YOU CAN FIND US AT:
PLAS CERRIG LANE
LLANYMYNECH
SHROPSHIRE
SY22 6LG
OFFICE HOURS
Our office, situated in Llanymynech is open from 8.30am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday. We are able to book routine calls within these hours. We are able to accommodate your preference of vet where ever possible, but advise that in an emergency situation the closest vet to your horse from our clinic may have to attend – in order to provide the faster response. We ask that you respect our decision to allocating you the most appropriate vet in an emergency to attend immediately and provide initial care
EMERGENCY OUT OF HOURS
We offer an emergency service which is provided by our vets. You can obtain access to this by calling our office number which will be diverted to the duty vet. The phone is always answered by either the duty veterinary surgeon or an appropriately trained member of our team.
This is available outside normal working hours 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services provided outside of office hours incur an additional charge.
We advise that in the event of an extreme emergency situation where our duty vet and our backup vet is with another animal; we have links with other local practices who may need to attend on our behalf initially to provide urgent support.
PAYMENT
We accept payment by credit card, cheque, bank transfer and cash
Invoices for visits on existing accounts are payable in full within 14 days of the invoice date.
We have facilities to take payment via card at the time of visit.
New clients are required to pay for their first visit at the time of the visit and an account will then be opened.
For larger invoices for procedures such as surgery, investigations, and treatment carried out, we ask that clients agree to a written estimate and advise us on any anticipated payment problems before any work is commenced. This will enable us to understand your budget and where required discuss the options of repayment. We ask our clients to be open and honest about payment issues, we are here to help where we can.
LATE PAYMENT
Our terms relating to payment of amounts invoiced are strictly 21 days. We reserve the right to charge a late payment administration fee of £15.00 per month. This applies where any debt is outstanding beyond the credit terms for any part of a month. We also reserve the right to charge interest at the rate of 12% per annum or 1% monthly on any overdue amounts.
NON-PAYMENT
We reserve the right to pursue unpaid fees. Civil proceedings may be issued or the matter handed over to a debt collection agency. Any costs incurred will be added to the debt and interest added under The County Courts Act 1984 or subsequent legislation. We reserve the right to ask for cash payments or to refuse to carry out any further work if payment is not made in accordance with these terms of business.
Returned Cheques. For every returned cheque we will pass on our bank charges for representation of the cheque (currently £7.50).
INSURANCE
We advise that our clients take out appropriate insurance to cover the veterinary treatment of their horse. We are happy to complete insurance forms and promise to do so in a timely manner without a charge
We are happy to accept direct payments from a client’s insurance company, however, we ask that clients confirm with their insurance company that their case has been accepted prior to the commencement of on-going treatment. We ask that our clients check their policy to ensure they understand what is covered, for example, some insurance companies will not cover the cost of our in-patient livery
Direct claims remaining outstanding after 8 weeks must be settled or at least part settled by the client.
PRESCRIPTIONS AND REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS.
Where necessary, we are happy to provide you with a prescription for your horse to enable you to purchase medications from elsewhere, if you are able to obtain these medications from a reputable pharmacy at a lower cost to what we can supply. The charge for the service is £15.00. A prescription is given on the basis that our vets are able to re-assess animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 6 -12 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances.
The re-examination may be carried out at a time when we are visiting the animal to provide another service such as vaccination and dental
For repeat medications, we ask that you give us 24 hours notice prior to collection.
REMINDERS.
As an additional service to our clients, we endeavour to send reminders for vaccinations and dental checks when they fall due. However, even with modern technology problems may occur with these systems and we cannot take responsibility for errors or omissions. It is the owner’s duty to ensure that their horse’s vaccinations are up to date. We are always available to offer advise on vaccination dates within office hours
HORSE PASSPORTS
Section 9 – you MUST sign the declaration to state if / if not the horse is intended for human consumption. Our vets will request to see this before giving any treatment to your animal
TERMS OF BUSINESS
These terms apply to all Lower House Equine Clinic clients unless varied in writing. Exceptions to these terms will only be given where prior notice has been obtained and confirmation between LHEC and the client has been recorded
Ownership of Records
Case records and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, the practice. We make a charge for carrying out investigations and interpreting the results but the ownership of the resulting record, for example an x-ray film, remains with the practice. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. We make no charge for this service.
Data Protection
We promise to only use client information for the purpose of providing veterinary services or marketing our services to your animals. We will not intentionally pass any details on to third parties without your express permission unless specifically requested to do so by a veterinary surgeon taking over a case or to fulfil professional obligations or for animal welfare considerations. We will endeavour to maintain your correct details on our databases and you, the client, will provide us with correct and updated personal information to allow us to provide services to you to include your name and contact details, animal details and details of any veterinary surgeon that has previously looked after your animals.
You have a right of access, under data protection legislation, to the personal data that we hold about you. We confirm that when processing data on your behalf we will comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Data Controller in relation to personal data supplied about you is the practice manager.
Second Opinion
Clients are entitled to a second opinion on their case when they feel this is required. In this case, the client will firstly be offered the option of a second opinion from a different vet within the clinic. If the client wishes to seek an opinion from a vet at a different clinic, LHEC will ensure that all relevant information is passed on to this vet. LHEC will also offer the client suggestions as to an appropriate vet or referral centre if the client needs assistance in seeking a second opinion.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We are committed to providing a high-quality veterinary service to all our clients. If you feel that this has not been provided to you and your horse, then we need you to tell us about it.
If you have a complaint, then you need to inform us, in writing, of the incident, with as much detail as possible, including any names of staff members involved to:
The Practice Manager
Lower House Equine Clinic
Plas Cerrig Lane
Llanymynech
Nr Oswestry
Shropshire
SY22 6LG
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within five days of receiving it.
We will then carry out a full investigation of your complaint. This will normally involve checking your clinical records and speaking to the relevant members of staff.
The Practice Manager or Director will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his/her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgment letter.
At this stage, if you are not satisfied, then you can contact the Royal College Of Veterinary Surgeons:
Professional Conduct Department,
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Belgravia House
62-64 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AF
OUT OF HOURS ARRANGEMENT
Our normal consulting times are 8:30 – 5:30 Monday to Friday.
Outside of these times we provide a 24 hour emergency service, 365 days a year.
This includes telephone advice and visits.
What happens if my horse becomes unwell out of hours?
Call the normal office number 01691 830444
The number is answered 24 hours a day by the duty vet or nurse.
- We can either offer phone advise or a visit depending on the situation and requirement.
- The duty veterinary surgeon will prioritise visits as a matter of urgency
- We have a second veterinary surgeon available should further backup be required.
- We also have an equine nurse on duty as well as our veterinary grooms.
Who works at the clinic at the weekends and during the night?
- At the weekends and during night duties, our team work on a rota basis to unsure the best possible care is given to your horse, this includes in-patients at the practice and home visits.
- Please note, at the weekends and out of hours you cannot always see your vet of choice, however our duty vet is always able to communicate with other members of the team and has full access to the clinical notes of each horse.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions about Lower House Equine Clinic, our facilities or services, please feel free to contact us using any of the details below…