Out-of-hours emergency appointments for pets are provided from our Alford practice. For farm and equine visits, we will attend your premises.

In specific circumstances, when in the interests of patient welfare and with an appropriate telephone assessment from the on-call vet we can do home visits for pets.

Out-of-hours emergency consultations are by appointment only. In the event of an emergency please phone the on call vet - our clinic in Alford is staffed as needed. If we have no inpatients there will not be a vet or nurse in the building so please don’t just turn up without phoning ahead.

Our emergency out-of-hours number is 07549852809. Please ensure your phone and network settings allow premium rate numbers. Calls to this line aren't charged at a premium rate but if you have calls to premium rate numbers blocked your phone won’t let you connect to us.

When hospitalised, patients will be monitored on a regular basis. Cases will be assessed on a by need basis and a care plan will be developed by the admitting vet to identify how frequently/intensively the patient needs to be monitored.

Overnight inpatients will be monitored as needed and if constant monitoring is required we will work with you to advise on and facilitate the safe transfer of your pet to the nearest 24hr hospital with capacity. Our practice doesn't always have a member of staff in the building and inpatients will be monitored as frequently as is appropriate for their needs.

Hospital sheets will be prepared by the Vet admitting the patient and filled out by the on-duty Vet or on-duty nurse as tasks are completed.

Owners will be updated twice daily (9am and 5pm) or more frequently if appropriate.

As a rural mixed practice, it is possible that the on call vet may be required to attend on farm emergencies which is why we also have an on call nurse to help provide continuity for our inpatients as needed.

The Veterinary Surgeon will assess the requirement for referral and discuss referral options with clients with regards to location of Referral practice and what specialist services they offer.

We will communicate with the referral practice with regards to timescale of consult and estimate of costs.

We will ensure the owner is aware of the likely costs implicated and of the referral protocol.

We will ensure the owner gives consent for all data (medical history, x-rays etc) to be transferred to the referral practice prior to sharing these details.

We will fill in any referral forms/send radiographs/history and any other information required.

If necessary, we will confirm appointments with the owner and referral practice.

We are always happy to offer a second opinion to any client of another clinic who seeks our opinion.

We are equally happy to share (with your permission) medical records with another vet or clinic if you would like a second opinion.

Our highly experienced team are also always happy to provide an internal second opinion. We often offer this option within consultations, but if we haven't offered and you would like us to please just let us know.

all prices are current as of 1/2/2023.

Initial small animal consultation for registered clients costs £39.00 and £34.20 for re-examinations.

Emergency out-of-hours fees for a consultation for registered clients are £75.00 from close of office-10pm and £112.20 from 10pm-9am. 

Farm and Equine examinations range from £16.50+VAT to £61.50+VAT depending on distance from the clinic and time of day.

Treatments will be charged in addition to the consultation fee as appropriate.

We ask all clients to reduce the amount of dirt, mud, and faecal contamination of our reception and consultation rooms where possible.

We will make every effort to maintain the highest levels of hygiene throughout the clinic and with respect to vets moving from farm to farm.

Our full biosecurity policy is here

If you would like to provide feedback or have a problem that needs resolving, we invite you to contact us directly. The Practice has a lead Veterinary Surgeon who takes overall responsibility for the practice, but all colleagues are well-trained to assist our clients. If the matter is something that the colleague cannot resolve themselves, they will ensure that the matter is passed to the appropriate person. 

When receiving informal feedback in this manner, we will always thank you for the feedback, and record it so that we can learn from it. We will work to resolve the matter fairly and be transparent and clear in our communication. We will Provide details of how to submit a formal complaint if appropriate.

When a complaint is made, we will endeavour to store the details of the complaint and the details of the complainant securely and anonymously for as long as it takes us to satisfactorily resolve the issue. We will then destroy the details of the complaint and complainant once it is no longer relevant or necessary for us to have it.

Our full complaints procedure can be found here

We store all of you data via our practice management software which is provided by "Vet IT".

This data is stored securely via the cloud and more information can be found here

Yes, we are happy to share a full copy of your pet’s medical history with you or any other vet / healthcare professional / insurance company you ask us to.

We will aim to do this as quickly as is practical during normal office hours.

If a vet or other healthcare professional contacts us requesting medical information relating to your pet, we will only release this information once we have had clear verbal or written consent from you to do so.

a link to our privacy policy is here

At Morven Veterinary practice we are striving to reduce our impact on the environment. We recognise that the health of animals, humans and the environment are inextricably linked, and that environmental degradation affects the health and wellbeing of employees, animal health & welfare and public health. We acknowledge that our operations influence the environment in terms of the use of raw materials, emissions, and waste generation. We are committed to the continual improvement of our environmental performance in relation to our services, product recommendations and operations and in Iine with environmental and professional legislation.

We aim to reduce the environmental impact of our clinical work and to encourage more sustainable practice amongst clients, colleagues, and suppliers across all aspects of our business. We aim to enable our staff to develop their sustainability knowledge and apply it in our shared goal of creating a more sustainable practice.

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by:

Practicing responsible resource use

Reducing our consumption of energy, water, fuel, anaesthetic gases, paper, and other resources

Promoting and supporting sustainable travel where possible

Improving waste management by reducing overall waste produced, recycling where possible, using materials with lower environmental impact.

Being sustainable in our operation

Keeping to a minimum the number and duration of elective surgical procedures where possible.

Reducing our use of single use plastics, disposable items and ecotoxic chemicals

Prioritising the health and wellbeing of our employees

Promoting biodiversity in our surroundings

Working with suppliers/contractors with sustainable goals

Using medicines responsibly

Promoting health plans and the responsible use of antimicrobials and parasiticides

Avoiding drug wastage and ensuring safe disposal

Utilising technology to sustainably enhance animal health and welfare.

Reducing unnecessary polypharmacy to minimise our carbon emissions.

We will continue to strive for further improvement by regularly reviewing our progress, setting targets and by making the environmental impact of any action a leading consideration in our decision-making process.

We are passionate about animal care and our staff provide the highest quality care for your ani-mals.

Our staff come to work because they both love and deeply care for animals. They work hard to provide a high-quality service to their clients and patients. We aim to always treat our clients courteously and expect our clients to treat our staff in a similarly respectful way.

We believe that the relationship between a client and a Veterinary Practice is one that must be founded on the basis of mutual trust and confidence. We take a zero-tolerance approach to any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff. Not being able to get an ap-pointment at a convenient time for you, should not result in abuse towards our staff.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of types and examples of behaviour are unacceptable and may result in the termination of veterinary services by us:

· Using violent, threatening, or abusive language or behaviours towards our staff, our cli-ents or animals in our care

· Any attempted or actual physical violence towards staff, other clients or animals in our care such as pushing or shoving or the threat of causing physical harm

· Any attempted or actual damage to any property and/or equipment, and/or any personal property or belongings of our staff

· Verbal abuse of staff in any form whether in person or over the phone

· Making racial, sexual or any other kind of discriminatory remarks, implications or ges-tures

· Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress or intimidation to our staff. We en-deavour to respond to requests where possible and will provide explanations when re-quests cannot be met

· Making malicious allegations about our staff or other clients, whether in person or online

· Theft and other criminal activity, including fraud and obtaining veterinary medications or veterinary services fraudulently

· Non-compliance with our health and safety requirements

We have a three-stage process to dealing with unacceptable client behaviour in our practice:

Stage One: The client will be asked to stop and if necessary, to leave the premises. The prac-tice will issue a written warning regarding the unacceptable behaviour. A record of this written warning will be kept on the client’s records.

Stage Two: If a client’s unacceptable behaviour persists following receipt of the written warn-ing, we will terminate our client-practice relationship and Terms and Conditions resulting in the termination of all veterinary services to the client. The practice will issue a written notice of this termination of services. A record of the notice will be kept on the client’s records for a period of up to 7 years from the date of the written notice.

Please note, we reserve the right to issue our Stage One written warning and Stage Two written notice of service termination simultaneously in instances where the unacceptable behaviour is deemed excessive by the practice staff.

Stage Three: In the event that unacceptable behaviour persists after the termination of veteri-nary services, a final written notice will be issued. Incidents of threatening, abusive or violent

behaviour will be reported to the local Police Service and we will pursue appropriate legal ac-tion as needed.

We reserve the right to immediately terminate the provision of all veterinary services without fol-lowing the above three-stage process in certain instances. Examples of such instances are as follows (please note that this is a non-exhaustive list):

there is a threat to the physical safety of our staff, other clients or animals within our care;

the unacceptable client behaviour is wilfully discriminatory in nature; or

the relationship between the client and the vet has been irreparably damaged.

In such instances, we may involve the police or other applicable law enforcement, as needed.

We hope that you will understand and welcome this Zero Tolerance Policy, which is in place for the best interests of our hard-working staff as well as the clients and animals who we care for.

This policy applies throughout our practice, including any car park and grounds. It also applies to any member of staff away from the practice but only in so far as it relates to the provision of veterinary services.

Terms and conditions 

This document sets out our terms and conditions of business. As we are a mixed practice, some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you, please ask for further explanation or clarification if you need it. By accepting our services and/or purchasing goods from us you are contractually agreeing to Morven Veterinary Practice Ltd.’s terms and conditions of business as set out below.  

Fees  

A list of our more common fees is available on our website www.morvenvets.co.uk. In giving instructions, either in person or by an agent, for an animal to be treated, the client will be responsible for any fees incurred. We cannot accept instructions from anybody under the age of 18 years. It is the client’s responsibility to keep their account updated with current contact details.  

Payment for companion animal accounts is due at the time of treatment or at discharge from the practice. Equine accounts will be invoiced as soon after the time of treatment as is practical, and payment is due within 7 days of the invoice date. Farm accounts are invoiced on or around the first of the month and are payable within 30 days. 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 Director of the practice. Part payments of accounts may only be sanctioned with the express permission of a Director in advance of treatment, at their sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis. Occasionally we may incur costs on your behalf, such as tests performed at specialist laboratories, and these may be invoiced to you at a later date. Any fees left outstanding will incur an invoice. A text/email reminder will be generated for invoices remaining unpaid after 30 days. If any invoice remains unpaid after 60 days an administration fee will be added to the account, this is currently £50. If any invoice remains unpaid after 90 days, we reserve the right to refer the account to a debt collection agency. After this point all financial dealings will be made through that agency.  Please be aware that additional costs in reclaiming the debt will be levied to the client in addition to the original debt, which will be at minimum 15% +VAT of the debt value. 

Charges are determined according to the drugs, materials, consumables, and diets used, together with the type of work undertaken and time required. VAT is charged at the prevailing rate on all fees, diets and drugs.  

Insurance 

Insured clients may have the facility to arrange payment directly to Morven Veterinary Practice. For direct claims, the claim must be submitted at the time of treatment or discharge in lieu of payment. For continuation claims, these must either be paid or a claim submitted within the terms of the invoice, otherwise it will be classed as an unpaid invoice and dealt with as detailed above. Administration charges will be applied to accounts for processing of both initial and continuation claims. It should be noted that the client remains liable for all fees and excesses, even in the result of a claim being rejected. It is the client’s sole responsibility to ensure they have read, understood, and are adhering to the specific terms and conditions of their policy. 

Methods of payment  

You may settle your account using the following: cash, credit/debit Card - Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Delta (not Amex), BACS or through a secure payment link via our app Petsapp. Credit accounts are only available by prior agreement. 

Estimate of treatment costs  

We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment, should this be required. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate. A pet's illness may not follow a conventional course and your pet's welfare is our primary concern. We will endeavour to update you of unforeseen costs where possible.  

Home Visits 

In most instances we can provide a much higher standard of care (including but not limited to further investigation, surgical procedures or diagnostic tests) at one of our surgeries. However, we recognise there are certain instances when a home visit is needed. Please contact your usual surgery with as much prior notice as possible to allow us to arrange a visit. Home visits do incur an extra fee on top of any treatment that may be administered. 

Out of hours 

At Morven we pride ourselves on providing our own emergency Out of Hours care by our own vets and nurses. Out-of-hours fees are charged when a veterinary surgeon is called to attend to your animal(s) outside of the normal surgery hours. Normal surgery hours are shown on our website. The out-of-hours service can be accessed by telephoning the practice to obtain the emergency phone number, or by calling 07000 780729. Small animal emergency cases are seen at our Alford premises, and you will be expected to transport your animal to the practice for treatment. 

Unfortunately,  some of our patients require overnight hospitalisation to provide the best level of care. This is overseen by our on-call vet and registered veterinary nurse where appropriate. We will make a detailed assessment and plan specific to your pets medical and/or surgical needs, and discuss them with you. We do not have a member of staff on site 24 hours a day, however the on-call vet or nurse will check on your pet and attend to its needs as frequently as deemed necessary. 

Declining or withdrawal of services 

We reserve the right to decline or remove Veterinary services at any time, solely at our discretion. If you are an existing client, you will be advised orally by a Director that Veterinary services have been withdrawn. You will receive written confirmation of this within 3 working days. From receiving oral notice, we will continue to provide emergency treatment for your animals for 7 working days. After this date, the responsibility for your animal’s ongoing or future veterinary 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. 

Disputes/complaints 

Any dispute with fees/services presented must be put in writing to the Directors within 3 days of receiving the invoice. Where any dispute is not proven and as a result the payment is late, then the overdue accounts procedure will take effect 

We endeavour to provide the best level of care for your animal, however if you feel we have failed to achieve that high standard of care, please phone the Alford practice (01975 562339) during normal opening hours and ask to speak to a Director. A Director will endeavour to respond to your call at the time, but unfortunately due to clinical work that may be impossible, in which case our reception staff will take your details and a Director will contact you within 24 hours. Alternatively, please send an email to directors@morvenvets.co.uk. You will receive a written response within 7 working days of receipt of your complaint. In the unlikely event of an unsatisfactory outcome, you have the right to complain to our governing body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. 

New clients  

New clients can register in person, by phone or via the registration form on our website. By registering you agree to abide by our terms and condition, and provide complete, up to date contact details. Relevant medical history will be obtained from your previous attending veterinary surgeon. Consultations, investigations, and treatments will only be provided to registered clients, and Veterinary surgeons may only prescribe Prescription Only Medicines, category Veterinary (POM-V) for animals under their care. 

Medication and prescriptions  

Prescription medicines can be obtained from us directly or you may ask for a written prescription to obtain them from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy (a fee of £19.44 is payable for this service). A written prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medication that may be prescribed for your animal(s). To comply with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ regulations we cannot supply medication or a prescription without first examining the animal. A consultation is required to re-assess any animal requiring repeat prescriptions at least every six months to ensure they are receiving the most appropriate treatment. We ask you to give us at least two working days’ notice when ordering repeat prescription medications, as they must be approved by one of the veterinary surgeons before they can be dispensed and may need to be ordered into stock.