Terms & Conditions

If we are closed and in an emergency situation, please contact our Out of Hours provider:

Initial cost of consultation. Correct at the time of printing.

Your pet will be regularly monitored by a Registered Veterinary Nurse (under supervision of a vet) or a vet to check their clinical signs and progress, their temperature, warmth and comfort and food/water.

We hope to ensure you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from us. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to raise, please direct your comments within 28 days in writing, to:

An acknowledgement will be sent by return and then a period will elapse while the case is investigated and reports collated from those staff involved. A reply in writing will follow, usually within 28 days, although the period may be longer if the Practice Manager or staff involved are temporarily unavailable or delayed.

We will not tolerate any aggressive or abusive behaviour to any staff member, at any time. Any client behaving in such a way will be asked to leave the premises immediately and will then be notified in writing that they must find alternative veterinary cover.

All fees, diets 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. You will receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

In certain cases and for specialist treatment we will refer your pet/s to a specialist centre. The vet will determine which provider will be most suited, on a case by case basis, and will initially correspond with the relevant centre regarding the referral. The referral centre will then contact yourselves to arrange a suitable appointment date and time.

You are entitled to seek a second opinion from another Veterinary practice about your pet/s condition if you so wish. In this instance we will send your pet’s history over to this Veterinary practice.

We will also accept clients who wish to seek a second opinion from us about a case, when they are currently registered at another Veterinary practice. In this instance, we will contact your current vets to obtain your full pet’s history.

Clinical and client records (including diagnostic images and similar records) are the property of, and should be retained by, veterinary surgeons in the interests of animal welfare and for their own protection. However, at the request of a client, the practice will provide copies of any relevant clinical and client records to the client.

Although clients do not own their clinical records, they have the right to access information about themselves under data protection legislation. To clarify, the GDPR relates to personal data – data about an individual person, not an animal.

Copies of a pet’s history will be passed on to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over the case, on request.

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 the account using:

We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course. We will update you on ongoing costs and advise you when our fees reach or exceed the estimate total.

For any accounts not settled within 21 days, a reminder will be sent out with an additional accounting fee in respect of administrative costs incurred. After 28 days, overdue accounts will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt: production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.

Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured, and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum, with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs, together with interest on the principal sum.

Barnhouse Veterinary Surgery strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance Company.