Terms & Conditions

Thank you for choosing to join us at Edhen Vets. As an independent practice we are proud to provide a 24/7 service to our local community for all domestic pets.
Please find the Terms of Business by which we operate below. These Terms of Business apply to all clients of Edhen Veterinary Surgery.

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT (20%). Fee levels are determined by the time and skill level required on a case and according to the medicines, materials and consumables used. We generate an itemised invoice after every consultation/procedure, and if we have a client email address we can also email a copy after every transaction.

As a client, you are liable for any fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet, even if your pet is brought in on your behalf by a relative, friend or agent.

When Payment Is Due

Payment is always taken prior to any procedure being carried out. Where appropriate, this also applies to consultations, drugs and diets. This allows our clinical team to focus fully on your pet’s care, rather than having to deal with payment arrangements once treatment is complete.

You may settle your account using:

• Cash
• Credit/Debit Card – Maestro, Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Visa Electron and American Express
• Direct/Online bank transfer (BACS)
• Payment link sent via WhatsApp or SMS text message

Insurance

Please see our separate Insurance policy for full details on how we handle insurance claims. In all cases, the client remains responsible for settling the account directly with us, unless the practice has specifically agreed otherwise in advance

Refunds

If the full estimated treatment is not required, or part of the planned treatment is not carried out, any appropriate refund will be arranged promptly.

Non-Payment

If payment terms are not met, we will pass on the outstanding balance to a debt collection agency.

Debt Recovery Charges

In the event of non-payment of any invoice in its entirety within the required period, further administrative and debt recovery charges may be applied to your account and referred to Debt Solve UK Ltd for recovery.

Please note that upon referral to Debt Solve UK Ltd you will incur additional fees, and you agree to reimburse us of all debt recovery charges we incur in the pursuit of recovering the debt due to the additional correspondence, phone calls, reports, administration costs and other debt recovery actions.
You contractually agree to pay these additional debt recovery sums and interest because of your non-payment under the agreed payment terms.

If the account remains in arrears 30 days after referral to the debt recovery agency, we reserve the right to commence legal proceedings. You agree that you will be liable for any additional debt recovery costs thereafter as well as legal costs. You agree to be liable for our legal costs on an indemnity basis in addition to the principal sum and interest.

We reserve the right to not undertake any further commercial dealings while the debt is outstanding, and we can suspend the provision of any further goods and/or services until the outstanding sum is paid in full. Please note county court judgments can impact your credit rating.

Edhen Vets strives for transparency, especially in financial matters. As a matter of routine, we will provide you with a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment, and will make sure you understand what this estimate does and does not include.

Wherever possible, we aim to provide this estimate at the time treatment is discussed. Where an immediate estimate is not possible, we aim to provide one within 24 hours. Please note that some estimates are more complex to prepare than others, and may occasionally take a little longer, particularly where a newer or less experienced member of staff may need some time to clarify certain details before finalising the figures. We appreciate your patience in these circumstances.

All estimates are put together with as much accuracy as possible, but a pet’s illness will not always follow a conventional course. We will always try to lay out a minimum and maximum financial scenario, and to gain an understanding of your wishes in different outcomes.

If, during a procedure, an unexpected decision needs to be made and we believe treatment costs are going to exceed the original estimate, we will try to contact you using the contact numbers you have given us. However, if you are not contactable, we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.

Pet insurance to cover veterinary fees in the event of illness or accident enables many clients to afford the very best treatment when the need arises, and we support the concept of veterinary fees insurance.

However, please note that we do not routinely undertake direct insurance claims (i.e. billing your insurer directly and only charging you the difference). Direct claims will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, and only where we have received appropriate pre-authorisation from your insurance company confirming that treatment costs will be covered.

We have adopted this approach for the following reasons:

• We are a small independent business with significant financial outgoings, and are not in a position to absorb unpaid insurance claims or disputed costs.
• If treatment is carried out without confirmation that the insurer will cover the fees, there is a real risk that you could be left with an unexpected and substantial debt if the claim is later declined or reduced.
• This is a common approach across veterinary practices, and is not intended to make claiming on your insurance difficult; it is simply to protect both you and the practice from unforeseen financial risk.

As standard, you will be required to settle your account with us in full at the time of treatment, and can then submit your claim to your insurer for reimbursement. We are happy to complete and provide any necessary paperwork to support your claim.

In accordance with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Edhen Vets ensures the welfare of domestic pets 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services provided outside of our normal operating hours incur an additional charge, as displayed on the pricing list on our website.

All out-of-hours emergencies, and any hospitalisation, are carried out by our team at our Truro branch in Shortlanesend. This applies to all clients, including those who usually use our Camborne or Newquay branches.

In the event of an emergency when the practice is closed, clients and new clients wishing to use our services should call any of our branch numbers to speak to our emergency team, and your details will be passed on to the on-call vet or nurse immediately:

• Truro: 01872 228873
• Camborne: 01209 912388
• Newquay: 01637 838233

We use a messaging service to ensure that the phone is always answered.

Edhen Veterinary Surgery is happy to offer home visits in situations where owners would prefer one, within a 30 mile radius of the practice. We will consider any distance outside of this on a case-by-case basis.

We can also offer home visits out of hours in an emergency situation, carried out by our on-call team based at our Truro branch in Shortlanesend. However, in a genuine emergency we would usually advise bringing your pet to the practice rather than waiting for a home visit, as this often leads to quicker and safer treatment, given we have the facilities, equipment and full clinical team on hand to respond immediately.

Edhen Veterinary Surgery endorses home visits in all situations where owners would prefer one (within a 30 mile radius of the practice). We will consider any distance outside of this on a case-by-case basis. We can undertake home visits in an emergency situation although sometimes we advise visiting us at the practice as this may lead to quicker treatment if we feel a condition is critical.

In line with current RCVS, BSAVA and BVA guidance, animals requiring repeat prescriptions are reassessed at intervals appropriate to their individual condition, treatment and clinical history, as determined by the veterinary surgeon responsible for their care. As a general guide this is typically around every 3–6 months, but this may be more or less frequent depending on individual circumstances.

As part of our 24-hour service, Edhen Vets often hospitalises patients overnight or for an extended period of time. As set out in our Emergency Service section, all hospitalisation takes place at our Truro branch in Shortlanesend, regardless of which branch you normally use.

Although our veterinary surgeons live in very close proximity to the practice, a hospitalised patient will not be under constant supervision. We do have inpatient cameras to monitor patients as required, and in-person checks are made on a regular basis or at the discretion of the veterinary surgeon in charge, depending on the severity of the illness.

Case records and similar documents are the property of, and shall be retained by, Edhen Veterinary Surgery. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

At Edhen we always strive to make our clients aware of how much we value our client-practice relationship. We will not disclose to any third party information about a client or animal without either expressed or implied permission, except where we are required to do so by law. If information is requested by another practice or referral service, we will always seek permission from our client before sending any medical information across.

We process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

We would be happy to recommend either a second opinion (in house) or referral to a specialist if a case is deemed too complicated or outside our areas of expertise. We are also happy to offer second opinions, it is advised but not obligatory for us to have any previous history for a patient before we examine it.

Edhen Veterinary Surgery is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. We realise, however, that things can go wrong and there may be occasions when you feel your expectations have not been met. We hope that if this is the case, you will give the practice an opportunity to rectify the situation, as most problems can be resolved easily and quickly, often at the time they arise.

If you would like to give feedback or make a written complaint, please refer to the full details of our complaints process, that can be found on our Complaints Procedure page.

We would prefer to know about something that has gone wrong to ensure it does not happen to anyone else, and we will put in place any changes required to our existing procedures in order to improve our current services.