The Finchley Vet (also referred to as 'the practice') is a trading name of The Local Vet Ltd.

 

The Finchley Vet is absolutely committed to the well being of our pet patients and their human owners and to providing care which is community focussed, personal and easy to use.  Our Terms and Conditions help us to provide this service and are shown below.  We have tried to keep things as straight forward as possible,  but if you have any questions, our team are always happy to discuss any of the points below, so please do not hesitate to ask.

 

Fees:

 

All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate.

 

Written estimates can be provided on request and remain valid for a period of one month unless otherwise stated.  Any estimates including time limited special prices or offers are valid only for the duration that the offer or special price is available.  Please note that any estimates (written or otherwise) that are given can only be approximate as a pet's treatment or illness may not follow a conventional course.

 

Full payment is required at the time of consultation or, if a pet is admitted, when he or she is collected.

 

Payment may be made with:

 

Cash

Credit/Debit Card - Maestro, Visa, Mastercard, Delta (American Express and Diners are not accepted)

Direct Transfer

 

 

Direct insurance claims (where insurers pay the practice directly) are often paid to practices many weeks after a form is submitted, compromising the ability of the practice to re-invest in materials and treatments for our pet patients in the interim.  Therefore, we will only offer these in exceptional circumstances.  In order to offer a direct claim, we will require a completed claim form, proof of insurance (including confirmation about exclusions and the policy excess), the payment of the policy excess and a direct claim administration fee which will need to be paid in full at the time. 

 

We endeavour to process correctly completed insurance forms within 1 week (Mon-Fri) of their receipt by the practice.

 

Outstanding balances remaining unpaid without agreement after 28 days will incur a debt management charge of 20% of the value of the outstanding balance or £25 (whichever is greater).  If the account remains unpaid, it will be sent to a debt recovery agency who will apply additional charges plus statutory interest.  Further details are available on request.

 

Complaints and Standards:

 

We try our best to provide exceptional service, but if you feel dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, please direct your complaint, in writing, in the first instance to oli@thefinchleyvet.co.uk who will try to provide a solution.

 

Confidentiality:

 

All information relating to both client and animal patient is held in confidence and in line with the Data Protection Acts and will not be disclosed to a third party except under the following circumstances:

 

• Where a client provides a confirmed request in writing.

• Where another Veterinary Surgeon requests this in order to continue the patients care.

• Where The Finchley Vet is legally obligated to provide these details.

• To a court or agent of The Finchley Vet as part of a legal process.

• Where The Finchley Vet use outsource services for e.g. treatment, vaccination or medication reminders or communications with you (the client).

• At the request of your insurance company.

 

Ownership of Records:

 

Case records and other similar documents remain the property of, and retained by, The Finchley Vet.  Copies or a summary of the clinical history may be passed, on request, to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over the treatment of your pet or at the request of your insurance company.

 

Ownership of X-rays (Radiographs) and Similar Records:

 

Specific investigations may be performed in the course of your pets treatment e.g. x-rays, blood tests, ultrasound scans.   Although we make a charge for  carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of any resulting record (e.g. an x-ray print or electronic file) remains with the practice.

 

Patient Photographs and Names:

 

We love to show you and others how we care for our wonderful pet patients and we may use photographs of your pet and/or their name for educational, marketing or other purposes.  Please let us know if you would prefer this not to happen.

 

Please note, we will never use any part of your name for this purpose (e.g. Nutmeg owned by Mr. Robinson would only be referred to as 'Nutmeg').

 

Video and Audio Recording:

Video and audio may be recorded in any and all parts of the practice (including phone calls in and outbound) for training, security and quality control reasons.

 

Prescriptions:

 

We keep a stock of many commonly used medications for animals.  These and other medications may be supplied by our vets and clinical staff or a written prescription may be provided on request for supply by another Veterinary Surgeon, Pharmacist of Suitably Qualified Person.  A prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an inpatient or if immediate treatment is necessary.  There is a small charge for the issuing of a prescription for each medication.  We will be happy to provide, on request, the price for any medication dispensed or prescribed to your pet.

 

Many medicines may only be prescribed by The Finchley Vet Vets for animals under his or her care.  In order to protect the health and welfare of our patients, it will be necessary for most animals with stable chronic conditions or diseases to be examined (by a vet) no less frequently than every 3 -6 months to remain under our care.  For some individuals and animals with unstable illness, the time between examinations may need to be considerably shorter.

 

A standard consultation charge will be applied for each examination under such circumstances.

 

Communicating With You:

 

From time to time, we may use your contact details to send you emails, texts, letters or other communications from the practice, for example, to keep you up to date with our services or local pet health issues.  If at any time you wish to stop receiving these communications, please talk to a member of our team.

 

Unlicensed Medications:

 

In certain cases our vets may decide that your pet is best treated with a medication outside of its data sheet indications (often called 'off label use'), a medication imported from another country under a Special Import or Special Treatment Certificate or a specially prepare unauthorised medication.  The use of these medications allows our vets to provide treatments which may otherwise be unavailable to your pet and is strictly controlled.  In accepting treatment for your pet at The Finchley Vet, you accept that there may be risks and side effects associated with treatment.

 

Opening Hours:

 

The practice's normal opening hours and appointment times are published and may vary from time to time.  During normal opening hours, but outside of normal appointment times, emergency appointments are provided by The Finchley Vet.  Additional fees may be charged for this service and estimates can be given at time of treatment.

 

Outside of normal opening hours, inpatient treatment and emergency appointments may be provided at The Finchley Vet.  On some occasions, outside of normal opening hours, patients of The Finchley Vet will be referred to a different veterinary practice.  If appropriate, treatment can be continued at The Finchley Vet, when the practice re-opens for normal opening hours.  The safety of our patients is our priority and we will taylor the care to each individual pet, as needed.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing, and signed by the Practice Principal. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

 

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing, and signed by the Practice Principal. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

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Data Safeguarding:

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Our data safeguarding policy is part of our terms and conditions and can be found here.