Wendy Lane Vets Terms and Conditions of Business
Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet to Wendy Lane Vets (WL Vets Ltd). This information details our practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of these Terms may not be relevant to you, please do not hesitate to contact the surgery if you require further clarification of any of the points raised.
Consultations and Veterinary surgery opening times
Opening hours are:
Rochdale 01706 643617
Monday 8.15am – 7pm
Tuesday 8.15am – 6pm
Wednesday 8.15am – 8pm
Thursday 8.15am – 6pm
Friday 8.15am – 6pm
Saturday 9am – 12noon
Sunday Closed
Littleborough 01706 378105
Monday 9am – 6pm
Tuesday 8.30am – 7pm
Wednesday 9am – 6pm
Thursday 9am – 6pm
Friday 9am – 6pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Consultations are by appointment only. Please arrange an appointment for your pet either by phone or via on online request. The exception to this is emergencies that we will make every effort to see pets as soon as possible. We request that for emergencies, where possible, to phone ahead to provide as with as much detail of the nature of the emergency as possible.
Out of hours pet care
Outside of our normal opening hours the surgery will be closed. Cover is provided by out of hours emergency vets, The Armac Vet Clinic. They are open 24hours a day. If you call the surgery out of hours the answer phone message will direct you to call the Armac clinic on 0161 7644618. The Emergency clinic is located on 147 The Rock, Bury BL9 0ND. Payment is due directly to the Armac and will be under their terms and conditions. The surgery will not pay fees on the Client’s behalf.
Hospitalisation
The case veterinary surgeon may recommend that your pet is hospitalised at the surgery. The surgery is not open 24 hours and is unattended outside of normal opening hours. The duty vet will be responsible for checking hospitalised patients. In some circumstances it will be recommended that a pet is transferred to our out of hours vets for overnight care, this option is also available upon request from a client. It is the responsibility of the client to transfer their pet to the out of hours centre if they are deemed fit to travel.
Home visits
As a general rule, the surgery recommend clients to bring their pet to the surgery for treatment. If a home visit is deemed necessary then the surgery will endeavour to make arrangements for this visit. Home visits incur additional consults to a normal consultation fee.
Fees
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time and skill level required on a case and according to the medicines, materials and consumables and diets used. Written fees are available upon request. You will receive an itemised invoice for every consult, procedure or transaction with us. You are liable for any fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your pet is brought in on your behalf by a relative, friend or agent.
Methods of payment
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of the drugs/diets. Payment card be made by either cash or credit/debit card.
Estimates of treatment costs
We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimates given can only be approximate – often a pets illness will not follow a conventional course. We will try to contact you on the contact numbers provided to us if we believe that treatment costs are going to exceed the estimate costs however if you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain and suffering.
Settlement of terms
Should an account not be settled within 1month then a statement will be sent. The surgery reserves the right to charge an additional accounting fee in respect to administrative costs incurred. After due noticed to you the client, a County Court Judgement will be pursued and the account will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.
Any credit/debit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the account being restored to the original sum with further charges applied I respect of bank charges incurred and administrative costs.
Inability to pay
If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff. The surgery does not offer credit on accounts or offer finance for payment in instalments.
The surgery has an independent finance service provided by Braemar Finance who may, subject to credit checks, be able to provide finance to clients for goods and services at the surgery. Please ask a member of staff if this service is required. The surgery accepts no responsibility for financial arrangements made with Braemar which are made under their terms and conditions.
Ownership of records
Case records, including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by WL Vets Ltd. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. For client confidentiality we will only disclose case records with permission from the registered client.
Ownership of radiographs and similar records
The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations. For example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results , ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with the practice.
Referral cases
In some cases referral to a specialist veterinary practice may be required. The practice can arrange this service. Payment is due directly to the referral centre under their terms and conditions. The practice will not pay fees on the clients behalf.
Second opinions
Should you feel you would like another opinion on your pets illness please ask. We are happy to arrange a second opinion either with another vet within the practice, another vet practice or refer to a specialist.
Complaints and standards
WL Vets Ltd is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. We realise, however, that there may be occasions where you fell you expectations are not met. In this circumstance we recommend that you contact the surgery to discuss the problem and in most circumstances we hope that the issue can be satisfactorily resolved.
If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way, and you wish to make a formal complaint, please let us know in writing within six months. Please address your letter to The Practice Manager. An acknowledgement letter will be sent once your complaint has been received and the case will be dealt with in a timely fashion.
Data protection
The practice is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. The practice will use the data provided by the client only for the purpose of record keeping, reminders and updates and internal promotional material. The practice will strictly maintain the client’s confidentiality. The client has a right of access to personal data that is held.
Prescription policy
Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, category V, (POM-Vs) from your veterinary surgeon or ask permission and obtain these from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may only prescribe POM Vs for animals under his or her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, upon request, the price of any medicine prescribed for your animal. The general policy of the practice is to re-assess every six months any animal that requires repeat prescriptions. The cost of preparing a written prescription is, as of May 2024, £20.00 inc VAT.
Responsible pet ownership and pet health insurance
WL Vets believes in responsible pet ownership. This includes regular appropriate vaccinations and worming for cats and dogs, regular flea control and a means of permanent identification for your pet. Please ask for advice on best methods to achieve this. WL Vets Ltd strongly recommends insuring your pet against unexpected illnesses or incidents.
Reminders
The surgery will endeavour to provider text message reminders for consultations, vaccination boosters, worming and flea treatments. However, the responsibility remains with the client to ensure that these services are kept up to date.
Ordering medicines and foods
All phone orders of medicines and foods require a minimum of 24 hours notice so that prescriptions can be check by a vet.
Animal cruelty
WL Vets Ltd has a duty to prevent animal cruelty and maintain animal welfare. In the exceptional circumstances whereby an animal is found to be suffering and it’s welfare cannot be rectified by consultation with the client, the surgery will take appropriate action to notify the relevant authorities.
General
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Partners. No agent or person employed by or under contract with the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.