Provision of Emergency Veterinary Services

Happy Cats Clinic Opening Hours :

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm

Please do not ever turn up at our clinic without an arranged appointment - especially in an emergency as sometimes we may be attending a home visit.

We can see emergencies at your home but cannot guarantee availability and you may need to attend the clinic to allow us to give your cat the best care in which case you will be responsible for transporting them there. 

In the unlikely event that you cannot get hold of us (e.g. if we are on a home visit) in an emergency you can be seen at the following practice where we have agreements in place;

Elizabeth Smith Veterinary Practice on 01767 627317 located on Ickwell Road, Upper Caldecote, Bedfordshire, SG18 9BS. Consultation fee is £48

Outside of our opening hours (including weekends and bank holidays)

Queen Mother Hospital for Animals on 01707666399 located Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Herts, AL9 7TA. Consultation fee is £180 or £90 for a triage or euthanasia consultation.

Referrals and Associated Clinics

For our Home Visit Service, there are some services that we are unable to provide in your own home (such as surgery and certain diagnostic tests). Should your cat require these services, we will perform them at our clinic in Biggleswade, or occasionally refer you to another local clinic or specialist centre. You are responsible for getting your cat to their scheduled appointment at the clinic unless you have arranged for us to collect them/ drop them off from your home in advance.

Fees

Veterinary services and products are subject to VAT, and this is included in our listed prices. Payment is accepted via card. No cheques are accepted. Payment in full is expected at the time our service is provided. For ongoing cases, this may include settling any balance at the end of each treatment day. We may also ask you for a deposit if extensive treatment is required. Written estimates can be provided for all procedures and are valid for 1 month. Please request if you wish for a written estimate for any services.

Prescriptions

When your pet requires a medication, we aim to provide this ourselves if possible. However, in some cases you may be given a written prescription to purchase it from an online pharmacy, which may be cost effective. There is a charge for each written prescription, or it may be included free on your wellness plan. If you have any concerns about the cost of your pet’s medication, please bring this to our attention. Medications not dispensed at the time of a visit may either be posted to you or delivered to you, and a small fee will be charged for this service.

Use of Unlicensed Medications

In an effort to provide your cat with the best possible care, it is sometimes necessary to use a medication in a way that differs from that listed on the medication’s data sheet (‘off-label’), or to use a specially prepared unlicensed medication, or to use a medication imported from another country. By accepting treatment by Happy cats clinic, you accept that there may be risks and side effects associated with these (or any) treatments, though every reasonable effort will be made to minimise them. Should your cat be prescribed an off-license medication, we will advise of any common side effects but please feel free to ask if you have any concerns.

Client Confidentiality, Ownership of Records and Patient Photographs

All patient and client information is held in confidence according to the Data Protection Acts and will not be disclosed except under the following circumstances - when the client provides a confirmed request, when another veterinary surgeon requests it to provide continuity of care, to the court or our agent as part of a legal process, or to an outsourced reminder service for vaccinations or other treatments. Case records and similar documents (including chargeable diagnostic images such as x-rays) are held by and shall remain the property of Happy cats clinic, however we are happy to provide copies and a clinical summary to the owner, another veterinary surgeon, or insurance company at the owner’s request. By submitting an insurance claim, you are requesting us to provide a copy of the clinical history to the insurance company. We sometimes take photographs of our patients and/or their medical conditions, and may use these photos for educational or marketing purposes such as social media posts. If you’d rather we didn’t photograph your pet, please let us know via email/ whatsapp.

Cancellation Policy

Due to the nature of our combination of a Cat Clinic with a mobile service and the limited number of consultation appointments and/or surgical procedure days we require as much notice as possible to cancel or reschedule your cat's appointment or procedure. Our appointments are between 15 minutes to an hour so if these appointments are booked and then not used without notification that time is effectively wasted when it could have been offered to another patient who needed it.

If you cancel within an hour of your appointment or procedure time or miss the appointment completely without any communication, we reserve the right to charge and be paid the applicable fee for the missed appointment. Procedures may be charged at a discretionary rate. Some procedures and home visits will be payable in advance of the appointment and we will make you aware of this at the time of booking.

We do understand that cats can disappear and unforeseeable personal emergencies happen and take this into consideration with last minute cancellations and application of the missed appointment charge.

Concerns and Complaints

We aim to provide every cat and their owner with the best possible care and hope that you are happy with the service you receive. If for any reason you are dissatisfied however, please do not hesitate to address your concerns in writing to Dr Tamsin Kenny MRCVS first so we can try to solve the problem. We want you to be comfortable with your cat’s care so if at any point you would like to seek a second opinion, we are happy to forward your cat’s records onto whichever veterinary surgeon you choose.

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

Insurance Claims

Happy cats clinic ltd strongly recommends insurance for your cat. We will help you with every insurance claim, irrespective of the company, but it is your responsibility to understand the terms and conditions of your individual policy.

We try to complete and submit claims as soon as we receive them but in busy periods this may take longer.

It is your responsibility to complete all the details in the “policy holder sections”. We will keep a copy for our records as a back-up. Should you wish to post it directly or require a copy of the submitted claim, please notify us in advance.

The Environment

Happy cats clinic recognises the impact running a practice can have on the environment and is actively trying to reduce this through use of energy-efficient vehicles and practices, active recycling policies and using non-paper methods for communicating with our clients.

Veterinary Care

Happy cats clinic will provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards denoted in the RCVS guidelines for practice standards and the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. Guidelines are available at www.rcvs.org.uk. Please note veterinary care will be withheld from clients who appear aggressive or abusive to staff members.

By presenting your cat for treatment, you are accepting these conditions

PLANS

Please find the T+Cs of your Wellness Plans below:

Feline Good Plan

Welcome to your payment plan with Happy Cats Clinic Ltd which means you can enjoy the benefits of preventative healthcare for your cat(s).The following points make up the ‘terms and conditions’ of your Contract with us and are effective from 1st October 2023.These are very important, and we strongly advise that you read through them carefully, and keep them in a safe place, so that you can refer to them in the future should you wish to.

1. Explanation of terms used

In this Agreement, ‘your Contract’ means the contract formed between you and Happy Cats Clinic Ltd (HCC) which in joining this plan you agree to and which comprises these terms and conditions.

2. Plans, categories, and fees

The cost, content and delivery of the goods and services paid for by your Contract are set out below according to the plan you have chosen.. There is no insured benefit under your Contract. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR CONTRACT IS NOT AN INSURANCE POLICY.

3. Treatment to which you are entitled

Your Contract entitles your pet to receive routine treatment required to maintain your pet’s health as prescribed by HCC. A list of inclusions is available as follows, with the variations (monthly, annual, home, clinic) of this plan specified when different inclusions apply:

- Annual Vet health check and Vaccination Booster (vaccination only if required as decided by the attending veterinary surgeon) 

MONTHLY Payments (Clinic/ Home): -Two additional Vet consultations per year
If you miss the appointment at our clinic without cancelling or we are unable to access your home or access your cat within the appointment time then you will need to rebook the appointment either as a home visit or at the clinic and you will need to pay the usual consult fee for the service required if you have used up your included consultations.

 ANNUAL CLINIC PLAN: If you pay for our Feline Good at Clinic plan upfront for the year you will be upgraded to unlimited vet consults at our clinic. Consults will be offered with a vet when there is a clinical concern with your cat, otherwise routine health or weight checks may be booked with our nurse.

All plans: Please note included consults must be within our usual opening hours (Mon - Fri 8.30am - 6pm), and must be booked in advance. Out of hours (OOH) and emergency/ urgent consults (where cats must be seen within 48hrs) are not included unless at the sole discretion of HCC. OOH consults with us are not guaranteed but if available will be charged at a discounted rate of £150 (normal price off plan £200). Consultations seen by our OOH provider - QMHA or any other vet are not included in your plan and will be charged at their current rate, please call QMHA on 01707666399 to book and check pricing if required, if you can’t get hold of us in an emergency.

HOME Plan: we will never charge you additional fees to visit your cat at your home, the usual consult fee will apply once you have used up your included vet consults (2 per year) plus Annual Health check and booster vaccine. Please note that some treatments and procedures cannot be done at your home (such as dentistry , surgeries and some diagnostic tests). If HCC decides that a procedure or treatment cannot be done at home for the cat's best interests then you will need to bring your cat to our clinic. Home visits must be booked in advance and may not always be possible at short notice or as an emergency.

- Support and teleconsults (whatsapp/ video/ Phone) with a Vet or Nurse. We help you to understand your cat better and make the best decisions for their wellbeing. This is only appropriate for non urgent or routine issues and advice. If your cat has an urgent issue or medical emergency (or you are unsure) please call our emergency line on 01767686228 to speak to a member of the team so we can advise you appropriately as your cat may need to be seen by a vet or be brought into the clinic. Teleconsult appointments are time limited and may not be available at your preferred time. Fair use policy is that if you are booking more than 1 video/phone consult per week, or over 12 per year or are not showing up to booked appointments HCC reserves the right to limit or stop your future ability to book video consults, this will be assessed on a case by case basis

- Free + unlimited Written prescriptions. You will not be charged for written prescriptions so that you can purchase medications via a reputable online pharmacy. Prescriptions are only given for cats under our care and in line with the current regulations which means your cat may need to be reexamined by one of our veterinary surgeons. HCC reserves the right to deny giving a written prescription where there is any concern over possible misuse. 

- Year round worming treatment. Usually this would be every 6 months with panacur, or milbeworm, however a HCC vet will decide the timing and type of product used according to the individual cat and their risk. Worming treatment will not be provided more frequently than every 3 months. Cats may occasionally have adverse reactions to worming treatments, you as the owner acknowledge this risk as well as the benefits and also accept responsibility to administer any worming treatments correctly. If worming treatments are lost or given incorrectly they will not be replaced free of charge. Certain products may not be available and if so we can provide you with a written prescription instead for you to purchase these products yourself. 

Optional extra perks:

-Option to add flea, tick and mite treatment (recommended for some outdoor cats/ high risk) for £36 (normal price £58.20) for a 1 year supply/ 6 pipette of felisecto plus which is a spot on treatment to be applied topically on the skin at the back of the neck once every 2 months. Occasionally some cats will need this treatment applied monthly instead, such as those with severe flea infestation or flea bite hypersensitivity, in which case this will be discussed with our vet and either be charged £72 for a year supply or a written prescription may be given for an alternative product. Availability of this product is not guaranteed according to the manufacturer, if we cannot offer this product or this product is not suitable for your cat we will provide a free written prescription for a suitable flea/ tick treatment to purchase online.

-Free annual urine screening at time of annual health check and booster: please ask the vet to do this at the time of the appointment - the sample may be collected either during the appointment via a needle into the bladder (cystocentesis) which is a low risk procedure or by expressing the bladder. These proedures are not always tolerated and rely on the cat having a moderate - full bladder. The alternative option will be given for you to collect the sample at home by using a special non absorbent cat litter - please request this at the appointment. Only one urine collection kit per cat per year will be given, otherwise an additional fee will apply. The urine will be tested in house for USG and dipstick. A more in depth test will be recommended and chargeable if this reveals any abnormalities or if the cat has any symptoms.

-Half price microchip at £10 (current off plan price is £20)

-10% off dentistry (excluding Xrays)

-Primary course of kitten vaccines for £25 (Normally £85)

-Free nail clips (during vet consult - normally £12)

- we will not charge admin fees to process insurance claims 

4. Treatment to which you are not entitled.

Your Contract is limited to the provision of routine preventive health care and only entitles your pet to the treatment required to monitor its health, as specified by HCC.

5. Treatment by another veterinary practice

Your Contract is with HCC. Where you choose for your pet to have routine care or treatment provided by a practitioner independently of HCC, your pet will not be covered by your Contract.

6. Payment

You must pay your monthly fee in advance by debit or credit card through our online payment system. As well as the first month's payment when you sign up, there is a one off joining fee charged when you sign up to the contract, this is the equivalent amount of 1 months fees and is non refundable. If you pay for the 12 month plan upfront you will receive a 100% discount on the joining fee. Subsequent monthly payments are taken on the last day of the month from your securely stored card on our practice management and payments system - Nordhealth Pay and Provet. Any other amounts due to HCC for treatment not covered by your Contract are payable directly to HCC at the time of treatment, your liability to pay the monthly fees continues until your Contract is ended in accordance with these terms and conditions and no refund of fees will be allowed except in the case of administrative error or death of the pet or client.

7. Alteration of monthly fees and categories

HCC will normally review your pet’s monthly fee once a year. Your pet’s monthly fee may change. Should your pet’s fees change you will be given at least one month’s written notice.

8. Payment changes

Following a decrease in monthly fee or variation in discount available to you, your payment will be changed at the next available collection date. If you need to change your card details or payment dates, please contact us 10 working days prior to the due date for collection and we will make the change without charge. We will charge an administration fee of £10 if any of your online payments are returned to us unpaid.

9. Renewal

For monthly plans: Your contract is a monthly contract, your contract will continue from month to month until it is ended, and we will continue to collect your monthly payment until your Contract is ended.

10. Your responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring your pet(s) attend(s) HCC health checks regularly and that you comply with the advice and treatment our veterinary practice prescribes for your pet(s). If, in our reasonable opinion, we are not able to maintain your pet’s health due to any act or omission on your part, HCC may end your Contract immediately by giving notice to that effect. If your personal details change or your pet is lost or deceased, you should notify HCC.

11. Ending your Contract

You may cancel your Contract by contacting us by email: [email protected], giving not less than 30 days’ notice, expiring on the last day for which payment has been made. HCC may end your Contract by giving you two weeks written notice to your email address provided by you. If you cancel at any time other than on an anniversary of joining the plan, HCC may charge you either the outstanding amount for treatment received or the monthly payments due until the anniversary of your plan, whichever is lower.

12. Non-payment

If we are unable to collect your monthly payment, we will attempt to collect the payment again within 10 days. You will be charged a £10 administration fee if any of your payments are returned to us unpaid. Your Contract may be terminated if you default on two or more payments at HCC's discretion.

13. Refunds

If HCC agree to refund your fees for whatever reason, your registration for those months will be treated as unpaid and the conditions relating to a non payment will fully apply to you.

14. Variation of these terms and conditions

The terms and conditions of your Contract may be varied on one month’s written notice given to you by us. If you do not wish the Contract to continue regarding any variation notified to you, you may end it as detailed in condition 11. If you do not do this by the time the notice expires, you will be deemed to have accepted the variation.

15. Contract not transferable

As this Contract is between you and HCC alone, you may not transfer it to another practice.

 16. Treatment outside of your Contract

Your Contract does not prevent you and HCC agreeing that we will provide treatment outside your entitlement under your Contract. You will be responsible for paying for such treatment directly to us.

18. Disputes

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your pet’s veterinary care, you should contact us by email.

19. Notices

Any notice given to you under these terms and conditions is considered valid if sent to your last known email address or as a message to your last known phone number.

20. Your personal data

The main purpose for which we hold and use personal data is to enable us to administer your Payment Plan. We also use personal data for marketing research, to improve our services to you and our other customers, to comply with legal obligations which we are subject to, to protect our interests and for fraud detection and prevention. Whilst administering your Payment Plan, we may receive and share personal data with:– Other relevant persons involved in dealing with your Payment Plan.– Persons appointed by the Payment Plan holder and/or under a Power-of-attorney for a period of time. For example, the pet’s owner when different to the Payment Plan holder. We may provide your personal data to persons who provide services to us– this can include companies operating outside the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, and to persons engaged in fraud detection and prevention. We operate strict procedures to ensure that your personal data is kept safe and secure.

21. Complaints Procedure

Should you have any cause of complaint about the administration of your contract please email [email protected]

22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

You and we agree that this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Law of England and Wales and you, and we here by irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

23. Home Delivery of veterinary and pet care products (Products)

For Home plans only: We will usually give your cats included worming treatment to you when attending a home visit, however if these are posted by us the following terms apply. If any Products arrive damaged (or get lost on the way to you) we will at our sole discretion refund or replace them. All damages must be notified to us within 5 days of receipt or we may be unable to replace or refund. If you ask for your delivery to be left somewhere or provide any other delivery instructions, we will be unable to refund or resend items. We recommend not leaving such delivery instructions wherever possible but requesting delivery to you at an alternate address instead (such as a work address). Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure the product can be delivered safely to your address (i.e. away from children and pets) and once delivered is stored safely and used as directed.The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says Products must be as described, fit forpurpose and of satisfactory quality. During the expected lifespan of yourproduct you’re entitled to the following: (a) for up to 30 days after delivery, ifyour Products are faulty, you can get a replacement or refund; and (b) for upto six months after delivery, if they can’t be replaced, then you’re entitled to afull refund, in most cases. Exceptions apply. Please contact HCC as soon as possible if you consider any Product faulty or not as ordered.

Nothing in this contract affects your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. You may also have other rights in law. Please contact Citizens Advice or seek professional advice to find out more about your legal rights