Terms and Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your horse or pony to Loch Leven Equine Practice Ltd (LLEP). Below are detailed our Practice Terms and Conditions (T&C). Some aspects of the T&C may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further clarification if required. These T&C shall apply to all matters that we handle on your behalf and to the exclusion of any other T&C. By allowing us to continue looking after your horse, you are deemed to accept these T&C.

1. FEES

All fees 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 invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us. We are very happy to provide a written estimate on request. Unexpected complications may occur which will increase the final costs. Wherever possible we will communicate these increased costs at the time but in all circumstances all fees are payable.

2. EMERGENCY SERVICE

LLEP provides a 24 hour, seven day a week veterinary service for emergencies. There is always a veterinary surgeon and nurse on call. If you have an emergency out of working hours please call the office on 01577 841010 and you will be given two options:

• Press 1 to have your call diverted to the emergency vet. If they do not answer immediately they may be busy dealing with another emergency. Please leave them a voicemail with your name and telephone number and a brief outline of your emergency.
• Press 2 to leave a NON-URGENT message, which our receptionists will return during working hours.

Alternatively you can call the emergency mobile directly on 07789 684245

3. METHODS OF PAYMENTS

You may settle your account using cash, cheque, direct bank payments or by credit/debit cards (Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Delta – we do not accept American Express).

Accounts can also be settled via our website or by telephone.

4. SETTLEMENT TERMS

For all work payment is due on presentation of the invoice. For surgical and emergency admissions a deposit of £500 is payable on admission. The remaining balance will be due on collection of the patient from the clinic unless by prior arrangement with the Practice Manager. For insured cases a valid insurance claim form plus the policy excess must be provided on admission to the clinic. We only cover direct claims for insured cases. Should an account not be settled within our settlement terms, a reminder will be sent. Any account which is 30 days or more overdue will be subject to interest charged at 4% per calendar month. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges will be incurred which will be passed directly onto the client. These however, may be deducted if payment is made promptly. After due notice to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and/or solicitor and further  charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt; such as the 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 honored 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 principle sum.  

5. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

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. Please note that instalments or part-payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of Mrs L. Somerville and may be subject to interest of 4% per month. If you fail to make any payment due to us under this agreement by the due date for payment, then you shall pay interest on the overdue amount at a rate of 4% per month. Such interest shall accrue on a monthly basis from the due date until actual payment of the overdue amount, whether before or after judgment. You shall pay the interest together with the overdue amount. You are agreeing that the interest amount for failure to pay is fair given that it costs us significantly more time and money to administer and monitor an overdue debt payment than if you had paid on time.

6. TERMINATION OF SERVICE

You may ask us to stop caring for your horse, pony or donkey at any time. We may stop looking after your animals if you do not accept our advice; or fail to settle your account on time; or if we are prohibited by law from doing any further work on your matter; or if the relationship between you and us sadly breaks down; or if we no longer have the expertise. Under these circumstances we will serve you notice in writing of imminent withdrawal of services. We will then invoice you for any work done. We reserve the right to hold your horse’s records until all outstanding invoices and expenses have been paid.

7. HORSE HEALTH INSURANCE

LLEP strongly supports the principle of insuring your horse or pony against unexpected illness or accident, although we cannot give any recommendations regarding individual insurance companies. Please be aware that whilst we only accept direct insurance claims  it is ultimately your responsibility to settle your account and we reserve the right to ask you to settle your account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company. In the instance of a direct payment from the insurance company we must receive the policy excess, signed insurance form and any items not covered by your policy within 7 days from the date of the first invoice.  

8. PRESCRIPTIONS

Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain relevant veterinary medicinal products (POM-Vs) from LLEP or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. We can only prescribe relevant medicinal products following a clinical assessment of your horse or pony under our care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your horse/pony is an in-patient or requires immediate treatment. Most horses and ponies under our care on long term medication require a re-assessment every 6 months but this may vary with individual circumstances. We require 48 hours notice to process a written prescription.

We are only able to issue a prescription for an animal with a passport.

9. COMPLAINTS & STANDARDS

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from LLEP. However if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to Mrs Lindsay Jamieson. Further details on our complaints policy is available on request or from our website www.lochlevenequine.co.uk

10. OWNERSHIP OF RADIOGRAPHS AND SIMILAR RECORDS

The care given to your horse or pony 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 remains with LLEP.

11. NON-VARIATION

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind LLEP unless it is specifically written in writing and signed by one of the Directors. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, LLEP has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in anyway.

12. DATA PROTECTION

In holding and using data about you, we will comply with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018. Further details can be found in our Data Protection Policy and Privacy Policy which is available on request from Mrs. Liz Somerville or can be downloaded from our website www.lochlevenequine.co.uk.

13. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

This condition applies to any claim; by you; against us (including any successor business), any past, present or future directors of this firm, and/or any past present or future employees of this firm. Such a claim shall be limited in amount to £5000 for each and every claim, including claimants’ costs. All claims, whether made by one or more parties referred to above or by a third party, arising from the same act or omissions, shall be regarded as one claim. For the avoidance of doubt, this limitation shall apply to any claim for negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, and any liability whatsoever.

14. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to providing the same high quality service to all our clients, regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

15. PASSPORTS

All horses, ponies and donkeys MUST have passports, which should be available for the vet to check and we strongly recommend that the passports should be signed by the owner to confirm that the animal is not going for human consumption. If you do not have a passport, we can help you obtain one. Where a passport is not available the detailed record of medicinal products must be retained. This information is available on your account documentation.

16. REFERRALS AND SECOND OPINIONS

Whilst we endeavor to provide the highest level of care for you and your horse, if you wish to request a referral to, or a second opinion from, another veterinary practice we will, with your permission, assist you in the process and forward on all clinical records promptly to that veterinary surgeon/practice.