Terms & conditions

This page sets out our practice terms and conditions. If you need clarification of any aspect, please ask.

Opening hours

We provide a 24 hour emergency service to our clients. Our surgery opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.45am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm. When you call the practice, all phone calls are recorded.

Home visits

In most cases we can provide a much higher standard of care (including further investigation, surgical procedures or diagnostic tests) at our surgery. However, we recognise there are times when a home visit is needed and we are happy to see your animal at home. Please contact us as usual to arrange a visit. Home visits incur an extra fee on top of any treatment given.

Overnight care

Sometimes patients need overnight hospitalisation for the best care and a speedy recovery. We pride ourselves on providing our own out-of-hours care by our own vets. Overnight care is provided at our practice in Hatston by our duty vet. We will make a detailed assessment and plan specific to your pet's medical and/or surgical needs, and discuss them with you.

Fee structure

Our fees are divided into services and drugs, covering the wide range of surgical and medical procedures we offer, all subject to VAT at the standard rate. We can provide an estimate for all investigations or surgical procedures. We make our estimates as accurate as possible, but unforeseen circumstances may mean we cannot keep to them; we will keep you informed of any changes as soon as possible. In an emergency, at a veterinary surgeon's judgement, we reserve the right to act to maintain the high standard of welfare we expect for our patients. We are happy to provide an itemised bill for all procedures, and to answer any query about routine prices.

Repeat cancellations, missed appointments or procedure bookings may incur a fee or non-refundable deposit, charged at the practice's discretion.

Settlement terms: small animal accounts

Payment is due at the time of treatment or on discharge from the practice. Alternative arrangements are possible but must be agreed in advance with a senior member of staff. Fees left outstanding will be invoiced and an admin fee applied; if the invoice remains unpaid, surcharges will be applied to the account. After due notice we reserve the right to refer an unpaid account to a debt collection agency.

Insured clients may be able to arrange for the insurer to pay Flett & Carmichael directly; this incurs an admin charge. Most policies have an excess, which should be paid to us at the time of treatment. The client remains liable for all fees and excesses if a claim is rejected, and it is the client's sole responsibility to read, understand and follow the terms and conditions of their policy.

Settlement terms: farm and equine accounts

All farm and horse work is invoiced at the end of the month following treatment. Payment on or before the 15th of the month of invoicing qualifies for a 5% discount, shown on the first monthly statement. Payment is due by the end of the calendar month in which the invoice or statement is issued. Interest is charged on overdue accounts at 5% per month. Where extended payment terms are agreed with a director's approval and the balance reduces monthly, 3% interest is applied to the reducing balance.

Inability to pay

If for any reason you are unable to pay for services, please contact us as soon as possible and before treatment starts. It may be possible to agree an alternative payment arrangement, subject to the settlement terms above.

Referrals and second opinions

While we pride ourselves on a comprehensive service for all the species we treat, occasionally clinical outcomes or diagnostics are unachievable in general practice (for instance a dedicated MRI scanner). Our clinical team will always act in your animal's best interests and will advise you if referral to a specialist centre is warranted. We have a close working relationship with the referral centres we use, and they are happy to advise us on cases where referral isn't an option.

Prescriptions

Medical prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines (POM-Vs) from your vet or ask for a prescription to obtain them from another vet or pharmacy. We can only supply prescriptions for animals under our care, and a prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or in an emergency. You will be told (on request) the price of any medicine that may be dispensed to your animal.

Our general policy is to reassess animals on long-term treatment or prescription every 6 months, although some conditions need re-examination at shorter intervals. A standard examination charge applies, and a fee applies per prescription per animal. Further information on medicine prices is available on request.

Data protection

We strictly adhere to current data protection legislation. Please see our privacy policy for details.

Ownership of records

Caring for your animal, through consultations or further investigations such as blood tests or X-rays, generates records that form your animal's clinical history. These remain under the ownership of Hatston Veterinary Centre at all times. The cost of further investigations covers performing and interpreting them. You may view your animal's clinical history by appointment only, and a copy of the full history can be forwarded to another veterinary surgeon at your request.

Declining or withdrawal of services

We reserve the right to decline or withdraw veterinary services at any time, solely at our discretion. Existing clients will be told by a director that services have been withdrawn, with written confirmation within 3 working days. From initial notice we will continue to provide emergency treatment for your animals for 7 working days, after which responsibility for their ongoing or future care rests solely with the owner (save our responsibilities under the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons). We will forward a copy of any clinical notes to your nominated vet.

Complaints policy

We aim to provide the best level of care for your animal. If you feel we have failed to achieve that standard, our complaints procedure is as follows.

1. Phone the practice on 01856 872859 during normal opening hours and ask to speak to a director. A director will try to respond at the time; if clinical work makes that impossible, reception will take your details and a director will contact you within 24 hours.
2. If a resolution cannot be reached, we may ask for your complaint in writing, addressed FAO The Directors, Flett and Carmichael, 1 Garrison Road, Hatston Ind Est, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1GN. You will receive a written response within 14 working days of receipt.
3. In the unlikely event of an unsatisfactory outcome, you have the right to raise your grievance with our governing body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.