This document sets out the Terms of the Contract established between us (HNVG LTD) and you (the registered animal owner or individual requesting veterinary services), which comes into being when you register your animal with our Veterinary Practice or when you ask us to provide veterinary services.
Should you have any queries regarding any aspect of these Terms and Conditions of Business, please do not hesitate to ask us for further clarification. Accepting these conditions confirms that you are over 18 years of age.
HNVG LTD is registered in England and Wales under Number 14102250; our registered office is White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxon, OX15 5DG.
HNVG LTD (HNVG) is a mixed veterinary practice with separate Equine, Farm and Small Animal Departments. The Practice consists of our Surgery premises detailed below for treating your animals at Hook Norton, Deddington, Charlbury and Moreton-in-Marsh – as well as comprising the mobile services of our dedicated team of vets and nurses attending mainly Farm and Equine calls. Small Animal visits are also available in certain circumstances.
Our Surgery premises are situated at:
HOOK NORTON:
RCVS Accredited Practice – Small Animal Veterinary Hospital, Farm Animal General Practice, Equine General Practice – White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxon. OX15 5DG.
CHARLBURY:
RCVS Accredited Practice – Small Animal Core Standards – The Spendlove Centre, Enstone Road, Charlbury, Oxford. OX7 3PQ.
DEDDINGTON:
RCVS Accredited Practice – Small Animal Core Standards – Heritage House, St Thomas Street, Deddington, Oxon. OX15 0SY.
MORETON-IN-MARSH:
RCVS Accredited Practice – Small Animal Core Standards –Cotswold Business Village, 3 Wychwood Court, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glous, GL56 0JQ.
HNVG aims to provide veterinary services in accordance with the code encompassed in the RCVS guidelines for practice standards and for the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses. Guidelines are available at www.rcvs.org.uk. Please be aware that veterinary care will be withheld from clients who appear aggressive or abusive to staff members.
All fees for professional advice, services and prices for goods (including food, accessories and drugs) are subject to VAT at the applicable rate. You will receive a detailed breakdown of these charges for every consultation, surgical procedure and transaction with us. Professional fees vary depending on the time spent on a case, the level of expertise required of the staff looking after your animal, and according to the drugs, materials or consumables used to provide these services. These may also include fees for the case referral to another specialist practice. Separate charges will also apply for the costs of posting or delivering clinical samples for analysis and sending out orders for drugs/ other goods if requested. These are usually sent by Recorded or Special Delivery post or delivered by courier.
Estimates may be provided verbally either at the time of booking the appointment or during the consultation itself. Written estimates are available on request. Any estimate given can only be approximate since an animal’s illness will not always follow a conventional course, and unforeseen expenses may occur. We will endeavour to contact you at our earliest opportunity if we believe the costs could be significantly higher than the estimate. Please note: for long-term hospitalised patients, account updates can be given daily upon request.
You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, Category V (POM-Vs), from this Practice OR ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. HNVG can only prescribe POM-Vs for animals under our care. However, we can provide POM-V drugs if presented with a written prescription from another veterinary surgeon. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or if immediate treatment is necessary. Your veterinary surgeon may only prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products following a clinical assessment of an animal under our care. The general policy of this Practice is to recheck an animal requiring repeat prescriptions for supplies of relevant veterinary medicinal products every 3 months; however, this may vary with individual circumstances. In more complicated/unstable cases, prescription rechecks may be more frequent depending on the professional judgment of the veterinary surgeon managing the case. There is usually a charge for a prescription recheck and written prescriptions, details of which will be provided on enquiry. You will be informed, upon request, of the price of any medicine which may be prescribed for your animal. Please give us 48 hours’ notice for any requests for a repeat or written prescription.
Your responsibilities – you are responsible for ensuring your animal’s routine healthcare is up to date. Where possible, we provide a reminder service to help remind you of specific dates for routine healthcare. We are not responsible for lost reminders or reminders you have not viewed. It is your responsibility to book these appointments, and we are not accountable should your animal become overdue for routine healthcare; this includes but is not limited to; vaccinations, internal and external parasite treatments, dental care, and health checks.
HNVG strongly support the principle of insuring your animal against unexpected illness or accident. HNVG will endeavour to complete and forward an insurance claim to your insurance company as soon as practicable after the submission of the claim form to us by the client.
The following applies f you need to make an insurance claim.
· If the cost of the claim is under £500.00. We kindly request that payment is made in full to HNVG at the time of any treatment. We will assist you in making a claim with your insurance company and arrange payment to be made to you directly with no admin fee.
· If the cost of the claim is over £500 and you do not wish to make payment at the time. We kindly ask for you to make payment for any excess at the time plus an admin fee per condition. We will manage your insurance claim and arrange for payments to be made directly to HNVG.
· If it is a continuation. Payment terms are as above. However, there is no admin fee for a continuation claim, and in most cases, there is no additional excess.
The client must pay all excess and administrative charges within 30 days by the methods above. Please note that the balance of any fees charged that the insurance company does not cover will be subject to full payment by the client or animal owner/agent. The submission by you of an insurance claim form for your animal will automatically give us the right to discuss your claim with and respond to enquiries made about it by your Insurance Company.
HNVG also strongly recommend having your animal regularly vaccinated and microchipped (required by law for dogs). Please ask for details about these important actions you can take to protect, care for, and identify your animal.
In an emergency use the following telephone number, 01608 730085, and have the following information to hand:
>DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
>CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER
>THE EXACT LOCATION OF WHERE THE VET NEEDS TO MEET YOU
>USE THE APP WHAT3WORDS IF YOU ARE IN A HARD-TO-FIND LOCATION
The Surgery is closed between 6.30 pm and 8.00 am Monday to Friday, between 12.30 pm and 8.00 am on Saturdays, and all day on Sunday and Public Holidays.
In case of an emergency, when calling the practice (you can use any HNVG telephone number, including our branch numbers) after 6.30 pm you will automatically be diverted to the Emergency Answering Service.
This is a dedicated number and will be answered “Hook Norton Emergency Service”.
You will be asked for your name, a contact number that the Duty Vet can ring you on and some basic details of the emergency. This information is then passed to the Duty Vet who will call you as soon as possible to make arrangements to see your pet.
Although home visits are possible, it is better to visit the surgery, where we have all the facilities to treat your pet. We have 24-hour nursing facilities, with a duty nurse on the premises at all times.
If you normally visit one of our branch surgeries, it is important to know that all out-of-hours emergency appointments are held at our Hook Norton Hospital.
When calling the practice (telephone number—01608 730085) after 6.30 pm, you will automatically be diverted to the Emergency Answering Service. The Emergency Answering Service will take your details, which are then handed over to the dedicated farm or dedicated equine Duty Vet, who will then contact you as quickly as possible.
It is important that the Vet has a telephone number on which you can be contacted, knows the nature of the problem, and knows the exact location where they need to meet you.
In the rare event you are not called back within 10 minutes, please redial. For animals needing 24-hour intensive care or nursing, this is provided at the Small Animal Hospital at White Hills Veterinary Surgery, Hook Norton, where we also have Equine in-patient facilities. Please note that additional charges apply for out-of-hours consultations.
The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example, taking blood samples, X-rays, or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations & interpreting their results, the resulting records (clinical or otherwise) remain the property of the HNVG.
Case records can be copied and, on request, may be passed onto another veterinary surgeon taking over the case. Clinical samples taken may also be passed onto external laboratories to undertake further investigations to assist with our diagnosis or treatment plan. There may be a charge incurred for copying any veterinary records and documentation.
The video consultation fee must be paid before the video consultation. If payment has not been received, your video consultation will be cancelled.
Anything outside of the video consultation fee (for example, medication) will be payable at the normal rate after your consultation.
Video consultations are only accessible via PetsApp, which is free for you to download and use on both Apple and Android devices and can be accessed via an internet browser.
Video consultations are not to be used in life-threatening situations. Please call us as soon as possible by phone if your pet is in a life-threatening condition.
HNVG LTD reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of this offer or remove it at any time.
Our interactive Symptom Checker and Poisons Guide are a guide only. They help you decide how quickly you should call the vet to seek veterinary attention and are only for use in the UK. If your animal’s symptoms are not listed, you are worried, or you are in any doubt about your animal’s condition, telephone your vet for advice.
Fees
Fees are calculated according to the procedure undertaken, including consultation, any necessary investigation, medication and surgical procedures. They can vary considerably according to what is required for your animals’ well-being. The veterinary surgeon will always discuss the specific costs and options for your animal with you before any procedure is undertaken. All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate where applicable.
Payment for small animals is required in full at the time of consultation or on collection of your pet or goods. For payments in person, we accept most debit and credit cards (excluding American Express) and can accept cash, however we do not provide change, any excess received will be credited to your account for future use. If payment is not received on the day of treatment, an invoice will be issued which is due for payment strictly within 7 days from the date of the invoice.
Clients with large animals who have agreed credit terms are invoiced either bi-monthly or at month end. Payment is due strictly within 30 days from the date of the invoice, or 21 days for XLVet Scheme clients. Invoices can be settled remotely via BACS (online banking), by card over the phone, or by cheque using the details provided on your invoice. Alternatively, in person in practice as above.
Insurance
It is your responsibility to settle your account in line with our payment terms however we will assist in the prompt completion of insurance forms for which we charge a reasonable fee to cover our costs. For claims under £500 you are expected to settle your bill personally and direct insurance receipts to your own account, however where claims exceed £500 you may authorise your insurance company to pay Hook Norton Veterinary Group directly provided all excess and administrative charges are paid at the time the claim is made.
Late Payment
In the absence of any other arrangement agreed with the Practice, invoices not settled within 30 days of the invoice date will incur an administrative surcharge of 2% per month.
Returned cheques, counterfeit cash or charged back card amounts will be reapplied to the client’s account along with associated bank and administrative costs arising from the default.
We reserve the right to take such action as we consider appropriate to recover our fees in the event of late payment based on our payment terms. Your contact and account details may be passed to third-party debt collection agencies engaged to recover the outstanding fees and/or instigating proceedings against you in the County Court. You would be liable to pay any additional costs incurred, which will be added to your client account. Please be aware that the use of debt collection agencies and the County Court could affect your credit rating.
We may suspend or request upfront payment for the provision of any further goods and/or services until full settlement has been made in the event of late payment.
Contact Us
Please contact our Accounts Department for account queries without delay to resolve the matter on:
Telephone: 01608 738501 between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday, or,
E-Mail: accounts@hooknortonvets.co.uk
All non-registered clients must pay for services provided at the time and may be asked for a deposit when booking a future procedure.
When joining the Lifetime Care Club, you accept these terms and conditions. It is important to read them carefully, and please ask a staff member if you have any queries. If you would like a copy of these terms and conditions in larger print – please ask at reception.
1. The Lifetime Care Club is a rolling annual preventative healthcare program. It is not an insurance policy.
2. Membership of the agreement constitutes an agreement between you and HNVG LTD. Membership and benefits are not transferable to another pet, owner or veterinary practice.
3. During your membership, you will receive products and services, including, but not limited to, vaccines, flea/worming/tick treatments, and a full health check with one of our vets or a nurse. Please refer to our website or Lifetime Care Club leaflet for full details of what is included.
4. Lifetime Care Club discounted services.
4a. The discounts on neutering do not include any drugs given or prescribed. The discount applies to a standard neuter and laparoscopic spay.
4b. The 10% discount on a dental chart and clean (as required) applies only to the dental fee and does not include any drugs given during the procedure or prescribed medications. Other dental procedures are not included.
4c. When opting into our quarterly prescription parasiticide postage service, payment is per annum or pro-rata if joining partway through your annual membership. Prescriptions will be posted via Royal Mail, Signed for Delivery.
5. Reminders. Your responsibilities. Where possible, we provide a reminder service to help remind you of specific dates for routine healthcare. However, you are responsible for ensuring your animal’s routine healthcare is up-to-date. It is your responsibility to book these appointments, and we are not accountable should your animal become overdue for routine healthcare; this includes but is not limited to vaccinations, internal and external parasite treatments, dental care, and health checks. We are not responsible for lost reminders or reminders you have not viewed.
6. The fee for your pet will be determined by its species and weight.
7. Of course, your pet can still receive treatment outside the Lifetime Care Club’s scope, which will be charged in accordance with the practice’s normal fees, terms and conditions.
8. You should read the Lifetime Care Club terms and conditions in conjunction with any additional information, including, but not limited to, literature provided by the practice detailing what is included in the Lifetime Care Club. That literature forms part of these terms and conditions.
9. Your responsibilities—You are responsible for following our vets’ and nurses’ guidance and ensuring your pet attends the practice regularly for preventative healthcare checks, which are included as part of your Lifetime Care Club membership. If we cannot maintain your pet’s health because you haven’t followed guidance or attended the practice, we may need to terminate your membership. Termination would be in writing as outlined below and with immediate effect.
10. Your membership fees will be collected monthly by Direct Debit. The scheme will start when your first Direct Debit has cleared, or your 2-month advanced payment has been taken when signing up in our practice. If you choose to pay annually for your plan, a 5% discount will be given on the annual price.
11. We use Vet Success to collect Direct Debits on our behalf, and your bank statements will show a payment to Vet Success on behalf of HNVG LTD. For the avoidance of doubt, your agreement is with HNVG LTD. Vet Success merely supports the practice, which includes transferring your payments.
12. Membership for each pet will renew automatically on the anniversary of your pet joining the Lifetime Care Club.
13. Scheme benefits and prices are subject to change. We will inform you in advance, in writing, with at least 30 days’ notice, when there is to be a change in available benefits or membership fees.
14. Failed Direct Debit payments, e.g., because of a lack of available funds, significantly increase the practice’s administration costs. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £25+VAT for each failed payment, which will be added to your account.
15. After a failed Direct Debit payment, we will re-present our payment request to your bank after 3-5 working days.
16. If the second payment request fails, a second administration charge will be added to your account. We will make a third and final payment request to your bank after a further 3-5 working days. If this payment request is unsuccessful, your Lifetime Care Club membership will be cancelled automatically, and your pet will no longer receive the associated benefits and discounts.
17. If the second payment request fails, a second administration charge will be added to your account. We will make a third and final payment request to your bank after a further 3-5 working days. If this payment request is unsuccessful, your Lifetime Care Club membership will be cancelled automatically, and your pet will no longer receive the associated benefits and discounts.
18. We will review your account if your Lifetime Care Club membership is automatically cancelled due to failed direct debits. You will be charged the full price of any products and services received during your membership minus any membership fees received to date.
19. Ending our agreement / cancelling your membership:
• You may cancel your membership on your anniversary date (the anniversary of the date you joined) by notifying us at least 14 days prior to your next payment collection date.
• If you cancel the Lifetime Care Club membership during the annual contract, we will charge you an additional £25+VAT cancellation fee per animal.
• If your membership is cancelled before your anniversary date, we will review your account and, where applicable, charge you retrospectively the full price of any products and services received during your membership, minus any membership fees received to date.
• No credit will be given if the cost of the goods received is less than the amount already paid by Direct Debit at the time of cancellation.
• Should a cancellation result in a balance owing to Hook Norton Veterinary Group, an invoice for the balance plus applicable cancellation fee(s) will be sent to you with payment due immediately.
• We may end our agreement by giving you written notice as outlined below.
20. Unpaid bills relating to your membership fees, treatment received or medicines dispensed will be handled in accordance with our standard terms and conditions (available online or by request) and may be referred to a third-party debt collection agency.
21. Clients must settle their fees at the end of each consultation or procedure and/or upon collecting drugs, feeds and shop sales. We reserve the right to terminate your membership should debt (that is not an insurance claim) remain unpaid on your account outside our 30-day payment period. Termination would be in writing and with immediate effect. Lifetime Care Club administrative charges and the balance owing for the remainder of your membership period will be invoiced, with payment due immediately.
22. Notice:
• With regard to this agreement, either party wishing to give notice to the other should do so in writing.
• ‘In writing’ includes emails, letters sent by post, or delivered by hand.
• When we write to you by post, we will use the address most recently provided.
• If you wish to write to us, please use the email address lccequiplan@hooknortonvets.co.uk or send letters to Lifetime Care Club Administration, Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG.
Should you ever have cause to complain about the service you receive, please follow the practice’s normal complaints procedure, which is detailed in the practice terms and conditions.
Additional Terms and Conditions
23. Members must be 18 years old or older.
24. If a client specifically requests certain products not included under the Lifetime Care Club package (although the treatment type is), these alternative products may attract a charge which will become immediately payable.
25. All products included in the annual subscription (e.g., vaccinations, flea, and worming treatments) must be taken within the annual payment period. Products cannot be carried over to the next year’s annual subscription period.
26. If paying monthly, separate monthly Direct Debits will take payments for each pet.
27. New Lifetime Care Club members signing up in practice will be asked to pay the first two months of membership by credit/debit card on the application.
28. HNVG LTD reserves the right to change or update the Terms and Conditions of the Lifetime Care Club (except the Direct Debit Guarantee).
Lifetime Care Club Gold
29. Free of charge routine veterinary consultations apply to the consultation fee. All other services, products, and medications will be charged at the normal price. You are entitled to unlimited veterinary consults. However, management discretion may apply if the consultations are used inappropriately and/or in excess of the treatment/s required for your pet.
30. Discounted out-of-hours consultations include only the discounted consultation fee; additional services, products, and medication will be charged at the normal price.
31. The included annual blood test is blood sampling and analysis, equivalent to a pre-op profile; all other blood tests will be charged at the normal price.
32. The included annual urine test is a urine dip and microscopy; all other urine tests will be charged at the normal price.
How we use your information
33. Vet Success and HNVG LTD will hold and use your personal data (as defined by UK data protection laws) for the purpose of administering your preventative healthcare plan.
34. HNVG LTD and Vet Success may record and monitor inbound and outbound telephone calls for training purposes. These calls may also be referred to in relation to any future queries.
35. We will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the security of your data. Your data will not be shared with anyone else unless there is a legal requirement for us to do so.
• You have the right to see your personal data. If you have any queries about the data we hold or how we use it, please write to either HNVG LTD, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG or Vet Success, 18 Albert Rd, Bournemouth BH1 1BZ.
Vet Success is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 09633942. Its registered office is The Chocolate Factory, Keynsham, Bristol, England, BS31 2AU.
HNVG LTD is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 14102250. Its registered office is at White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG.
THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE
Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of accounts.
• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, HNVG LTD will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request HNVG LTD to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by HNVG LTD or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – if you receive a refund, you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when HNVG LTD asks you to.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify HNVG LTD.
When joining the Equiplan you accept these terms and conditions. It is important to read them carefully; please ask a staff member if you have any queries. If you would like a copy of these terms and conditions in larger print – please ask at reception. Please note that when signing up online, your subscription does not commence until your first Direct Debit has cleared. If you would like to use the benefits (Zone Visits, worming, annual vaccination) prior to your first Direct Debit, please contact our Equine Reception Team, who will advise you of more registration options. Failure to do this will mean you are charged for any treatment received before your first Direct Debit.
1. Equiplan is a rolling annual preventative healthcare programme. Equiplan is not an insurance policy.
2. Membership of the agreement constitutes an agreement between you and HNVG LTD. Membership and benefits are non-transferable, meaning you cannot move the membership to another horse, owner or veterinary practice.
3. During your membership, you will receive products and services including, but not limited to, vaccinations, worming treatment, dental examinations with routine rasping, and foot balance radiographs. For full details of what’s included, refer to our website or Equiplan leaflet.
• Free of charge Zone Visits equate to a free visit charge. You are bound by the standard Zone Visit terms & conditions.
• Foot balance radiographs. A ‘set’ of radiographs refers to 4 images of either the front or back feet (a lateral and dorso palmar radiograph for each foot). If you’d like both the front and back feet radiographs, there will be an additional charge for the 4 additional radiographs. Foot balance radiographs should be taken at our Hook Norton Clinic. If you require them to be taken at your premises, this will incur a visit charge.
4. Reminders. Your responsibilities. Where possible, we provide a reminder service to help remind you of specific dates for routine healthcare. However, you are responsible for ensuring your animal’s routine healthcare is up-to-date. We are not responsible for lost reminders or reminders you have not viewed. We are not responsible for missed treatments or able to refund or backdate anything that has been missed. It is your responsibility to book these appointments. We are not accountable should your animal become overdue for routine health care; this includes but is not limited to; vaccinations, parasite treatments, dental care, and health checks.
5. The fee for your horse is a set fee per month; there are no discounts should you not use part of the plan.
6. Your horse can still receive treatment outside the scope of the Equiplan, which will be charged per the practice’s standard fees, terms and conditions.
7. Equiplan terms and conditions should be read in conjunction with any additional information, including, but not limited to, literature provided by the practice detailing what is included in Equiplan. That literature forms part of these terms and conditions.
8. Equiplan members are bound by our 30-day payment terms, which you can view online. Please ask if you would prefer a hard copy. If these terms are broken, all discounts will be removed for unpaid products and services, and you will be removed from Equiplan. You will be invoiced, and payment will be due immediately on the balance owing to Hook Norton Veterinary Group, plus applicable cancellation fee(s).
9. Your responsibilities – you are responsible for following our vets’ and nurses’ guidance and ensuring your horse is seen regularly for preventative healthcare checks. If we are unable to maintain your horse’s health because you haven’t followed guidance or your horse has not been seen by one of our vets, we may need to terminate your membership. Termination would be in writing as outlined below and with immediate effect.
10. Your membership fees will be collected monthly by Direct Debit; the scheme will start when your first Direct Debit has cleared, or your 2-month in advance payment has been taken when signing up at our Hook Norton Clinic.
11. We use Easy Direct Debits Limited to collect Direct Debits on our behalf, and your bank statements will show a payment to Easy Direct Debits on behalf of HNVG LTD. For the avoidance of doubt, your agreement is with HNVG LTD. Easy Direct Debits Limited merely supports the practice, which includes transferring your payments.
12. Membership for each horse will renew automatically on the anniversary of your horse joining Equiplan.
13. Scheme benefits and prices are subject to change. We will tell you in advance in writing, giving at least 30 days’ notice, when there is to be a change in available benefits or membership fees.
14. In between our annual fees review, your horse’s monthly fees may also change.
15. Failed Direct Debit payments, e.g. because of a lack of available funds, cause a significant increase in administration costs for the practice. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £10+VAT for each failed payment. This administration charge will be added to your account.
16. After a failed Direct Debit payment, we will re-present our payment request to your bank after 3-5 working days.
17. If the second payment request fails, a second administration charge will be added to your account. We will make a third and final payment request to your bank after a further 3-5 working days. If this payment request is unsuccessful, your Equiplan membership will be cancelled automatically, and your horse will no longer receive the associated benefits and discounts.
18. If your Equiplan membership is cancelled automatically because of failed direct debits, your account will be reviewed, and you will be charged the full price of any products and services received during your membership, minus any membership fees received to date.
19. Ending our agreement / cancelling your membership:
• You may cancel your membership on your anniversary date (the anniversary of the date you joined) by notifying us at least 14 days prior to your next payment collection date.
• If you cancel the Equiplan membership during the annual contract, we will charge you an additional £25+VAT cancellation fee per animal.
• If your membership is cancelled before your anniversary date (for example, through the sale or loss of your horse, pony or donkey), we will review your account and, where applicable, charge you retrospectively the full price of any products and services received during your membership, minus any membership fees received to date.
• No credit will be given if the cost of the goods received is less than the amount already paid by Direct Debit at the time of cancellation.
• Should a cancellation result in a balance owing to HNVG LTD, an invoice for the balance plus applicable cancellation fee(s) will be sent to you with payment due immediately.
• We may end our agreement by giving you written notice as outlined in point 21.
20. Unpaid bills relating to your membership fees, treatment received or medicines dispensed will be handled per our standard terms and conditions (available to view on our website or on request) and may be referred to a third-party debt collection agency.
21. Notice:
• Concerning this agreement, either party wishing to give notice to the other should do so in writing.
• ‘In writing’ includes emails, letters sent by post, or delivered by hand.
• When we write to you by post, we will use the address most recently provided.
• If you wish to write to us, please use the email address lccequiplan@hooknortonvets.co.uk or send letters to Equiplan Administration, Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG.
22. Should you ever have cause to complain about the service you receive, please follow the practice’s standard complaints procedure (available in our standard Terms and Conditions and on request).
Additional Terms and Conditions
23. Members must be 18 years old or over.
24. If certain products are specifically requested by a client, which are not included under the Equiplan package (although the treatment type is), these alternative products may attract a surcharge which will become immediately payable.
25. All products included in the annual subscription (i.e. vaccinations, parasite treatments) must be taken within the annual payment period. Products and treatments cannot be carried forward.
26. Separate monthly Direct Debit payments will be taken for each horse.
27. When signing up at our Hook Norton Surgery, new members of the Equiplan will be asked to pay the first two months of membership on application by credit/debit card.
28. HNVG LTD reserves the right to change or update the Terms and Conditions of Equiplan (except the Direct Debit Guarantee).
How we use your information
29. Easy Direct Debits Limited and HNVG LTD will hold and use your personal data (as defined by UK data protection laws) to administer your preventative healthcare plan.
30. HNVG LTD and Easy Direct Debits Ltd may record and monitor inbound and outbound telephone calls for training purposes. These calls may also be referred to concerning any future queries.
31. We will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the security of your data. Your data will not be shared with anyone else unless there is a legal requirement for us to do so.
• You have the right to see your personal data. If you have any queries about the data we hold or how we use it, please write to either Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG, or Easy Direct Debits Limited, 99 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8DY.
Easy Direct Debits Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 09633942, whose registered office is at Ebenezer House, 5a Poole Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5QJ.
HNVG LTD is registered in England and Wales with company number 14102250, whose registered office is at White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG.
THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE
Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of accounts.
• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, HNVG LTD will notify you ten working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request HNVG LTD to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by HNVG LTD or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – if you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when HNVG LTD asks you to.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit anytime by contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify HNVG LTD.
When joining the Equiplan Gold you accept these terms and conditions. It is important to read them carefully; please ask a staff member if you have any queries. If you would like a copy of these terms and conditions in larger print – please ask at reception. Please note that when signing up online, your subscription does not commence until your first Direct Debit has cleared. If you would like to use the benefits (Zone Visits, worming, annual vaccination) prior to your first Direct Debit, please contact our Equine Reception Team, who will advise you of more registration options. Failure to do this will mean you are charged for any treatment received before your first Direct Debit.
1. Equiplan Gold is a rolling annual preventative healthcare programme. Equiplan Gold is not an insurance policy. Equiplan Gold is a way to spread the cost of routine preventative care. It does not cover the costs of veterinary care for unexpected illness or injury to your equine and you may wish to consider separate insurance for this.
2. Membership of the agreement constitutes an agreement between you and HNVG LTD. Membership and benefits are non-transferable, meaning you cannot move the membership to another horse, owner or veterinary practice.
3. During your membership, you will receive products and services including, but not limited to, vaccinations, worming treatment, dental examinations with a routine rasping, and foot balance radiographs. For full details of what’s included, refer to our website or Equiplan Gold leaflet.
• Free of charge Zone Visits equate to a free visit charge. You are bound by the standard Zone Visit terms & conditions. Only preventative health care appointments can be carried out on Zone Visits. Foot balance Radiographs and Examinations are either carried out at the clinic or on normal (chargeable) visits
• Foot balance radiographs. A ‘set’ of radiographs refers to 4 images of either the front or back feet (a lateral and dorso palmar radiograph for each foot). If you’d like both the front and back feet radiographs, there will be an additional charge for the 4 additional radiographs. Free of charge Ffoot balance radiographs shouldcan be taken at our Hook Norton Clinic. If you require them to be taken at your premises, this will incur a visit charge.
• Free in person appointments must be booked at least the working day before and the next available appointment will be offered. Repeat booking of consultations not deemed reasonable by HNVG Ltd will not be covered by the scheme, your scheme will be cancelled with 7 days’ notice, and no further upgrade payments will be taken.
• The free examinations offered within the scheme include an examination within the stable and requiring only the veterinarian’s hands, eyes, ophthalmoscope or stethoscope. Any additional procedures will be chargeable.
• Lameness examinations (including any or all of an examination at walk and trot in hand, on a hard or soft lunge or under saddle) will be charged at a 50% discount for members of Equiplan Gold. Lameness investigations (eg nerve blocks, xrays or ultrasound) will be charged at the normal rate
• All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and need.
• Any procedures performed or medications that may be prescribed during your consultation are not covered by the scheme.
• Membership does not include priority booking to vets or appointments.
4. Out-of-hours/emergency work or same-day in-person appointments will be charged as normal. Equiplan Gold members can benefit from unlimited virtual emergency appointments free of charge.
5. Reminders. Your responsibilities. Where possible, we provide a reminder service to help remind you of specific dates for routine healthcare. However, you are responsible for ensuring your animal’s routine healthcare is up to date. We are not responsible for lost reminders or reminders you have not viewed. We are not responsible for missed treatments or able to refund or backdate anything that has been missed. It is your responsibility to book these appointments. We are not accountable should your animal become overdue for routine health care; this includes but is not limited to; vaccinations, parasite treatments, dental care, and health checks.
6. The fee for your horse is a set fee per month; there are no discounts should you not use part of the plan.
7. Your horse can still receive treatment outside the scope of Equiplan Gold, which will be charged per the practice’s standard fees, terms and conditions.
8. Equiplan Gold terms and conditions should be read in conjunction with any additional information, including, but not limited to, literature provided by the practice detailing what is included in Equiplan and Equiplan Gold. That literature forms part of these terms and conditions.
9. Equiplan Gold members are bound by our 30-day payment terms, which you can view online. Please ask if you would prefer a hard copy. If these terms are broken and remain unpaid after 60 days (with the exception of ongoing insurance claims) all discounts will be removed for unpaid products and services, and you will be removed from Equiplan Gold. You will be invoiced, and payment will be due immediately on the balance owing to Hook Norton Veterinary Group, plus applicable cancellation fee(s). Only clients who are currently within our 30-day payment terms (excepting insurance claims) are eligible to join Equiplan Gold
10. Your responsibilities – you are responsible for following our vets’ and nurses’ guidance and ensuring your horse is seen regularly for preventative healthcare checks. If we are unable to maintain your horse’s health because you haven’t followed guidance or your horse has not been seen by one of our vets, we may need to terminate your membership. Termination would be in writing as outlined below and with immediate effect.
11. Your membership fees will be collected monthly by Direct Debit; the scheme will start when your first Direct Debit has cleared, or your 2-month in advance payment has been taken when signing up at our Hook Norton Clinic.
12. We use Easy Direct Debits Limited to collect Direct Debits on our behalf, and your bank statements will show a payment to Easy Direct Debits on behalf of HNVG LTD. For the avoidance of doubt, your agreement is with HNVG LTD. Easy Direct Debits Limited merely supports the practice, which includes transferring your payments.
13. Membership for each horse will renew automatically on the anniversary of your horse joining Equiplan Gold.
14. Scheme benefits and prices are subject to change. We will tell you in advance in writing, giving at least 30 days’ notice, when there is to be a change in available benefits or membership fees.
15. In between our annual fees review, your horse’s monthly fees may also change.
16. Failed Direct Debit payments, e.g. because of a lack of available funds, cause a significant increase in administration costs for the practice. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £10+VAT for each failed payment. This administration charge will be added to your account.
17. After a failed Direct Debit payment, we will re-present our payment request to your bank after 3-5 working days.
18. If the second payment request fails, a second administration charge will be added to your account. We will make a third and final payment request to your bank after a further 3-5 working days. If this payment request is unsuccessful, your Equiplan Gold membership will be cancelled automatically, and your horse will no longer receive the associated benefits and discounts.
19. If your Equiplan Gold membership is cancelled automatically because of failed direct debits, your account will be reviewed, and you will be charged the full price of any products and services received during your membership, minus any membership fees received to date.
20. Ending our agreement / cancelling your membership:
• You may cancel your membership on your anniversary date (the anniversary of the date you joined) by notifying us at least 14 days prior to your next payment collection date.
• If you cancel the Equiplan Gold membership during the annual contract, we will charge you an additional £25+VAT cancellation fee per animal.
• If your membership is cancelled before your anniversary date (for example, through the sale or loss of your horse, pony or donkey), we will review your account and you will be charged whichever is the lesser of a) the full value of any work done or b) the full 12-month policy.
• No credit will be given if the cost of the goods received is less than the amount already paid by Direct Debit at the time of cancellation.
• Should a cancellation result in a balance owing to HNVG LTD, an invoice for the balance plus applicable cancellation fee(s) will be sent to you with payment due immediately.
• We may end our agreement by giving you written notice as outlined in point 21.
21. Unpaid bills relating to your membership fees, treatment received, or medicines dispensed will be handled per our standard terms and conditions (available to view on our website or on request) and may be referred to a third-party debt collection agency.
22. Notice:
• Concerning this agreement, either party wishing to give notice to the other should do so in writing.
• ‘In writing’ includes emails, letters sent by post or delivered by hand.
• When we write to you by post, we will use the address most recently provided.
• If you wish to write to us, please use the email address lccequiplan@hooknortonvets.co.uk or send letters to Equiplan Administration, Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG.
23. Should you ever have cause to complain about the service you receive, please follow the practice’s standard complaints procedure (available in our standard Terms and Conditions and on request).
Additional Terms and Conditions
24. Members must be 18 years old or over.
25. If certain products are specifically requested by a client, which are not included under the Equiplan Gold package (although the treatment type is), these alternative products may attract a surcharge which will become immediately payable.
26. All products included in the annual subscription (i.e. vaccinations, parasite treatments) must be taken within the annual payment period. Products and treatments cannot be carried forward.
27. Separate monthly Direct Debit payments will be taken for each horse.
28. When signing up at our Hook Norton Surgery, new members of Equiplan Gold will be asked to pay the first two months of membership on application by credit/debit card.
29. HNVG LTD reserves the right to change or update the Terms and Conditions of Equiplan Gold (except the Direct Debit Guarantee).
How we use your information
30. Easy Direct Debits Limited and HNVG LTD will hold and use your personal data (as defined by UK data protection laws) to administer your preventative healthcare plan.
31. HNVG LTD and Easy Direct Debits Ltd may record and monitor inbound and outbound telephone calls for training purposes. These calls may also be referred to concerning any future queries.
32. We will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the security of your data. Your data will not be shared with anyone else unless there is a legal requirement for us to do so.
How we use your information
29. Easy Direct Debits Limited and HNVG LTD will hold and use your personal data (as defined by UK data protection laws) to administer your preventative healthcare plan.
30. HNVG LTD and Easy Direct Debits Ltd may record and monitor inbound and outbound telephone calls for training purposes. These calls may also be referred to concerning any future queries.
31. We will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the security of your data. Your data will not be shared with anyone else unless there is a legal requirement for us to do so.
• You have the right to see your personal data. If you have any queries about the data we hold or how we use it, please write to either Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, OX15 5DG, or Easy Direct Debits Limited, 99 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8DY.
Easy Direct Debits Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 09633942, whose registered office is at Ebenezer House, 5a Poole Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5QJ.
HNVG LTD is registered in England and Wales with company number 14102250, whose registered office is at White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG.
THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE
Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of accounts.
• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, HNVG LTD will notify you ten working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request HNVG LTD to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by HNVG LTD or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – if you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when HNVG LTD asks you to.
• You can cancel a Direct Debit anytime by contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify HNVG LTD.
At HNVG Ltd, we are committed to providing exceptional care and service to our clients and their pets. We value all feedback and view complaints as an opportunity to improve our services. Our complaint policy outlines how we handle concerns in a fair, prompt, and transparent manner.
How to Submit a Complaint
Clients may submit complaints in writing, by phone, or in person. Please provide your contact information and as much detail as possible about the issue so that we can address it effectively.
In Person: Speak to a reception team member or ask to speak with a member of the clinical team if necessary.
By Phone: Call us at to discuss the complaint. This is likely to be dealt with by a member of the reception team in the first instance. Should it be decided that a call with a member of the clinical team is necessary, a call back can be expected within 5 working days.
By Email: Send an email to complaints@hooknortonvets.co.uk
By Post: Send a letter to Hook Norton Veterinary Group, White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG.
Complaint Process
Once a complaint is received:
We will acknowledge receipt within 14 days.
We will aim to resolve all complaints within 28 working days, if practicable.
If the complaint requires additional investigation, we will keep you informed of the progress and the expected resolution timeline.
Resolution and Follow-up
After the investigation, we will contact you with our findings and, if appropriate, any steps we have taken or plan to take to address the issue. Should a resolution not be deemed satisfactory by the client, it is recommended that they contact the Veterinary Client Mediation Service, more information can be found at www.vetmediation.co.uk
Confidentiality
All complaints will be handled with confidentiality, and information will only be shared as necessary to resolve the issue.
We are dedicated to making improvements to meet your needs and to ensure a positive experience for all clients and their pets. Thank you for helping us improve our service. Should you have an urgent query about the care of your animal, please contact reception on 01608 730085/730501.
*Working days Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
No agent or person employed by or under contract with the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these Terms and Conditions in any way without the written agreement of at least two of the Directors. HNVG LTD reserve the right to alter or amend these Terms and Conditions as necessary, and any such amendment will be published on our website: www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
