Terms and Conditions

Registration

We are very excited to be able to offer a home veterinary service, changing the way we care for pets - and their – owners, one home at a time. We aim to deliver a variety of services and procedures in the comfort of your own home, however some procedures are inappropriate or unsafe outside a traditional veterinary setting. Additionally, we cover a wide geographical area and it may be physically impossible for us to reach your home in an emergency situation. Therefore, we are partnered with West Edinburgh Vets - another independent practice located in Corstorphine - to provide any services we can’t offer at home, as well as emergency care during normal business hours. If you do not wish to use West Edinburgh Vets in these instances, it is imperative that you remain registered with your existing veterinary clinic, as we cannot guarantee an appointment for you at any other clinic.

For your pet to be considered under our care, we must have your pet’s previously medical history if one exists. In most cases, we must carry out a physical examination on your pet before we are able to dispense any medications or recommend any treatments. Due to GDPR regulations, you must give permission to your release this information, so it is your responsibility to ensure that your current vet sends it to us.

Communications

We are a paperless business and all communications will be sent electronically via email, SMS, or out Pet App by default. Invoices will be sent to you via email. If you require paper copies, please get in touch with us so we can make this accommodation for you. Written prescriptions will be printed when necessary to comply with regulations.

Fees

We aim to be completely transparent regarding our fees. Our prices are determined by time spent, distance travelled, consumables or medications used, as well as any additional specialised training or equipment required for the service provided.  

Invoices may show a bundled price (eg “Sedation”) but you can request an itemised breakdown of any procedure which will show the cost of the medications, consumables, equipment, and time.

All of our services are subject to VAT at the current rate, and all prices listed on our website or individually quoted will be inclusive of VAT for ease of understanding and budgeting.

Prescriptions

We aim to charge primarily for our time and expertise with limited markups on medications or food. However, the small markup on our medications covers the cost of storage (including climate control, security and compliance for controlled drugs), stocking, expiry management (when partial doses are dispensed and bottles may not be used before they expire), printing label materials, inventory tracking systems, packaging, audits (which is a paid service), and appropriate medication disposal.

Please note that as of 2024, veterinary practices must adhere to new prescribing guidelines set by our governing body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. This has changed the way we can prescribe medications for your pets: we may need to physically examine your pet before prescribing medications for the first time, or we need to conduct medication reviews more frequently before refilling your prescriptions. We are required to conduct a clinical examination of your pet every six (6) months for stable pets and more frequently for controlled drugs or conditions which are not yet well controlled. This is not a practice decision – we are required by law to comply with this new legislation.

Once medications have left our building we cannot refund the cost. This is due to strict regulations regarding temperature control set by our governing bodies. If we order in medication specifically for your pet, payment will be required even if it is not collected. Prescriptions can be delivered to your home via OurVetStore at the same price as through our practice, however there is an additional fee for postage.

Written Prescriptions

We charge a small fee for our written prescriptions. While a written prescription does not carry the same costs for waste management, every prescription is still subject to printing materials, record-keeping, and auditing fees in compliance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Please ensure you notify us ahead of your appointment if you would like a written prescription as we will not be able to print documents during a home visit and it may result in delays in obtaining your prescription. A written prescription may not be suitable if your pet is unwell and requires urgent treatment.

Payment and Settlement

We are a cashless business with payments through credit or debit cards, payment links, or bank transfers. Payment for external laboratory fees must be paid before arrangements are made with the laboratory. Payment for food or medications must be received before they ordered in for your pet.

We are a small business and we operate with small margins to keep prices down for our clients, therefore we kindly ask for payment at the time of service. If payment has not been received after 30 days, we reserve the right to add an additional administrative fee in respect of costs incurred, as well as interest of 8% plus the Bank of England base rate. You will be notified 48 hours before the charge is applied. After due notice to you, the client, overdue accounts will be sent to our debt collectors and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt. These costs include the production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits and so forth. Any credit card payment not honoured will result in the account being restored to the original sum.

Please discuss any difficulties you may have with payment for services before giving consent for procedures to be undertaken.

Pet Health Insurance

We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents, but we are unable to give specific advice about the choices that are out there. Please be aware it is your responsibility to settle your account with us directly and then reclaim the fees from your insurers. We do not charge for processing insurance claims, although we may do so if additional letters are required. If the insurers do not settle the claim that is a matter between you and the insurer, and the debt remains your responsibility.

Estimates of Treatment Costs

We will happily provide an estimate for a course of treatment, which will be recorded on your pet’s file and will be emailed to you. We will also always provide an estimate of any treatment or services that we recommend be carried out at our partner practice, West Edinburgh Vets. Estimates will be made during the home visit wherever possible, or shortly thereafter, however all estimates will be confirmed by West Edinburgh Vets ahead of your appointment and any changes will be communicated to you. We aim to be as accurate as possible, and we will contact you if additional time or treatment is needed that will exceed your estimate.

Concerns and Standards

We hope that you will be happy with all aspects of our service. We aim to provide an exceptional level of care for both you and your pet. However, if you have any concerns, please discuss them at the time with our clinical team or, if you are more comfortable, submit them via email to info@kellyvets.co.uk. All complaints will be handled fairly and equitably.

Please note, we have a zero-tolerance policy for abusive or threatening behaviour toward any of our staff members. Any clients who are found to be in violation of this policy will be fired from our clinic. If your pet is currently undergoing treatment, we will continue to provide care until such time as a transfer of care would not be detrimental to their health or welfare.

Ownership of records, radiographs, images and other records

We may take ask your permission to take photos or videos of patients in our care to be used for educational purposes or on our business social media accounts. Patent data is anonymised, unless you are specifically asked if we can use your pet’s name or we utilise client photos. All records, images, and other documents remain the property of Kelly Vets Ltd. These records by law are owned by the clinic. Copies will be forwarded directly to another veterinary surgeon at your request. Should you wish for images from x-rays or scans please ask. We are happy for these to be provided to you.

Out of Hours

Extended business hours are available for home euthanasia services only. The provision of emergency care outwith normal business hours is provided by Vets Now. Please get in touch with us if you have specific questions about this arrangement.

Second Opinions and Referrals

Should you wish for your pet to receive an external second opinion or other specialist services which we are unable to provide, we are happy to facilitate this to the best of our ability. We aim to collaborate with other specialists where possible to ensure the best outcome for your pet.

Data Protection – GDPR

We only use your personal information that you provide to us in accordance with our privacy policy.

Last Updated: 6 January 2024