We are also a RCVS registered Veterinary Nurse Training Centre so a team of dedicated, enquiring and competent nurses are helping care for your pet.

 

OPENING HOURS

 

Opening Hours

Weekdays

8am - 7pm

Saturday

9am - 1pm

Sunday

10am - 12pm

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Consulting Hours

Weekdays

8:30am - 1pm & 3pm - 7pm

Saturday

9am-1pm

Sunday

10am-12pm

 

 

Our early opening hours allows for delivering and collecting pets, dispensing medications, booking appointments, accounts, food sales and enquiries.

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We are closed on Bank Holidays but we will see pets with real emergencies.

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We provide an appointment only system to reduce waiting times. We feel continuity of care is important and where possible your pet will be able to see the same veterinarian on each visit.

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There is disabled access.

 

PARKING

Dedicated client parking is behind the surgery and accessed from Connaught Road. The site is not advertised so as not to attract other drivers from using this parking space.

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Parking for Emergency cases is on the pavement to the immediate front of the practice. The surgery owns this forecourt space but not the pedestrian pavement.

 

EMERGENCY SERVICE

We provide a year round, 24 hour Emergency Service for all our clients. Emergencies will be seen at the VETCall Veterinary Surgery, a safe and familiar environment, or at your home after prior arrangement with the duty veterinary surgeon by telephoning 020 8529 4004 at any time. Calls will always take priority and you will not be directed to another practice.

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The charge for an emergency call-out is from £116+VAT.

 

FEES

We feel it is our obligation to you and your pet that we provide a progressive medical and surgical service. Fees are structured to support this service. We charge a reasonable fee for a job well done by professional and caring staff. Professional fees, medicines, diets and sundry items are subject to 20% VAT.

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Details of our fees are available on request. An itemized Invoice is provided for every transaction.

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Our initial Consultation and Examination 15 minute appointment costs £31.63+VAT.

 

PAYMENTS

We accept payment by

• cash

• debit/credit cards: VISA, Mastercard, American Express (surcharge of 1.5%)

• contactless if less than £30

• BACS transfer:  Metro Bank Sort Code: 23-05-80 Acc No: 21817457 (please use surname and pet name as reference)

 

If you have any queries with regards to your account please do contact the surgery.

 

New clients are expected to pay in full at the end of consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of medicines, diets etc.

 

Accounts, available only to established clients known to us and with a sound credit history, are due for settlement in full within 14 days of invoice date.

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In the event of non-payment within 14 days of invoice date, one further reminder Invoice with a non-deductible administration charge of £15 will be sent.

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Failure to settle the account within another 14 days will result in the matter being referred to a Debt Collection Agent whose charges, levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt such as production of searches and reports, correspondence, court fees, attendance at court, will be added to, and payable with, the invoice debt.

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If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to settle your account, we ask you to please discuss the matter with us as soon as possible and before additional administrative and accounting fees are incurred.

Repayment arrangements may be possible.

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Any cheque that you issue which is returned unpaid, any credit card not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit would result in your account being restored to the original sum together with any fees incurred in the process.

Persistent late payment will result in the need for all fees to be paid for at the time of treatment or withdrawal of our veterinary services.

 

ESTIMATES OF TREATMENT COSTS

We will happily, upon request, provide a written Estimate for the probable cost of treatment but please in mind that any Estimate can only be approximate – a pet’s illness may not follow a predictable or conventional course. However, we will keep you informed of your Account daily and contact you should we need to deviate from the Estimate.

 

HOME VISITS

The best place to examine and treat your pet is at the surgery but we do appreciate that there are circumstances where home visits are preferable. We will always try and accommodate requests for home visits during normal working hours. An additional charge for home visits will be made.

 

TERMINATION OF SERVICE

You may ask us to stop caring for your pet at any time.

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We may stop looking after your pet if you do not accept our advice, fail to settle your account on time, if we do not have the expertise or if the relationship between you and us sadly breaks down. Under these circumstances, we will serve notice in writing of imminent withdrawal of services.

 

COMPLAINTS

We hope you never have reason to complain about the standards of service received from us. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to bring to our attention, please direct your comments in the first instance in writing to the Practice Manager.

 

OWNERSHIP OF RADIOGRAPHS

Ownership of specific investigations, such as radiographs and ultrasound scans, remain with the practice. Copies will be passed on, by request, to another veterinary surgeon should the need arise.

 

DATA PROTECTION

In holding and using data about you, we comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

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In instructing us to care for your pet, you authorize us to use that data in the course of the work we do for you. We may send you, from time to time and free of charge, practice information. We will, where specifically required, pass on to Insurers or referral centres, details of clinical histories, case records, diagnostic images and laboratory results relating to your pet.

 

REFERRAL and SECOND OPINIONS

The veterinary general practitioners at VETCall Veterinary Surgery are at the frontline of veterinary medicine.

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We are a full service surgery and our commitment to total animal care includes consultations, physical examinations, diagnostic procedures such as digital radiology, ultrasound, endoscopy, ECG, laboratory, clinical and medical techniques, dental and surgical procedures.

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We are competently and confidently able to examine, diagnose and treat the majority of diseases presented to us. Sometimes however we may feel that a particular case would benefit by seeing someone with greater experience or training in a particular discipline or one with more specialised equipment. In these cases we will offer the client the chance to have their pet seen by a specialist at a referral centre or university. We believe this is in the best interests of the pet.

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We work as a team with the veterinary specialist who will take over the case. We will resume the preventative and regular care once the pet has overcome its injury or illness.

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It is practice policy to encourage clients to seek a second opinion if the situation demands it. We can recommend a number of referral centres, including private and university centres, and we will make the clinical records and any images or lab tests relevant to the case available to the referral practice.

 

MEDICINES, PRESCRIPTIONS and REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

Our veterinary surgeons may prescribe Prescription-Only-Medicines-Veterinary (POM-V), available directly from the surgery, only for animals under their care. To comply with this, the policy of this practice is to reassess any animal requiring repeat prescriptions at a maximum interval of 6 months. This may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination is the same as a Consultation and Examination.

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You may ask for a prescription from this practice should you wish to obtain these medicines from another veterinary practice, pharmacy or internet pharmacy. A prescription fee is charged when the veterinary surgeon establishes and checks the correct medication to be prescribed.

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A prescription may not be appropriate if your pet is an inpatient or immediate treatment is required

 

FEEDBACK

We are always pleased to receive feedback on the service we provide - please send to the Practice Manager.

 

EQUAL OPPRTUNITIES

We are an equal opportunities business and we are committed to providing the same service to all our clients, regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

 

 

CARE OF IN-PATIENTS and OUT OF HOURS CARE

After closing (Monday-Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 1pm and Sunday at 12pm) there is no one on the premises until we reopen again (Monday-Friday at 8am, Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 10am). However, if we feel that medical treatment or attention is required overnight, a Veterinary Surgeon, a Registered Veterinary Nurse or a Student Veterinary Nurse will check your pet at frequent intervals as deemed necessary by the nature of your pet’s condition. The frequency of checks by the duty Veterinary Nurse will be determined by the duty Veterinary Surgeon and relayed to the Owner.

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Nursing care of admitted in-patients involves monitoring, attendance to patient’s changing needs, support of physiological and metabolic functions and an awareness of possible complications and their prophylaxis.

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We will not admit your pet if we feel that constant medical attention is likely to be required overnight as the condition of an animal can change unexpectedly. In this event, we may need to refer your pet to, for example, the Royal Veterinary College.

 

CLIENT COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of care you receive from us.

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If you do have a complaint, please follow these steps:

• In the first instance, immediately raise the matter with a member of staff who will try to resolve the issue in question

• If the complaint is not dealt with satisfactorily or the member of staff feels they cannot deal with your complaint then please put the matter in writing to the Practice Principal

 

The Practice Principal may delegate issues to other members of staff for them to investigate

• The complaint will be dealt with as soon as is reasonably practicable and you will be notified of the outcome of the investigation in writing within 14 days of having received the complaint. If a delay is reasonably required you will be notified of the delay and the likely date by which you may expect to receive a decision.

 

If you are still not satisfied with the response of the Practice Principal, you may report the matter to the RCVS. The Practice Principal would then also forward the matter to the Veterinary Defence Society.

 

NURSE CLINICS

Our nursing team includes qualified and student veterinary nurses. Much of the preventative care is in their hands and you will them friendly and willing to help. They carry out minor procedures such as micro-chipping, nail clipping and suture removal and provide advice on weight control, nutrition, dental care and hold puppy socializing classes.

 

 

PET CREMATION

“RestingPets”

WoodFarm

MoretonRoad

Ongar

Essex

CM5 0EY

01277 890009

 enquiries@restingpets.co.uk   

 

 

CARE OF IN-PATIENTS and OUT OF HOURS CARE

 

For pets admitted to the VETCall Veterinary Surgery for hospitalization and overnight care:

 

After our premises close (Monday-Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 1pm and Sunday at 12pm) there is no one on the premises until we reopen again (Monday-Friday at 8am, Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 10am). However, if we feel that medical treatment or attention is likely to be required overnight, a Veterinary Surgeon, a Registered Veterinary Nurse or a Student Veterinary Nurse will check your pet at frequent intervals as deemed necessary by the nature of your pet’s condition and as determined by a Veterinary Surgeon.

A Veterinary Surgeon is available on call should the Veterinary Nurse have any cause to be concerned.

 

The VETCall Veterinary Surgery provides continual nursing care of admitted in-patients that involves constant monitoring, attendance to patient’s changing needs, support of physiological and metabolic functions and an awareness of possible complications and their prophylaxis.

 

The on-duty Veterinary Nurse is responsible for monitoring (the observation, measurement and recording of clinical and physiological variables):

 

We will phone you daily at approximately 10am on the number you gave us on the Consent Form to report on your pet’s condition.

Please phone us on 020 8529 4004 between 10-11am to find out if your pet is ready to be discharged that day and to make arrangements to collect if applicable.

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We will not admit your pet if we feel that constant medical attention is likely to be required overnight as the condition of an animal can change unexpectedly. In this event, we may need to refer your pet to, for example, the Royal Veterinary College.

 

The frequency of checks by the duty Veterinary Nurse will be determined by the duty Veterinary Surgeon and the frequency of checks relayed to the Owner.