Practice Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions for Veterinary Services

THRONE VETS LIMITED ('We', 'Us', 'Our')

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR VETERINARY SERVICES

By using our services you accept these terms.

We amend these terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our services, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.

Other terms which apply to you

These terms of service refer to the following additional items, which also may apply to your use of our service:

Our Website Terms of Service, which sets out terms which apply to you as a user of our website.

Our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use and store your personal data.

Our Cookie Policy, which sets out information about the cookies on our website.

Our Complaints Policy, which sets out information about how you can make a complaint about our services.

Information about us

You (our client bringing an animal for veterinary consultations or treatment) can find everything you need to know about us, Throne Vets Limited, a company registered in Scotland under registration number SC873090 with a registered office at 14 Hallhill Drive, Johnstone, United Kingdom, PA5 0TN, and our veterinary services on our website before you register with us.

You can contact us by telephone, email or by submitting an enquiry on our website.

If we have to contact you, we will do so by telephone or by writing to you at the telephone, email or postal address you provide to us.

You are contracting solely with Throne Vets Limited, rather than with any of its vets, consultants, directors, or employees. Any and all advice (howsoever provided or given) and correspondence (including by e-mail) given or provided by us is given and provided for and on behalf of Throne Vets Limited and is not given or provided in a personal capacity.

These terms and conditions for veterinary services are intended to make clear, in as straightforward a manner as possible, the way we carry out work. This benefits us both by setting out where we stand at the beginning of our relationship and should avoid any misunderstandings or uncertainty in the future. They are not intended to limit or restrict Throne Vets Limited professional duty in any way. If you have any doubts or concerns about any of the following terms and conditions, please ask and we will be happy to explain.

In all our dealings with you we aim to provide a high quality professional service, to find out what you want and achieve it in a commercial and effective manner. We aim to deal with your work promptly and we hope you find us friendly and approachable.

Our Veterinary Services

We will provide veterinary services with reasonable skill and care consistent with professional standards and the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all other warranties and conditions (express or implied) are excluded.

Veterinary services will be provided by suitably trained and/or qualified staff. This will depend on the nature of the veterinary service to be provided at each appointment and we will seek to advise you on these. We will also detail what is excluded from the scope of our provision or where you may require other services potentially from other service providers or veterinary surgeons or clinicians in relation to the animal concerned.

We will provide veterinary services to you from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. We may change our normal business hours from time to time. Please see our website for our current business hours.

We will provide emergency veterinary services within our business hours. For emergencies outside of our business hours, we will direct you to an appropriate emergency service provider such as "Emergency Vets Glasgow". Our services exclude [list any specific exclusions, e.g., boarding, non-therapeutic procedures].

Throne Vets Limited has insurance in connection with its veterinary practice. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for fraud or any other liability which cannot be excluded by law. Subject to the foregoing and your statutory rights, in no event shall our total liability to you exceed the total fees paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim for any one event or series of events arising out of or in connection with our services.

Information passed to us is kept confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties, save as authorised by you or required by law or by the rules of any applicable professional body or regulatory authority from time to time.

We aim to provide a quality service to our clients. Please contact us at any time about any concerns regarding the conduct and supervision of the work we undertake for you.

Customer Registrations and Engagement

You can register with us by phone, email or by submitting an enquiry on our website. When you register with us we will ask for details about any veterinary services your animal is already receiving and when your animal was last seen by a veterinary surgeon.

We will obtain details of your animal's medical history from any previous veterinary practices in accordance with the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.

You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to enter into these terms and to register for services with us. By using our services, you confirm that you meet these requirements and that you are the owner or authorised keeper of the animal(s) receiving veterinary services.

All intellectual property rights in our website, service materials, and any written, electronic, or other material we provide to you remain the property of Throne Vets Limited or its licensors. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive licence to use such materials only for your personal, non-commercial use in connection with your receipt of our services. You shall not reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use such materials except as expressly permitted by us in writing.

By submitting suggestions, feedback, reviews, or other content to us, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual licence to use, reproduce, and display such content for our business purposes, subject to our Privacy Policy.

These terms will remain in force for so long as you make use of our services or have any outstanding obligations to us. We may terminate your access to our services by notice to you if you breach any of these terms or on giving you at least 7 days' notice.

On termination (however arising), any sums accrued to us shall become immediately due and payable.

We reserve the right to suspend your access to our services with immediate effect in the event of non-payment, suspected fraud or misuse, or any breach of these terms.

Fees and Payment

As far as reasonably possible, we will provide you with an estimate of our fees, inclusive of VAT or other applicable taxes, before providing our veterinary services. The estimate is indicative only and subject to revision.

Any estimate we give is based on our experience. However, the treatment of no two animals are exactly the same and in some circumstances, we may need to revise our original estimate. We will advise you as soon as is reasonably possible if this is the case.

We reserve the right to amend or update our fees at any time. Any change will only apply to bookings made after the date such changes are published on our website or notified to you.

From time to time, we may make certain trial or promotional offers available. Such offers are provided at our discretion and may be withdrawn or amended at any time without notice. The terms of any specific offer will be communicated to you separately.

A call-out fee at our prevailing rate (as notified to you and/or displayed on our website) is payable for all appointments (a scheduled time for the provision of veterinary services to you) to cover travel time, transportation and attendance costs. The applicable fee will be communicated to you at the time of booking. We reserve the right to vary call-out fees on the basis of the location of the appointment within our service area (as shown on our website) and the urgency of the request. Call-out fees are charged in addition to any fees for consultation, treatment and medications and may be included within the total fee quoted or charged separately.

The call-out fee is payable regardless of whether any treatment is carried out including (without limitation) where:

the appointment is cancelled with insufficient notice in accordance with our cancellation policy;

our staff are unable to gain access to the appointment location or the animal at the agreed time;

the appointment cannot proceed due to the behaviour of the pet or an unsafe environment; or

you elect not to proceed with the consultation or treatment upon arrival.

All fees are payable in pounds sterling and are inclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated. Any refunds owed to you for appointments cancelled in accordance with these terms will be processed within 14 days of the cancellation confirmation.

Payment is due immediately following our services unless otherwise agreed. We accept payment by debit/credit card, bank transfer and via third party finance/payment providers at our discretion. All fees will be charged with VAT applicable to the same.

In certain circumstances we may require full or partial payment in advance of the service.

If the service is covered by an animal insurance policy, you shall be responsible for payment of all sums due to us immediately following the service. You shall be responsible for reclaiming any sums due to you by the insurance provider. We may consider payment for our services directly from the insurance provider in limited circumstances and at our discretion.

Non-Payment of Fees

If your payment is not received by us in accordance with clause 4, we reserve the right to charge interest on any balance outstanding at a rate of 4% plus the Bank of England base rate. You will be required to pay us the interest together with any overdue amount. We reserve the right to refuse to supply further veterinary services to you until you have paid the overdue amount.

We reserve the right to take such action as we consider appropriate to recover over due amounts. We may refer outstanding amounts to third party debt collection agencies or pursue recovery by raising an action against you in the relevant court. You will be responsible for any reasonable costs associated with the recovery of amounts overdue by you.

Appointments

You are responsible for making appointments to receive veterinary services.

You can do so by phone or by using our online booking system on our website. Appointments must be booked in advance. We do not guarantee that an appointment will be available at your preferred time.

Appointments will take place at your home, in our mobile veterinary van or at an agreed alternative location.

Appointment times are approximate and may be affected by clinical demand, emergencies, or travel delays. We are not responsible for delays outside of our control. If our supply of veterinary services is delayed by an event outside of our control then we will contact you as soon as reasonably practicable to advise. If there is a substantial delay you may contact us to cancel the provision of our services and receive a refund for any deposit or payment already made.

You are responsible for ensuring access to your property at the agreed time. This includes ensuring that safe and legal parking is available at or near to the appointment location. We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the appointment if suitable parking cannot be found within a reasonable distance of the appointment location. If we are unable to access the appointment location or find suitable parking, we reserve the right to treat the appointment as a missed appointment and payment of the call-out fee will apply.

If you or the animal are not present at the time of the appointment, this may be treated as a missed appointment and payment of the call-out fee will apply.

Cancellations

You are required to give a minimum of 24 hours' notice to cancel a confirmed appointment. In this event you will be refunded any deposit or payment already made in full.

If you cancel a confirmed appointment with less than 24 hours' notice you may be charged up to the full appointment fee and any deposit paid may be retained.

Home Appointment Conditions

We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff and animals being treated seriously.

By using our service, you are responsible for providing a safe working environment for our staff. We have a zero tolerance policy in relation to abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour towards our staff. We reserve the right to refuse service should such behaviour occur.

If the appointment is to occur at your property or at an alternative agreed location, you are responsible for ensuring a safe and suitable environment for the provision of veterinary services, including adequate space and freedom from hazards. We reserve the right to cancel provision of our services in such circumstances.

You are responsible for ensuring that your animal(s) is appropriately restrained and manageable at all times during the appointment. This includes, where appropriate, the use of leads, muzzles, carriers or confinement to a secure area during the visit.

You are responsible for disclosing, prior to the appointment, any history of any known behavioural issues exhibited by the animal which may pose a risk to our staff. We reserve the right to cancel the provision of our veterinary services should such risk not be disclosed.

We reserve the right to refuse the provision of our services to any animal who in our staff's opinion poses a risk to their safety. In such circumstances our staff may recommend alternative arrangements for treatment.

If your animal's appointment is cancelled as a result of failure to provide a safe and suitable environment, as per this clause 8, you may be charged a call out fee and further charges.

You agree to use our services and website only for lawful purposes, and not to use them in any manner that may damage, disable, overburden, or impair our services or interfere with others' use or enjoyment of them. Misuse of our services or website may result in suspension or termination of your registration and access to services.

Prescriptions and Medications

In accordance with the relevant regulations, veterinary medicines may only be prescribed in circumstances where a veterinary surgeon has carried out a clinical assessment of your animal. All Prescription Only Medication is dispensed under the authority of a veterinary surgeon.

You are responsible for any costs in relation to provision of veterinary medicines. We will advise you of any costs as soon as reasonably possible.

Governing Law and general

These terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with Scots law. The Scottish courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any claim or matter arising under these terms.

You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights or obligations under these terms at our discretion, provided this does not affect your rights.

We shall not be liable to you for any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these terms as a result of events or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

If any provision of these terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be deemed deleted and the remainder will continue in force.