Terms And Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Kriek and Gibson Veterinary Surgery. Our Practice Terms and Conditions are shown below. Please ask for any further explanation/clarification if required. 

Registration and Contact Details  

It is essential for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. To do this, we will periodically ask you to confirm the details we hold. If your details change, please inform us so we can ensure our database is as up to date as possible so that you continue to receive important appointment and treatment notifications for your pet. 

Consent 

In accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, Kriek & Gibson Veterinary Surgery (KGVS) will ask for signed consent for:  all procedures involving in-patient admission to the clinic, the use of medications in species for which they were not licensed (e.g. using dog and cat medicines in rabbits and rodents), the use of medications for conditions for which they were not licensed (e.g. using a heart medication to treat a kidney conditions, for which no licensed product exists), and euthanasia when required.  If a situation changes whilst your pet is hospitalised, and further or different procedures are required while your pet is in our care, we may obtain verbal consent over the phone which will then be documented on your pet’s clinical record rather than asking you to return to sign an updated form. 

Fees  

All fees, diets, reception sales and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the vet’s professional time and expertise applied to a case, and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used.  You will receive a detailed invoice for all consultations, surgical procedures or transactions with us.  All prices quoted, whether on our price list or in an estimate, are inclusive of the current rate of VAT. Fees are calculated according to the time, risk and skill required to perform a veterinary service/procedure. 

 

 

Estimates of Treatment Cost 

We will happily provide an estimate of the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, as often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course and unforeseen expense may occur- we will endeavour to inform you of any additional costs at our earliest opportunity depending on your pet’s safety.  We will update you with the costs on a daily basis if your pet is hospitalised.  All estimates are valid for 30 days. 

Settlement Terms 

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or collection of drugs/diets and reception sales. We accept cash, debit/credit cards (Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Delta) or through a payment link on PetsApp (Stripe). 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.  We do not offer repayment plans, and payment is expected at the time of treatment.  Instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the permission of a director.  In other words, whilst receptionists and vets can relay requests for credit, please do not expect them to be able to make such agreements themselves. 

Unsettled Accounts 

Any account not settled within 14 days will be sent a reminder.  We reserve the right to add an accounting fee in respect of administrative costs.  Should the account remain outstanding beyond 30 days, KGVS reserves the right to refer any unsettled accounts to our debt collecting agency, unless otherwise agreed.   Should the account remain outstanding beyond 30 days, the practice directors reserve the right to de-register the client and their pets.  Any further costs incurred in collecting the debt will be added to the balance.  Should any credit card payment not be honoured by the provider, or any cash tendered and found to be counterfeit, this will result in the account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of any bank fees and administrative costs. 

We shall be entitled to suspend the provision of any further goods and/or services until you have paid outstanding sums in full.  Where we consider it appropriate to do so we may require payment on account before goods and/or services are provided. 

Appointments 

All consultations are by appointment only.  If you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment, then please give as much notice as possible.  We understand that sometimes it is unavoidable.  If you consistently cancel or fail to attend appointments at short notice (less than 24 hours) then we reserve the right to ask for payment of any future appointments at the time of booking, which will be non-refundable if the appointment is then cancelled again. 

Pet Health Insurance 

Kriek and Gibson Veterinary Surgery strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents.   Whilst legally we can’t make specific recommendations, we are very happy to provide more information about the different types of insurance policies offered for pets in the UK, please just ask a member of our team. 

Unless otherwise specified, you are expected to settle your account and then reclaim fees from your insurance company.  We will always complete our insurance claim form obligations in a timely manner, assuming we have all the relevant information to do so.  We do not charge to complete insurance claims where a client has already settled their account with us and is reclaiming fees from the insurance company.  We do not require that you keep receipts or invoices for your pet’s treatment to process their insurance claim as we have all details on their computer file. 

If you are concerned that your insurance company will not cover the costs, then with many companies we can submit a pre-authorisation request prior to the treatment being carried out (if treatment is not very time sensitive) which will give an indication as to if the insurance company are likely to pay. 

 

Details about insurance are available at the practice. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account and then reclaim fees from your insurance company. 

We can accept payment directly from some, but not all, insurance companies, subject to the following terms: 

Understanding that this option is not guaranteed and remains subject to approval by the directors of KGVS 

KGVS reserve the right to refuse payment directly from an insurance provider if we perceive that arrangement carries a risk of delayed payment or even non-payment 

Because direct insurance claims often involve significantly more administration, as well as a delay in payment to the practice – often up to several months – KGVS will charge an administration fee when payment is made in these circumstances.  This fee is currently £25 (March 2025) and is payable to the practice upon signing the relevant agreement.   

Should the practice directors agree to accept payment directly from an insurance provider, clients are expected to provide us with all the relevant documents to enable us to make the claim within 7 days of incurring the charges.  Should these documents not be provided within 7 days after request, the practice reserves the right to withdraw the offer of payment directly from the insurance provider, and the client will be invoiced for the outstanding amount. 

The client is expected to pay the balance of their excess when the insurance claim is submitted to the insurance provider.   

Any costs not covered by the insurance company will then be payable by the client. 

 

Second Opinions and Referrals 

Clients may request a second opinion for their pet.  This can be arranged with an alternative veterinary surgeon at Kriek & Gibson Veterinary Surgery or by attending a different practice.  Please ask the chosen practice to contact us and, with permission, we will forward the clinical history. 

Occasionally, animals may require specialised treatment that we do not have the equipment of skills to offer.  We work with several clinicians who are able to come to our surgery for a referral consultation and, in other cases, we arrange an appointment at a local referral practice.  There is an administration fee for this process. 

Ownership of Records 

Radiographs and Similar Records Case records are the property of, and will be retained by, Kriek and Gibson Veterinary Surgery. A summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case, or to your pet’s insurance company in the event of a claim.   

The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example laboratory tests, taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting these results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, or laboratory report, remains with the practice. We reserve the right to charge for the production of duplicate records or radiographs. 

Photographs of your pet may on occasion be used for educational or marketing purposes, please let us know if you would prefer this not to happen. 

 

Vaccination and compliance reminders 

 Unless you have requested (either online or by notifying Your Practice in writing) that we do not contact you, we will endeavour to remind you of when annual vaccinations are due for your pets. Please note that this is a courtesy – there is no obligation on Kriek & Gibson Veterinary Surgery or the staff regarding the consequences of failure to provide such reminders and it remains your responsibility to keep vaccines and other routine treatments up to date. 

Undertaking of Procedures and Use of Medications 

Veterinary staff will use medications, procedures and safety devices as required during the treatment of your pet.  This includes but is not limited to the use of muzzles and appropriate restraint as may be required to ensure the safety of our team members during treatment of your pets. 

 

Out of hours Emergency Service and Hospitalised Patients 

Kriek & Gibson Veterinary Surgery is open Monday- Friday 8am-7pm, Saturday 8:30 am – 1pm and Sunday 9:30-10:30.  Outside these hours and on bank holidays, all emergencies are transferred to the care of our out-of-hours service partners.  Details for both can be found below:  

Vets Now, Sutton

Inside Maven Veterinary Care  

601-613 London Road

North Cheam

0208 127 0393

SM3 9DF

 

North Surrey Veterinary Emergencies 

4 Park Road 

East Molesley 

KT8 9LE 

0208 783 2850 

Hospitalised patients: A nurse and vet are always on duty to check on hospitalised animals as appropriate whilst in our care.  High dependency cases will also be referred to our emergency providers to ensure they receive continuous monitoring required.  Please note that clients will be responsible for transporting their pet in these circumstances.  

Data Protection 

We take your privacy very seriously and take great care to comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Act, to protect your personal information including any financial details you share with us.  KGVS will only use your personal information in order to liaise with you regarding the healthcare of your pets. 

As per DPA 2018, we are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).   

Please see  https://www.kriekandgibsonvets.com/privacy-statement/ for further information 

Monitoring Telephone Calls and Emails 

Telephone calls, emails and messages via WhatsApp or social media to and from the practice may be recorded or monitored.  By using such communication methods, you are consenting to the recording or monitoring of the same.  When taking payment over the phone we will pause the recording to not capture any of your payment details.   

Complaints and standards 

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Kriek and Gibson Veterinary Surgery. However if there are any matters you wish to discuss, please direct your comments in the first instance to Johnny Kriek or Gillian Gibson.  If you wish to put your complaint in writing, then you can either send it to us by email office@kgvets.com or post it to our surgery for the attention of J Kriek and G Gibson.  We aim to acknowledge all complaints within 48 hours and issue a full response within 14 days to allow us adequate time to fully investigate the matter. 

Whilst almost all client frustrations and concerns can be resolved informally, should you feel that your issue has not been handled to your satisfaction, you may wish to raise your concern with our professional regulators, RCVS, using the link below.  Please be aware of the following when doing so:
The RCVS only involve themselves in complaints relating to the professional conduct of a veterinary surgeon (e.g. fraud or dishonesty) as opposed to accusations of negligence – unless the instances of negligence are sustained or represent a standard that would make the veterinary professional unfit to practice.  

This means that the RCVS does not get involved in complaints about charges or fees. 

The RCVS offers a Client Mediation Service https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/ 

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/im-an-animal-owner-and-i-want-to-raise-a-concern/
 

Standards of Conduct Expected of our Clients 

We’re sure this will never be a cause for concern, but want to be clear, that just as our clients are entitled to appropriate standards of care, service and value for money from the practice, the directors expect that our staff will also receive appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour in return, whilst serving our clients. KGVS’ definition of appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour are as follows:  clients are not entitled to speak to us or treat us in a manner that would be considered inappropriate should we do the same to them. 

This includes: 

• Swearing 
• Aggressive, abusive or intimidating behaviour towards members of staff 
• Defamation on social media 

Should such instances occur, we reserve the right to de-register the client and their pets and ask them seek Veterinary care elsehwere. 

Legislation Relating to Veterinary Care 

KGVS will endeavor to provide veterinary services in accordance with all reasonable standards specified within the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Nurses.  

Guidelines are available at www.rcvs.org.uk.  

Veterinary Surgeons at KGVS can only give advice, diagnose and prescribe therapies for patients that are under their care. Please see below for more information about this term:  

• Being ‘under the care’ of a veterinary practice means that the veterinary surgeon must have access to the patient and information pertaining to their health and welfare, in order to make informed decisions about their healthcare needs.  
• A patient cannot be considered under the vet’s care if there has been no physical examination, which means that a vet cannot prescribe a prescription only medicine to a patient if they have only conducted a consultation over the telephone or online.  
• If a patient has been prescribed a prescription only medicine for a long-term medical condition, it is however possible to dispense more medicine without the patient having to be examined each and every time.  
• All repeat prescription requests need to be authorised by a veterinary surgeon before they can be dispensed.  
• Legally, the maximum period of time any vet can prescribe a prescription only medicine without having re-examined the patient, is 6 months.  
• The minimum period of time between examinations is not legally defined. This decision is determined by the prescribing veterinary surgeon based on many factors specific to the patient and condition. 

 

Prescriptions 

If your pet is on long term medication and you require a repeat prescription, we request that wherever possible you contact us 48 hours prior to collecting the medication or prescription.  This will enable the veterinary surgeon to review your pet’s record and authorise the prescription, and for them to be prepared and made ready for collection.  In some cases it is necessary for us to order certain medications from our veterinary wholesaler or other suppliers.  Certain medications may have to be ordered in for the sole treatment of your pet and in these instances we will require payment in full, even if they are not collected or used. 

Please remember that by law and in order to comply with the RCVS legal requirements, it is necessary for us to re-examine your pet from time to time before issuing further medication.  This enables us to review your pet’s progress with you and make sure the treatment is effective.  The time interval between these examinations will usually vary between 3 and 6 months, depending on the nature of the condition being treated and the medication prescribed.  This check up is subject to a standard consultation charge.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may  cause, but the monitoring of any ongoing illness is essential for your pet’s best health.  We will inform you if we need to examine your pet or if we require a little more time to obtain the items required. 

Written prescriptions for Prescription Only Medicines, Category V (POM-Vs) are available on request, for patients under our care to enable  you to obtain the medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy.  A request for a written prescription involves review of the animal’s case notes before writing, to ensure it is appropriate and so will involve a charge.  We do advise that at times a written prescription may not be appropriate e.g. if your pet is in hospital or it will delay treatment in certain cases.   

  

Return of Unused Medications 

KGVS will accept unused medications for disposal free of charge. 

Legally we cannot offer a refund on any medicines which have left the premises and then are returned, as they are not considered fit for re-sale by our regulators. 

Drugs purchased from another supplier will be accepted for disposal subject to a charge. 

 

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the practice partners. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.