Terms & Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery. We, Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery, aim to provide the highest standards of veterinary care.

These are the terms on which we supply veterinary services and related products to you. These terms and conditions shall apply to all supplies of veterinary services and products by us to you to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions.

Please ensure that you read these terms carefully before accepting the services. Please note that some aspects of these terms may not be relevant to you and we suggest you ask for further clarification from us if required.

1. Supply of Veterinary Services

   1. We shall ensure that all veterinary services are supplied by suitably trained or qualified staff, taking into account the nature of the veterinary service to be supplied in each instance.
   2. Wherever practicable and on your request, a treatment plan for the supply of veterinary services will normally be agreed with you following an initial consultation and in advance of any further treatment. This treatment plan will provide an estimate regarding the likely costs of the course of treatment in such plan. In an emergency, we reserve the right to provide such veterinary services as are reasonably necessary, in the professional judgement of the veterinary surgeon providing the veterinary services or other Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery staff, without first agreeing a treatment plan.
   3. Please note that any estimate given can only be an approximation of the costs of any treatment required. If our original estimate looks as if it will be exceeded, then a member of staff will discuss any increased fees with you before any further procedures are undertaken (unless in the event of a life threatening emergency and at the professional discretion of the relevant Veterinary Surgeon acting in the best interest of your pet).
   4. We will endeavour to provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards denoted by the RCVS guidelines for practice standards and the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. All veterinary services shall be supplied in accordance with normal professional standards.
   5. Veterinary services shall be supplied during our normal business hours (these may change from time to time, the current opening hours of Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery can be found on our website at olivetreevets.com). At our discretion we may arrange for veterinary services to be supplied at various locations and at other times. In case of an out-of-hours emergency, a veterinary surgeon may see you outside these opening hours, but this service will carry an extra charge.
   6. We reserve the right to decline to supply veterinary services at our discretion. You are free at all times at your cost and subject to the payment obligations in these terms and conditions, to seek a second opinion on or concerning any veterinary services provided.

2. Supply of Products

   1. In the event of any defect or failure in any product our liability to you shall be restricted to replacing the product or refunding the price paid by you for the product.
   2. You acknowledge and agree that all products must only be used in accordance with the instructions supplied with them or issued orally by the Veterinary Surgeon providing the veterinary services or other of our staff. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use of any product, you should consult the Veterinary Surgeon providing the veterinary services or other of our staff for clarification.
   3. Any products supplied by us shall be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose expressly agreed by the Veterinary Surgeon providing the veterinary services or other of our staff and shall comply with any description given. All other warranties, expressed or implied, are hereby excluded.

3. Payment

   1. All veterinary services and products provided by us shall be charged to you in accordance with our then current price list, a copy of which is available on request and which is subject to change without notice. If you have any questions as regards the level of charge that will be incurred, you should consult the Veterinary Surgeon in charge of your pet’s treatment or other of our staff for clarification. There may be a charge for all administration services, including processing claim forms.
   2. Our normal practice is for payment to be made in full by you at the time the veterinary services or the products that are supplied, either at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of the products. All invoices must be settled in full on receipt of the invoice. We may, at our absolute discretion, agree that you may delay payment of an invoice pending recovery of the sum from your insurer for such reasonable period as we may agree in writing. You remain liable in full for all invoices and all sums shall become due and payable in full by you at the end of this extended payment period irrespective of whether your insurer has made payment to you.
   3. We accept direct insurance claims at the discretion of our Director or Practice Manager. A direct insurance claim is one where you do not pay us; rather we claim the money directly from the insurance company. We may charge a direct insurance claim administration fee. In the event that all or any part of the insurance claim is not paid by your insurance company for any reason you will be liable for the outstanding balance.
   4. Should an account not be 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 further charges, such as for the production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court and phone calls will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt.We may refer overdue accounts to our debt collection agency.
   5. In the event that any invoice or other sum owed by you is not paid when due then, without prejudice to any other remedies available to us, we may at any time:
      1. add additional charge(s) to your outstanding account in order to recover fees and costs in connection with the collection of the sum owed (including but not limited to administrative costs and debt collection agency fees); and
      2. issue notice to you that no further veterinary services and/or products will be supplied to you.
   6. All prices quoted are quoted exclusive of value added tax or other indirect taxes, duties or levies which shall be added as appropriate.
   7. If you are unable to pay for the veterinary services, we are only obliged to fulfil our minimum legal responsibilities and professional obligations in respect of your pet.

4. Complaints and Grievances

   1. It is our intention that all our clients should be satisfied with the veterinary services and any products supplied. In the event that you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the veterinary services or products supplied by us, in the first instance you should contact the Director or Practice Manager in writing via email (info@olivetreevets.com) or post (Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery, Ashford Road, Charing, Kent, TN27 0EE) to discuss your concerns.
   2. Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses must comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct. If no resolution has been met with Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery directly, you can contact the RCVS on their website www.rcvs.org.uk for further details of how to register a complaint.
   3. In the case of a complaint, we may share your information with our insurers or our indemnity providers or other professional advisors if we believe that this will enable us to resolve your complaint more effectively.

5. Pet Insurance

   1. We may advocate pet insurance, but any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer. Please ensure that you refer to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy.

6. Data Protection and Confidentiality

   1. We will use the personal information you provide to us to:
      1. provide the veterinary services and products;
      2. process your payments for the veterinary services and products; and
      3. inform you about the products and services that we or selected third parties provide, but you may stop receiving these at any time by contacting us.
   2. In order to provide the services above, we use selected third parties to process your data.
   3. All phone calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

7. Miscellaneous

   1. No alteration may be made to these terms and conditions without the express written consent of the Director. We may update or amend these terms and conditions at any time by placing a notice to that effect in our premises.
   2. These terms and conditions shall be governed by English Law and we and you submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts, without prejudice to our right to seek recovery of any sum due by you before any complaint court.
   3. The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans or blood tests. Case records including x-rays and ultrasound scans, or blood tests are the property of, and shall be retained by, us.
      
      Copies with a summary of the history of any patient can be passed to another veterinary surgeon taking over a case, on written request to us and upon settlement in full of all sums due to us in respect of such patient’s treatment by us.
   4. When you request a repeat or written prescription for your pet we can only supply the medication if:
      1. the Veterinary Surgeon caring for your pet has authorised the repeat or written prescription; and
      2. your pet has been seen by one of our veterinary surgeons within at least the last 6 months.
      There will be a charge for such repeat prescription to cover the time, responsibility and professional insurance costs involved.
   5. Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery Ltd is registered in England and Wales (Company registration number: 15906360). Registered office: Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery, The Olive Branch, Ashford Road, Kent. TN27 0EE.
   If you have any questions, please contact us by writing to us at Olive Tree Veterinary Surgery, The Olive Branch, Ashford Road, Kent. TN27 0EE or by email (info@olivetreevets.com).