our registered VAT number is 338067001. Wrights Veterinary Services Ltd trades as Wright’s Vets from a single premises at the above address. Contact details can be found on our website.