top of page
Faint Glow
Left.jpg

Terms and Conditions of Business

Thank you for choosing Leeds Veterinary Centre for your pet care. This information details our practice Terms and Conditions. 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. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you contact the practice if any further clarification or explanation is required.

Our Contact Details

Leeds Veterinary Centre

133-137 Green Lane

Crossgates

Leeds

LS15 7DR

0113 531 6600

info@leedsvets.com

Our Opening Hours:

Leeds Veterinary Centre is open from 8:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday and from 8:30am to 12:30pm on Saturdays. 

 

Outside of these hours, urgent or emergency veterinary care is provided by our out-of hours provider at Swift Emergency. This practice is a 25 minute drive from Leeds Veterinary Centre and provides dedicated 24 hour emergency care. Swift Emergency can be reached by calling the normal practice number or directly on 01937 374888

​

Swift Emergency

Unit 706 Avenue
E West
Thorp Arch Estate
Wetherby
LS23 7GA

​

Overnight patient care:

We have the facilities to keep animal patients in our practice overnight for ongoing care, treatment and monitoring. In these instances there is provision for a member of clinical staff (veterinary surgeon or registered veterinary nurse) to sleep in the building and check on the patient as required. If your pet stays with us overnight they will be checked by a qualified member of staff as often as is required to provide appropriate care but will not be monitored constantly. If a veterinary nurse is caring for your pet they will always be able to contact a vet if additional care or advice is required. 

 

This service will be offered and recommended when it is appropriate for the level of care required for the patient and when suitably qualified clinical staff are available to provide the care. In other instances it may be more appropriate for your pet to be transferred to our out-of-hours provider at Swift Emergency Vets for them to provide overnight care. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis and discussed with you at the time. All overnight care is charged at additional fees payable to the provider, be it Leeds Veterinary Centre or Swift Emergency Vets. We reserve the right to refuse in-practice overnight care in cases where it is our professional opinion that we cannot provide the level of care that your pet requires or it is not safe or possible for our staff to do so.

Vet consultations:

Consultations are by appointment only and can be booked online at our website www.leedsvets.com or by calling the practice on 0113 531 6600.

 

In the case of an emergency, if possible, please try to telephone the surgery in advance of coming to the practice so we can prepare for your arrival.

 

A consultation fee is charged for each appointment and for each pet seen. Our initial consultation fee is £46. 

Nurse consultations:

Some consultations can be performed by registered veterinary nurses, including but not limited to:

  • Second vaccinations (where the first has been administered by a vet at Leeds Veterinary Centre)

  • Microchipping

  • Express anal glands

  • Clip nails

  • Weight checks and advice

  • Senior pet checks and advice

  • Arthritis clinics and advice

  • Post-op checks

  • Wound checks and bandage changes

  • Some repeat medication injections

​

There is a charge for these services in most cases.

 

Please be aware veterinary nurses cannot diagnose conditions or prescribe medications so in some cases your pet will need to be transferred to the care of a vet and a full consultation fee will be charged.

Provision of veterinary care and treatment plans:

Wherever practicable and on your request, a diagnostic, care and treatment plan for your pet will normally be agreed with you during or following an initial consultation and in advance of any further treatment. Part of this treatment plan will be an estimate regarding the likely costs of the course of our services. You will then have a chance to discuss this plan with our staff and decide whether to continue with recommended care and treatment. If necessary, including where costs of recommended treatment is prohibitive, alternative options can then be explored and discussed.

 

In an emergency we reserve the right to provide such veterinary services as are reasonably necessary, in the professional judgement of the veterinary surgeon or other qualified staff of Leeds Veterinary Centre under the direction of a veterinary surgeon, without first agreeing a treatment plan.

 

We will endeavour to provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards as denoted by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (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.

 

We reserve the right at all times to decline to provide veterinary services, except for emergency provision to prevent or end animal suffering, 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 concerning any veterinary services provided by Leeds Veterinary Centre.

Home visits:

In most cases we are able to provide the safest, most effective and comprehensive care for your pet in the practice. However, from time to time, a home visit may be most suitable for you and your pet. Some owners also prefer to say goodbye to their pets in their own homes. We are therefore able to offer a home visit service in certain cases.

​

If this is something you would like please call the practice to discuss it with our team. Please be aware that it can be very difficult for us to come out to you at short notice. If you are able to call us first thing in the morning (before 10am) we will endeavour to come out to you the same day. In emergency situations we will usually recommend that your pet comes to the practice to get the fastest attention.

 

There is an additional charge for a home visit. You will be provided with an estimate of fees at the time of booking.

 

There are pet taxi services in the Leeds area who may be able to bring you and your pet to the practice if you do not have your own transport.

Social media:

Leeds Veterinary Centre has social media accounts which can be found under the following:

  • Facebook - Leeds Veterinary Centre (@Leedsvets)

  • Twitter - @leedsvets

  • Instagram - leedsvets

 

From time to time we like to feature pet patients who have visited the practice on our social media pages. We will always ask permission before using any photographs or information about your pet’s health, treatment or experience at Leeds Veterinary Centre before posting any content on to any social media accounts. We will only refer to your pet by their name, age and/or breed. We will never include your name or any other owner details in any posts.

If you would like to opt out completely from any requests from us to feature your pet on our social media accounts, or would like any past posts featuring your pet to be removed, please inform a member of staff.

Contacting us on social media:

We love to hear from you, including through our social media channels. However please be aware that these accounts are not monitored constantly and are not a suitable way to seek veterinary advice, book an appointment or seek help for your pet. Please contact the practice through our website, email or by telephone if you have any questions or health concerns for your pet.

Fees:

All fees for drugs and medication, diets, supplements and services are subject to VAT at the current rate.

Our charges are determined by the time, skill and expertise level required by trained and experienced veterinary professionals for your pet and according to the medicines, materials, consumables and diets used. You will be offered a detailed breakdown of fees for every consultation, 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.

Payment for products and services:

Fees are payable at the time the service or products are provided. We reserve the right to request a deposit of up to 50% of anticipated fees in advance of any procedure being carried out or any medication administered to your pet.

 

Where a pet is staying at the practice for more than 24 hours we will update you daily of your current bill and may request that your bill is settled at the end of each 24 hour period.

 

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of drugs/diets. You may settle your account using:

  1. Credit/Debit Card - Maestro, Solo, Mastercard, Visa or Delta (we are unable to accept American Express)

  2. Cash

​We are unable to accept payments by cheque.

Estimates of treatment costs:

Where possible we will provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of tests, procedures, treatment and medications recommended for your pet. Please bear in mind that estimates are approximate and the tests, care or treatment your pet requires may vary as our investigations progress or their condition changes.

 

We will try to contact you through the contact details provided by you if we believe the treatment costs are going to significantly exceed the estimate. However, in case of an emergency or if you are not contactable, we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.

Settlement of terms:

All services and products provided require payment on the day of the treatment. 

If you leave the practice without settling your account we will send an invoice via email or post within 24 hours. Should an account not be settled within two weeks, then a repeat invoice will be sent and may include additional fees in respect to administrative costs incurred. 

After due notice to you the client, if your account remains unpaid we shall take such action as we consider appropriate to recover our fees. This may include engaging third party debt collection agencies to recover the outstanding fees and/or instigating proceedings against you in the county court. In such cases, 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.

 

Please also be aware that the use of debt collection agencies and/or the county court could affect your future credit rating.

 

We shall be entitled to suspend the provision of any further goods and/or services until you have paid any outstanding sums in full. Where we consider it appropriate to do so we may require payment on account before any future goods or services are provided.

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. 

 

We are not able to offer credit facilities or payment plans.

 

We may at our absolute discretion agree that you may delay payment of an invoice for up to 28 days or 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.

Ownership of records:

Healthcare records, including radiographs, lab results and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Leeds Veterinary Centre. Copies of these records with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. You can request a copy of your pet’s clinical record with us at any time by emailing the practice on info@leedsvets.com.

We never discuss or sell confidential records to any third party other than if you move surgeries or are referred to another veterinary surgeon.

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.

Second opinions and specialist referrals:

Should you feel you would like another opinion on your pet's illness please ask. We are always happy to arrange a second opinion with another vet or vets within the practice or referral to a specialist.

Moving veterinary practices:

If you would like to take your pet to another practice please ask them to contact us and we will send them a copy of your pet’s record and results of any investigations carried out. We will contact you first to gain your permission to send these records on.

Pet Health Insurance:

Leeds Veterinary Centre strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. We recommend that all pets are insured with a reputable insurance company. Please be aware though that with any insurance company it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover required, provide your insurance company with all information about your pet including any prior illness or injury and maintain this cover by paying your premiums.

Please remember that any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer. Please ensure that you refer to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy.

​​

We ask that you settle your account with Leeds Veterinary Centre at the time services and products are provided and then reclaim any fees from your insurance company. 

 

In certain instances when clients do not have the funds to make payment to Leeds Veterinary Centre in full, arrangements can be made for your insurer to make their payment directly to us. This is entirely at the discretion of management staff at Leeds Veterinary Centre. 

 

Please refer to our Insurance Claims Policy for more details by clicking on the link here:

Monitoring telephone calls, online communications and emails:

Telephone calls, website messages and emails to and from the practice may be recorded or monitored. By using such communication methods you are consenting to the recording or monitoring of the same.

Complaints:

At Leeds Veterinary Centre we pride ourselves on offering a quality service, and take customer complaints seriously. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily. The best way to do this is to discuss it with the person who is looking after your pet at the time of the problem.

 

If you wish to make a complaint about the service you have received at Leeds Veterinary Centre after you have left the practice,  please follow our complaints procedure by following the link below:

​

Client data:

When you register your animal with our practice or request that we provide veterinary services we will collect personal data about you and, where relevant, your employees and/or agents. We will only collect data that we need to perform the services, take payment or contact you such as names, contact details and possibly some financial details. Please note that we may pass your details to debt collection agencies or our legal advisers for the purpose of recovering unpaid fees if you do not pay invoices when they fall due

We will use the details provided by you to contact you regarding your pet’s health, including reminders for vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, other preventative healthcare, appointments, medications checks and test results. 

 

We never pass on your details or allow third party access to data without a client's permission

Supply of medications:

By purchasing medications or products from us 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 medication or other of our team. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use of any product, you should consult your veterinary surgeon or another member of our team for clarification.

 

No medication prescribed by Leeds Veterinary Centre for a named pet should be used for any other animal or for any condition other than that for which it was prescribed. No product provided by Leeds Veterinary Centre should be re-sold or given to a third party.

Prescriptions & Repeat prescriptions:

The current charge for a written prescription is £20.00 per item.

 

Most medications prescribed for your pet are Prescription Only Medicines, Category V, (POM Vs). Occasionally human drugs (Prescription Only Medicines, POMs) are used when there is no alternative licensed for use in animals. These medications can only be prescribed by vets and obtained from a vet or with a written veterinary prescription.

 

You may obtain POM-Vs or POMs from your veterinary surgeon or ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy.

 

A written prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal.

 

Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs only for animals under his or her care. This means we need to have up-to-date knowledge of your pet’s current health and condition, including regular examinations and potentially carrying out diagnostic or monitoring tests.

 

The policy of Leeds Veterinary Centre is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every three to six months, depending on the health condition and the type of medication but this may vary with individual circumstances. The charge for this re-examination is a standard consultation fee of £46. 

 

Flea and worm treatments can be dispensed without examination as part of a health plan agreed at the annual health assessment or booster vaccination. For growing puppies and kittens we may request to see your pet to gain an up-to-date weight for them and so prescribe the correct dose of medication, or you can weigh your pet at home and inform us of their current weight.

 

Clients are requested to give 48 hours advance notice for repeat prescriptions or written prescriptions.

 

In accordance with the Medicines Act we will always use a veterinary licensed product where one is available. Should this not be the case we will then use veterinary products licensed for use in other species or for a different condition in the same species, and failing that a human medical product can be prescribed. Any use of off-licence medication will be based upon our knowledge of its use in animals and an assessment made of the risks and benefits involved. This is particularly common in species other than dogs and cats for which few licensed products are available. Please speak to a veterinary surgeon if you have any concerns about this issue.

Return of medicines:

We are unfortunately unable to accept any unused medicines for a refund. Refunds are not possible on POM-V medications once they have left the premises as we are not able to guarantee storage conditions once out of our custody. Non-POM-v medications, food and “pet shop” items can be refunded provided they are unopened in their original packaging in resaleable condition. They must be returned within 28 days of sale for this to apply.  This does not apply to goods or medicines that are faulty or were prescribed or dispensed in error.

We will accept used or unused medication for responsible disposal.

For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this clause shall require Leeds Veterinary Centre to refund the fees (or part thereof) unless such fees (or part thereof) have previously been paid.

Cancellation and Refunds:

Disputes regarding professional fees should be dealt with through our complaints procedure but are not normally subject to refund. 

Where a deposit has been paid in advance of a procedure, this deposit is non-refundable unless the procedure is delayed or cancelled by us, or rearranged or cancelled by you, the client, no later than 3 working days before the scheduled date of the procedure.

For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this clause shall require Leeds Veterinary Centre to refund the fees (or part thereof) unless such fees (or part thereof) have previously been paid.

Vaccination Reminders:

Leeds Veterinary Centre will contact you either by email, letter, telephone call or text to advise you of your pet's upcoming healthcare treatments, including annual vaccinations. Whilst we make every effort to send out reminders for your pet's healthcare, these are provided as a complimentary service and the responsibility to keep your pet's vaccinations up to date remains with you. Leeds Veterinary Centre accepts no liability for any loss, damages or costs which may result from the failure of a client receiving any reminder.

bottom of page