Gibson & Jones Vets – Terms And Conditions

Thank you for entrusting the care of your pet(s) to Gibson & Jones Vets. This document contains our Terms & Conditions. Some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you. Please ask for further explanation or clarification if required.

The team at Gibson & Jones Vets is committed to providing a high level of veterinary care for our patients in a compassionate and caring manner. Our ethos is one of mutual trust and respect between the veterinary team and our clients and we aim to work collaboratively with pet owners and to involve them in decisions surrounding their animal’s care as much as possible. We make fair and reasonable charges to provide these services. Quotations, verbal or written, for any treatment or procedures advised are always available.

By registering with Gibson & Jones Vets and/or accepting our services, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions laid out in this document.

Practice Information

Gibson & Jones Vets are proudly independent and have been here for the community and their pets for over 40 years. Our outstanding vets have over 150 years experience between them. We have branches in Gowerton and Llanelli. Our practices are open for consultations, procedures, advice and supply of medicines/other products between the following hours; 8:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12pm on a Saturday morning. Outside these times, an out of ours service is provided to care for animals requiring urgent or emergency care, or to provide ongoing hospitalisation support. If you contact our practice by telephone outside of our normal working hours you will be transferred to our out of hours services.

Out of Hours Services

Our out of hours services are provided by VetsNow, 20 Viking Way, Winch Wen, Swansea, SA1 7DA, direct telephone number: 01792 736388. If you are unsure if your pet requires urgent or emergency care, please use our ‘symptom checker’ at www.gibsonjonesvets.co.uk

Relationship with our Practice

Gibson & Jones Vets will always seek to build positive, respectful relationships with its clients. However, this is only possible where our clients show the team a similar level of respect. Just as our clients are entitled to expect appropriate standards of care, service and value for money from the practice, so the team at Gibson & Jones Vets are entitled to expect appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour whilst serving our patients and clients. We consider that appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour means that clients are not entitled to speak to, or treat the team in a manner that would be considered inappropriate were we to do the same to them. This includes swearing, aggressive, abusive or intimidating behaviour and/or defamation on social media without drawing the attention of the practice to a concern. Should such instances occur, Gibson & Jones Vets reserve the right to de-register the client.

We look forward to a long and healthy association with you and your pets.

Training Practice

Gibson & Jones Vets is proudly an accredited Veterinary Nurse Training Practice. As part of their training student nurses, under the supervision of experienced, qualified members of the team, may be involved in the care of your pet. If you do not wish for this to happen please inform the practice in advance of any treatment being provided.

Registration and your Information

You may register yours and your pets details via our website, over the telephone or by email. We must maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this we may periodically ask you to confirm registration and contact details. If your details change, please inform us so that we can ensure that our database is accurate and you continue to receive appointment and treatment reminders. Please note: Gibson & Jones Vets will attempt to contact you to remind you that your pet’s vaccination or parasite treatment is due. However, this is a complimentary service and it remains the client’s responsibility to ensure vaccinations are up to date.

Data Protection:

Gibson & Jones Vets, takes your privacy very seriously and we take great care to comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Act and to protect your personal information including any financial details that you provide. We will only use your personal information in order to liaise with you regarding the healthcare of your pets.
We may need to disclose or share your personal information with regulatory authorities for the purpose of fraud prevention and/or to comply with any legal or regulatory requirements. If you have any questions about the way Gibson & Jones Vets uses your personal information, please write to the practice manager at management@gibsonjonesvets.co.uk
From time to time it may be necessary for us to use the details you have provided in order to advise you about products important to your animals welfare and of potential interest as a pet owner.
Full details of how Gibson & Jones Vets collects, stores and uses your data are provided in the practice Privacy Policy.
All clinical records, including radiographs and similar documents remain the property of Gibson & Jones Vets. Any charges are made for the interpretation of such records rather than the documents themselves. We will of course provide copies of clinical histories and other documents (including radiographs), by request or to another veterinary practice should this be necessary.

Visiting the Practice with your Pet

When visiting our practice, we have a few measures to ensure safety for you, your pet and our staff.

All cats and small pets should be housed in a secure carrier and not removed until they are safely in the consultation room. Dogs should remain secure on their lead at all times even if your dog is friendly, there may be other pets and unwell patients who may not appreciate unwelcome interactions.

If your animal is reactive and you are concerned about them attending the practice, we can offer home visits or make arrangements for your pet to be seen at the rear of the practice away from other animals and clients where appropriate. We recommend the use of muzzles with some patients that show signs of aggression or are nervous at the vets. We are happy to help with this and to build trusting relationships with nervous animals. It is good practice to have your own muzzle to use however we do have them available for use at the practice free of charge.

Audio/Visual Recording

We have CCTV cameras in operation around our buildings for the safety and security of staff and clients.

No personal audio recording, video recording or photography may take place within the practice without the express consent or permission of the practice manager or practice director. No conversations with any members of staff may be recorded without their consent.

Medication

Gibson & Jones Vets will endeavour to provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards as specified in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Nurses. Information about this code is available at: www.rcvs.org.uk

In order to comply with Veterinary Medicines Regulations and to work within the guidelines given by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, we are only able to prescribe medicines classified as ‘Prescription Only Veterinary Medicines’ to animals ‘under our care’. Animals cannot be considered to be ‘under our care’ unless a physical examination has taken place within a certain amount of time (the length of time is determined by the type of medication requested), prior to the prescription being issued. As a consequence, veterinary surgeons are not able to prescribe any prescription only medications for animals if they have only conducted a consultation over the phone or via an app or website.

Please note: due to government legislation we are unable to refund any unused medications. You may return unwanted or unused medication to us for disposal.

Prescriptions

Gibson & Jones Vets are happy to both prescribe and dispense medications for our patients, or to provide written prescriptions in order that owners can purchase the medication elsewhere. There is a charge for the provision of a prescription reflecting the time taken to consider the correct drug to use, the dose required, any possible adverse reactions or iterations between medications prescribed etc. Written prescription are valid for use in the UK only and for a maximum period of 6 months. We are not legally allowed to prescribe or dispense, on any one occasion, more medication than would be needed, either for the condition to be expected to have resolved, or before the time of the animal’s next routine check-up and in the case of certain drugs, from what are termed the ‘controlled’ legal categories, the total amount we are able to prescribe may be small in consideration of the safety of customers having such drugs in large quantities in their homes. Additionally, whilst it may be possible to allow ‘repeat dispenses’ of some drugs on one prescription, this is strictly forbidden for any ‘controlled’ drugs and such prescriptions will therefore, always be for a single use only.

Due to the legislation surrounding veterinary medicines, we are not allowed to prescribe or dispense products intended for use in humans if such a product exists in a veterinary formation; therefore, any prescriptions provided will be for named veterinary preparations only. Should it be necessary to advise the use of a non-licensed product we will explain the reasons for this choice and may request that a disclaimer is signed by the owner of the animal.

Long Term Prescription Medication

From 12th January 2024 the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the regulatory body for the veterinary profession in the UK introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines.

For all long-term repeat medications your pet will need to have an examination with a veterinary surgeon at least every 6 months. This rule applies to all Veterinary Practices in the UK.

Written Prescriptions

On request, we are happy to provide a written prescription for you to purchase medication from elsewhere, there is a charge for a prescription.

Maximum 28 days for controlled drugs – Single prescriptions with multiple dispenses (repeat prescriptions) are not allowed for controlled drugs.
Maximum 3 months for most medications
Maximum of 6 months, for long term stable patients (some medications, at vets’ discretion)
Maximum 12 months for anti-parasiticide medications

Less Stable or Unwell Patients

Intervals between veterinary examinations for some patients would be decided after discussion during a veterinary consultation this will often differ on a case-by-case basis. Intervals can vary and check-ups may be recommended between 1-3 months, or sometimes more frequent.

Young Animals

When we prescribe medication, we must ensure the correct dose is given for the size of the patient. Young animals change weight very quickly as they grow and in most cases we advise a weight check at the clinic each month until we are happy they have reached a particular weight, or until they have reached their expected adult size. This will differ from patient to patient.

Newly Diagnosed Conditions

These often require more frequent examinations prior to long term prescriptions. For example, a newly diagnosed heart condition would require regular check-ups to ensure the medication is working at an effective dose for that particular patient. Medication dosages for newly treated patients will often have to be adjusted frequently in the initial weeks/months.

Controlled Drugs (CD’s)

These are restricted medications, and we must adhere to strict rules regarding their use.

In most cases we are unable to give out more than 28 days’ supply of these medications. The exception being stable patents, on long term therapy subject to the vets discretion on a case by case basis.

Profion Gwaed

Some conditions require regular blood tests to ensure the prescribed medication is at the correct levels. Blood test intervals are decided by your case vet either a the time of consultation, or either when discussing test results or clinical responses to current therapy. We recommend blood tests, at least annually for older patents (over 10 years particularly those using some long-term pain-relief medications.

We recommend regular blood test if your pet is on certain medications. This is of particular concern with some seizure medications, where drugs have the potential to reach toxic levels within the blood stream. This can happen even after long periods of stability, as a patients requirements sometimes change overtime.

Some conditions that require regular blood test can include thyroid disease, seizures, diabetes, adrenal gland disease, cushings, Addison’s, kidney or liver disease, some skin diseases, infections, or patients receiving chemotherapy (amongst many others).

Culture & Sensitivity/Cytology Tests

We may advise sending a swab away to a lab to preform some specific tests to help us treat your pet more effectively. A lab culture & sensitivity test will allow us to understand what type of infection is present and give us information on what treatments the infection will be sensitive to. A Cytology test involves a microscopic examination of the sample to understand what cells are present enabling us to target treatment more effectively, this is particularly useful in skin, ear and urinary disease, amongst others. Please discuss these treatments with a vet.

Consultations

A consultation fee is charged to cover the time taken to examine an animal, make a diagnosis and provide relevant treatment. This charge will be made even if no treatment is required. Reduced price consulting fees are charged for repeat examinations for an animal presenting with the same condition or a linked condition within a short time span. The standard consulting charges apply for a 15 minute examination, should a case prove to be more complex and require additional time a surcharge may be made. Consultation charges generally apply on a per animal basis, however, depending on time taken this may be varied at the veterinary surgeon’s discretion. Please note, all Gibson & Jones Vets are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate.

Treatment Plans and Costs

Treatment plans for your pet will be made in discussion with you. The veterinary surgeons will always explain any options for different types of care which may be appropriate on an individual patient basis. Estimates for likely costs of such treatment will be provided (these are valid for 30 days since changes to animal’s condition over time may affect the treatment plan and/or changes in costs for medications and/or equipment necessary to provide the treatment may affect overall charges). Please note that medical care involves significant uncertainty, and it is possible that initially planned treatment may have to change and unforeseen costs may occur. The team at Gibson & Jones Vets will endeavour to contact you to warn you of any additional costs and seek your consent before they are incurred, however, there may be instances, when, acting in the interest of the animal, treatment may have to be given before such consent can be obtained. Should that happen, you will be contacted as soon as is practicably possible and a full explanation provided.

Referring to a Specialist

The team at Gibson & Jones Vets will care for your pet to the best of their ability and within their level of experience. There may be times when, in the interest of your pet, advice may be sought from specialist colleagues. This may be by phone (when the vet in charge of your pet’s case will discuss it with a specialist), or it may be that it is considered that your pets’s care would best be provided by a specialist. If that is the case, this will be discussed with you, the options and likely cost explained and provided you agree to the referral, the ream at Gibson & Jones Vets will help to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate this.

Home Visits

We generally recommend your pet is brought to the surgery for examination and treatment as we have the facilities, equipment and staff available to give a better level of care. If a house visit is preferred and considered practical then we will make every effort to accommodate this. Wherever possible this should be arranged in advance during normal working hours. Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee a house visit in an emergency situation, and it remains the client’s responsibility to ensure transport to the practice is possible.

Second Opinions

Gibson & Jones Vets are happy to accept clients requesting a second opinion outside their usual veterinary practice. We kindly request that plenty of notice is given in order for our team to obtain the clinical history of your pet and to arrange a suitable time with the appropriate veterinary surgeon.

If, at any stage, you should have queries about your pet’s care, in the first instance please discuss these with the veterinary surgeon in charge of the case. If you have any concerns and would like a 2nd opinion from another veterinary surgeon at Gibson & Jones Vets you are welcome to request to speak with one of them, or to arrange an appointment. If you would like to seek a 2nd opinion elsewhere (or to request that you pet is referred), again, please either discuss this with the vet in charge of your pet’s case, or with another member of our veterinary team who will be happy to assist you.

Post Operative Complications

Complications are uncommon, but unfortunately, they do occur in a small number of cases. A combination of patient factors, environmental factors and occasionally surgical or medical factors can play a role. As a practice, we will always do our best to successfully resolve any complications, and aim to take as helpful a stance as possible on charging for the required treatment. This will need to be discussed with a practice manager and/or the practice director on an individual case basis.

Cynllun Iechyd Anifeiliaid Anwes

At Gibson & Jones Vets we offer a Pet Health Plan that allows you to spread the cost of preventative health care with monthly payments over a 12 month period.

Please visit our website or pick up our PHP leaflet for more information and details on the benefits you will receive. www.gibsonjonesvets.co.uk

Home Delivery

We understand it is not always easy to visit us to collect your Pet Health Plan treatments. This is why we offer a home delivery service where all your pets parasite treatments are delivered direct from the wholesaler to your door! Please contact your preferred practice (Gowerton or Llanelli) where one of our team will be happy to help you sign up for home delivery. Please note: only fully grown and/or stable weight pets can be signed up to our home delivery service, you may be asked to wait until your pet is a little older or has a more stable weight, but don’t worry, you can always add on the home delivery at a later date, in the meantime we can provide you with treatments from your preferred practice.

Treatment Reminders

It can be difficult to remember when your pet is due parasite control or vaccinations, providing we have up to date contact information for you, we will send you text and/or email reminders when your pet is due to either collect more treatment, apply treatment already at home or visit the practice for a vaccination. Please note: our complimentary reminder system is activated by a prescription of treatment due to be dispensed for your pet, if this is not activated by yourself the reminders will stop, to activate the reminder, either click on the link provided or contact your preferred practice where one of our team will be happy to place your order. It is the owner’s responsibility to order and collect treatments and therefore we can not backdate missed prescriptions or treatments.

Pet Health Plan Terms

Please read the terms and conditions carefully, these are provided by Vetsure and will be emailed on completion of your application to the Pet Health Plan.

Your first direct debit will be taken 14 days from the day you signed up to the plan and will include a one off £5 admin fee.

Please note: we will provide your pet with one month’s parasite treatment prior to the first months direct debit being taken. Providing the first payment is successful, we will then provide up to 3 months treatment at a time.

Please note: the discounts applied to treatments provided by Gibson & Jones Vets are spread over a 12 month period. If you choose to cancel the plan within a 12 month period (start of plan date being the start of the 12 month period) you will be liable to pay the difference between the cost of discounts received against the payments made by yourself to date. Our team will be happy to discuss any potential cost (if any) involved prior to cancelling your plan.

Payment

Gibson & Jones Vets respectfully request that the costs of all services and treatments are made in full, at the time that those services or treatments are provided. Payments can be made by cash, credit/debit card, though we may agree to accept cheques in certain circumstances. Alternately we are happy for payment to be made by bank transfer and the practice bank details can be provided for those preferring to settle their fees in this way. Detailed, itemised invoices can be provided for all services preformed and medication given. It would be greatly appreciated if any concerns about payment were raised before treatment has begun and discussed with the veterinary surgeon in charge in order that possible embarrassment at the reception desk can be avoided. We do not offer payment plans for treatment since payment is expected at the time that treatment is provided. Instalments or part-payments can only be sanctioned by the practice manager. Please do not expect any other members of the team to be able to make such decisions without referring to the practice manager.

Gibson & Jones Vets accepts vouchers towards payment from charities such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and Cats Protection. Please mention in advance if you have and wish to use such vouchers.

Insurance

The practice advocates the use of health insurance for pets, and we have a range of leaflets and information available at the practice, although we are not allowed to discuss details of individual policies available. The charges levied for insured pets are no different from those that are uninsured. As a general rule, we would request that any cost incurred are settle with the practice by the pet’s owner and then claimed back from the insurance company although in circumstances where this is not possible, we are able to carry out a direct claim where the insurance company pay the practice directly. If you request the practice submit a direct claim on your behalf, the excess amount will be payable up front (please refer to your policy for more information on the excess amount). An additional administration fee is payable to the practice for all insurance claims submitted. If you wish to use your insurance policy to cover the cost of your pets treatment, please make our team aware prior to treatment and they will be happy to guide you through the process.

Outstanding Accounts

Any accounts for treatment or services provided which have not been settled within 7 days, will receive a reminder either by post, telephone or both.

Any cheque returned by your bank as unpaid or credit/debit card payment not honoured and any cash found to be counterfeit, will result in the account balance being restored to the original fee with further charges associated with bank charges and administrative fees being added.

A late payment charge of 5% will be applied to accounts that remain unpaid for more than 30 days. This charge will increase to 10% for accounts outstanding for more than 60 days, and by a further 5% for accounts outstanding for more than 90 days. The practice reserves the right to refer any account that remains outstanding for 90 days or more to a debt recovery agency. If a debt recovery agency is engaged, additional fees may be applied to the outstanding balance.

Complaints Process

The last thing we wish to do at Gibson & Jones Vets is to cause you or your pets any undue distress. Should this happen, we would like to reassure you that any upset or distress in not intentional.
However, if you feel that the standards of care, service and value for money you have received in the care of your pet are not satisfactory then please contact the practice manager by email at management@gibsonjonesvets.co.uk

The practice will endeavour to resolve your complaint in line with the practice complaints process