Our commitment to you
Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Pennard Vets.
We will aim to provide your animal with the highest standard of veterinary treatment and care.
We are open 6 days a week with 24/7 support from our own emergency service based at our Sevenoaks branch, and PETS Emergency Service in Maidstone.
Staff and practice policy
- We will endeavour to treat you with courtesy and respect at all times.
- All calls and some consults are recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes.
- We may for marketing purposes request permission to take a picture of your pet and share your story on our Social Media.
- We do not tolerate any threatening or aggressive behaviour.
Owner responsibilities
We believe it is in your pet’s best interest to follow our advice in keeping your pet healthy.
We ask you to take our advice on preventative health care such as vaccinations, routine flea & worm control and diet.
We will commit to making it easier for owners to follow our advice offering membership of our Pet Health Club.
We also ask that you follow our guidance
- To increase safety and minimise stress, we advise that all dogs are controlled on a short lead and collar and all cats are presented in a properly secured carrier.
- Please try and keep dogs and cats separate in the reception area.
- Please make us aware if your pet is nervous or aggressive to other pets or humans.
- Please be courteous and respectful to our staff, other clients and their pets.
Treatments and procedures
The paramount consideration of the veterinary surgeon will be to the patient. We will consider the pets’ welfare above all else.
Diagnosis and treatment will be discussed with you and a course of action agreed.
It is important to us that you are happy with this action.
You have the right to refuse treatment of your pet, unless this leads to a breach of the Animal Rights Act 2006, which states we must prevent suffering and alleviate pain adequately in an animal under care.
Any refusal of treatment will be noted in our records.
All the Vets and Registered Veterinary Nurses in our practice are covered by a suitable indemnity policy.
Fees
All fees, diet and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used.
Details of our fees are available on request and a detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, procedure or transaction.
You are liable for any fees incurred in the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your pet has been brought to us on your behalf by a third party.
Products that have not been paid for may only be released at the discretion of a Director.
Estimates of treatment costs
We will, upon request, be pleased to provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of treatment, but please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, as sometimes an animal’s treatment will not follow a conventional course.
We will always endeavour to contact you if we believe this estimate is likely to be exceeded. However, there may be circumstances when immediate treatment is required to prevent pain and suffering for your pet and as such we cannot guarantee the estimate will be the total final cost.
Methods of payment
Accounts are due for settlement in full at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your animal from hospital or upon collection of drugs/diets.
Your account may be settled using:
Cash, Credit / Debit card – (Switch, Solo, Delta, Mastercard or Visa)
Inability to pay
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your account please discuss this matter as soon as possible with the Customer Services Manager on 01732 452344.
Settlement terms
If for any reason your account has not been settled as specified we will initially send reminders to do so. We reserve the right to add additional administrative costs if the situation should continue and also to refer you to our Debt Collection Agency if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made with us.
Pet Insurance
Pennard Vets recommend the principle of veterinary insurance to protect against the unexpected fees incurred following illness or accident. It is your responsibility to settle your account with us and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. We will do our best to process the insurance claims as soon as possible to minimise any inconvenience to you.
At the discretion of the Practice a claim direct to your insurer may be offered.
This will incur a cost payable to us unless you are insured with Vetsure or PetPlan.
Ownership of records, x-rays and similar documents
Case records and similar documents are the property of and will be retained by Pennard Vets. Even though a charge may be made for carrying out the investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of the resulting record remains the property of the Practice.
Upon request, copies of records with a summary of the history of your animal will be passed to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over your animal’s well-being.
We may also release these records to Pet Insurance Companies when claiming fees under your insurance.
Medication and Prescriptions
Please give us 24 hours’ notice for repeat prescriptions, as we must have each prescription checked by a veterinary surgeon.
Your pet must also be examined by one of our vets at least every 6 months, sometimes more frequently, for us to be able to prescribe drugs on an ongoing basis.
Drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale, therefore, unfortunately we are unable to provide a refund.
We are happy to dispose of unused medication on your behalf.
Refusal of Treatment
The practice reserves the right to refuse treatment of an animal if:
- To do so would be detrimental to the patient.
- It would be considered unethical or in breach of RCVS recommendations.
- A breakdown of trust has been considered to have taken place between you and the practice.
The practice reserves the right to limit treatment of an animal to first aid and immediate relief of pain only if:
- The patient cannot be safely restrained and therefore presents a danger to our staff.
- The terms of payment have been breached.
- We have reason to believe that the patient is receiving treatment by another veterinary surgeon and we have not received a current clinical history.
Feedback and complaints
We at Pennard Vets are fully committed to providing your pet with exceptional care and providing you with excellent service.
We always appreciate any feedback where we can improve on either of these.
Please do not hesitate to speak to any member of the team or we would welcome your review online via our website.
We actively welcome feedback.
Complaints
We hope you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Pennard Vets. However, if we have not met your expectations please discuss it at the time with a member of the team.
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint then please write to the Customer Services Manager at Pennard Vets Sevenoaks, 5 Eardley Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1XY.
Upon receipt we will acknowledge your letter within 7 working days.
Variations in Terms and Conditions of Business
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless specifically agreed in writing by the partners. Additionally, no agent or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these terms and conditions in any way.
The terms and conditions will be updated as necessary and an up-to-date copy is available on request or on our website.