Appointments
To minimise waiting times, our surgeries operate an appointment
only system. Appointments can be made every day from Monday to
Friday and also on Saturday mornings. Please check our consulting
times for each branch surgery as they do differ. If you wish to see
a particular vet please check he/she is available at the time your
appointment is made.
However busy we are we will always see urgent cases as soon as
possible but you may have to wait so that we can squeeze you
in.
We operate a 365 day, 24 hour emergency service for all
animals.
Visits
Home visits are available for domestic pets at any
time but please telephone early in the day where possible. House
visits do take much longer than a consultation at the surgery, and
are therefore more expensive. For a more thorough examination and
often more speedy service, it is generally better to bring your pet
into one of the surgeries where the necessary equipment and drugs
are available. This is particularly true for road traffic
accidents, when prompt attention can often be life saving.
Farm animals and horses do generally require a
visit. We do see some equine and large animal cases at our premises
but parking and animal security problems require adequate prior
knowledge of your visit and may limit appointment times. It is best
if any non-urgent work can be booked a few days in advance.
Parking
We have car parking areas for clients at all surgeries.
Fees & Payment
The Practice aims to provide high quality health care. For this
reason, the fees are structured to provide a realistic return
enabling us to improve our facilities and standards. We are
committed to further training for all our staff and the upgrading
of our premises. The services we offer are, therefore, also
constantly being reviewed and renewed.
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT. You will
receive a detailed fee note for every consultation, surgical
procedure or transaction with us.
An estimate of fees is always available on request, although
variations in treatment required can make exact quotes very
difficult - we do of course try to consult clients before
undertaking any additional service. We do not run small animal
accounts, and you will be expected to pay your bill on the day, or
at the end of a course of treatment. This helps us to keep our
charges as low as possible. However, we recognise that certain
emergency procedures are unplanned and unexpected. If you are
likely to have difficulty paying a fee, please discuss this with
the receptionist before treatment.
You may settle your account using cash, all major credit/ debit
cards or cheques (payable to Highcliff Veterinary Practice with a
current bankers card).
Small animal clients:
We do not offer account facilities and clients are asked to pay at
the time of treatment in order to keep costs as low as
possible. We reserve the right to take debit/credit card
details in advance. Should an account not be settled within 14
days, then a reminder will be sent. If payment has not been
received by 30 days then an additional accounting fee, currently
£5.00, will be charged in respect of administrative costs
incurred. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be
sent, interest will be charged after 45 days at 2% per annum above
Barclays' base rate.
Equine/large animal
clients: We offer account facilities
and payment is expected within 30 days from the date of
invoice.
Should an account not be settled within 30 days, then a reminder
will be sent. If payment has not been received by 60 days
then an additional accounting fee, currently £5.00, will be charged
in respect of administrative costs incurred. Should it be
necessary for further reminders to be sent, interest will be
charged after 60 days at 2% per annum above Barclays' annual base
rate.
For all clients, these additional charges may, however, be
deducted if payment is made promptly i.e. within seven days and
only at the discretion of a Partner or the Practice
Manager.
Pet Insurance
It is recommended that you insure your animals. With the rising
cost of veterinary treatment a major accident or illness can be
expensive and inevitably will come when you can least afford it.
With veterinary insurance, you can have the very best treatment for
your animals without having to worry about the cost. Our staff will
be happy to discuss insurance policies with you but we cannot
recommend a specific insurance company.
Complaints
Everybody at Highcliff Veterinary Practice is committed to
providing a caring professional service to a high standard.
However, if you have a complaint about our service then please
speak or write in the first instance to the Practice Manager who
will endeavour to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
Our Terms of Business are on display within each of our
surgeries and are contained within our Practice Brochure.
