Terms & Conditions

www.ardsleyvets.co.uk

0113 3500850

reception@ardsleyvets.co.uk

Mulberry House, 10 Thorpe road, East Ardsley, Wakefield, WF3 2A

Our Opening Hours:

Ardsley Vets is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Outside of these hours, urgent or emergency veterinary care is provided by our out-of-hours provider at Vets Now Bradford. This practice is a 25–30-minute drive from Ardsley Vets and provides dedicated our out-of-hours emergency care. Vets Now Bradford can be reached by calling the normal practice number or directly on 01274 722721.

Vets Now Bradford
515 Bradford Rd,

Thornbury, Bradford,

West Yorkshire, BD3 7BA

Vet Consultations:

Consultations are by appointment only and can be booked by calling the practice on 0113 3500850 or via email reception@ardsleyvets.co.uk.

In the case of an emergency, if possible, please try to telephone the surgery in advance of coming to the practice so we can prepare for your arrival.

A consultation fee is charged for each appointment and for each pet seen. Our initial consultation fee is £49. There is an increased consultation fee for emergency appointments and second opinion consultations.

Nurse Consultations:

Some consultations can be performed by registered veterinary nurses, including but not limited to:

• Second vaccinations (where the first has been administered by a vet at Ardsley Vets)
• Microchipping
• Express anal glands (where your pet has had their glands checked and emptied by a vet in the past 12 months)
• Clip nails
• Weight checks and advice
• Senior pet checks and advice
• Arthritis clinics and advice
• Post-op checks
• Some repeat medication injections

There is a charge for these services in most cases. Please be aware veterinary nurses cannot diagnose conditions or prescribe medications, so in some cases your pet will need to be transferred to the care of a vet, and a full consultation fee will be charged.

Provision of Veterinary Care and Treatment Plans:

Wherever practicable and on your request, a diagnostic, care, and treatment plan for your pet will normally be agreed with you during or following an initial consultation and in advance of any further treatment. Part of this treatment plan will be an estimate regarding the likely costs of the course of our services. You will then have a chance to discuss this plan with our staff and decide whether to continue with recommended care and treatment. If necessary, including where costs of recommended treatment are prohibitive, alternative options can then be explored and discussed.

In an emergency, we reserve the right to provide such veterinary services as are reasonably necessary, in the professional judgement of the veterinary surgeon or other qualified staff of Ardsley Vets under the direction of a veterinary surgeon, without first agreeing to a treatment plan.

We will endeavour to provide veterinary services in accordance with reasonable standards as denoted by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) guidelines for practice standards and the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. All veterinary services shall be supplied in accordance with normal professional standards.

We reserve the right at all times to decline to provide veterinary services, except for emergency provision to prevent or end animal suffering, at our discretion.

You are free at all times at your cost and subject to the payment obligations in these terms and conditions, to seek a second opinion concerning any veterinary services provided by Ardsley Vets.

Home Visits:

In most cases, we can provide the safest, most effective, and comprehensive care for your pet in the practice. However, from time to time, a home visit may be most suitable for you and your pet. Some owners also prefer to say goodbye to their pets in their own homes. We are therefore able to offer a home visit service in certain cases.

If this is something you would like, please call the practice to discuss it with our team. Please be aware that it can be very difficult for us to come out to you at short notice. If you are able to call us first thing in the morning (before 9 a.m.), we will endeavour to come out to you the same day. In emergency situations, we will usually recommend that your pet comes to the practice to get the fastest attention.

There is an additional charge for a home visit. You will be provided with an estimate of fees at the time of booking.

There is a pet ambulance service in the area that may be able to bring you and your pet to the practice if you do not have your own transport.

Social Media:

Ardsley Vets has social media accounts which can be found under the following:

• Facebook – Ardsley Vets (@ArdsleyVets)
• Instagram – ardsleyvets2025

From time to time, we like to feature pet patients who have visited the practice on our social media pages. We will always ask permission before using any photographs or information about your pet’s health, treatment, or experience at Ardsley Vets as content on our social media accounts. We will only refer to your pet by their name, age, and/or breed. We will never include your name or any other owner details in any posts.

If you would like to opt out completely from any requests from us to feature your pet on our social media accounts or would like any past posts featuring your pet to be removed, please inform a member of staff.

Contacting Us on Social Media:

We love to hear from you, including through our social media channels. However, please be aware that these accounts are not monitored constantly and are not a suitable way to seek veterinary advice, book an appointment, or seek help for your pet. Please contact the practice through our website, email at reception@ardsleyvets.co.uk, or by telephone at 01133500850 if you have any questions or health concerns for your pet.

Fees:

All fees for drugs and medication, diets, supplements, and services are subject to VAT at the current rate.

Our charges are determined by the time, skill, and expertise level required by trained and experienced veterinary professionals for your pet and according to the medicines, materials, consumables, and diets used. You will be offered a detailed breakdown of fees for every consultation, procedure, or transaction with us. 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.

Payment for Products and Services:

Fees are payable at the time the service or products are provided. We reserve the right to request a deposit of up to 50% of anticipated fees in advance of any procedure being carried out or any medication administered to your pet.

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet, or upon collection of drugs/diets.

You may settle your account using:

• Credit/Debit Card
• Cash
• Bank Transfer

We are unable to accept payments by cheque.

Estimates of Treatment Costs:

Where possible, we will provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of tests, procedures, treatment, and medications recommended for your pet. Please bear in mind that estimates are approximate and the tests, care, or treatment your pet requires may vary as our investigations progress or their condition changes.

We will try to contact you through the contact details provided by you if we believe the treatment costs are going to significantly exceed the estimate. However, in case of an emergency or if you are not contactable, we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.

Settlement of Terms:

All services and products provided require payment on the day of the treatment.

If you leave the practice without settling your account, we will send an invoice via email or post within 24 hours. Should an account not be settled within two weeks, then a repeat invoice will be sent and may include additional fees in respect to administrative costs incurred.

After due notice to you the client, if your account remains unpaid, we shall take such action as we consider appropriate to recover our fees. This may include engaging third-party debt collection agencies to recover the outstanding fees and/or instigating proceedings against you in the county court. In such cases, further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.

Please also be aware that the use of debt collection agencies and/or the county court could affect your future credit rating.

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

Inability to Pay:

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 are not able to offer credit facilities or payment plans.

We may, at our absolute discretion, agree that you may delay payment of an invoice for up to 28 days or pending recovery of the sum from your insurer for such reasonable period as we may agree in writing. You remain liable in full for all invoices and all sums shall become due and payable in full by you at the end of this extended payment period irrespective of whether your insurer has made payment to you.

Ownership of Records:

Healthcare records, including radiographs, lab results, and similar documents, are the property of, and will be retained by, Ardsley Vets. Copies of these records with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

You can request a copy of your pet’s clinical record with us at any time by emailing the practice at reception@ardsleyvets.co.uk.

We never discuss or sell confidential records to any third party other than if you move surgeries or are referred to another veterinary surgeon.

The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations. For example, taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example, a radiograph remains with the practice.

Second Opinions and Specialist Referrals:

Should you feel you would like another opinion on your pet’s illness, please ask. We are always happy to arrange a second opinion with another vet or vets within the practice or referral to a specialist.

Moving Veterinary Practices:

If you would like to take your pet to another practice, please ask them to contact us and we will send them a copy of your pet’s record and results of any investigations carried out. We will contact you first to gain your permission to send these records on.

Pet Health Insurance:

Ardsley Vets strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness and accidents. We recommend that all pets are insured with a reputable insurance company. Please be aware though that with any insurance company it is your responsibility to determine your level of cover required, provide your insurance company with all information about your pet including any prior illness or injury and maintain this cover by paying your premiums.

Please remember that any contract of insurance is between you and your insurer. Please ensure that you refer to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. We ask that you settle your account with Ardsley Vets at the time services and products are provided and then reclaim any fees from your insurance company unless a preauthorised claim has been agreed with Ardsley Vets and your insurance company.

In certain instances when clients do not have the funds to make payment to Ardsley Vets in full, arrangements can be made for your insurer to make their payment directly to us. This is entirely at the discretion of management staff at Ardsley Vets.