Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your bird to Avian Veterinary Services. This statement details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if needed. By registering with Avian Veterinary Services you are entering a contract with us for the provision of veterinary services and you will be deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.
Fees
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. A detailed fee note is available for every consultation, surgical procedure and transaction with us. We reserve the right to change prices without notice.
Methods of Payment
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of the bird or upon collection of diets/drugs. You may settle your account using:
Cash, Cheque (accompanied by a valid guarantee card) and most Debit/Credit cards.
Estimates of Treatment Costs
We will happily provide a written estimate as the probable costs of a course of treatment. It is important to acknowledge the difference between an estimate and a quote. We will not be bound to an estimate when reasonable explanation of the increase in costs occurs. Sometimes a bird’s illness will not follow a conventional course; there may be occasion where treatment plans change and we shall endeavour to contact you to discuss additional costs. However there may be situations where treatments must be carried out for the sake of the bird’s welfare.
Settlement Terms
Payment is due at the time of treatment. If not settled within 14 days the practice reserves the right to make penalty charges on outstanding balances. Reasonable additional charges will be applied to any account that is transferred to a Debt Collecting Agency.
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. Please note that instalments or part-payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of the company Directors.
Pet Health Insurance
Avian Veterinary Services strongly supports the principle of insuring your bird(s) against unexpected illness or accidents. Due to the laws governing the selling of financial products we cannot recommend specific insurance companies. Pet insurance is a contract between you and the insurance company. We will complete the relevant sections of claim forms on your behalf. You are required to pay the practice directly prior to claiming monies back from the insurance company.
Complaints and Standards
We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Avian Veterinary Services. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments, in writing, in the first instance to Richard Jones or Carli Dodd. We will endeavour to respond to your query within seven working days.
Client Confidentiality and Data Protection
We retain all our clients’ personal information i.e. contact details and clinical history on a computer database which is password protected and kept in a secure building. We are bound by and are fully compliant with the guidelines detailed in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Guide to Professional Conduct.
Please also see our Privacy Notice below
Ownership of Records
Case records including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by Avian Veterinary Services. Copies of a summary of the history will be passed on by request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
Ownership of Radiographs and Similar Records
The care given to your bird may involve making some specific investigations, for example, taking radiographs or performing endoscopic examination. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with Avian Veterinary Services.
Out-of-Hours Service
The Practice operates an out-of-hours service for emergencies. This can be accessed by telephoning 01606 350410, the recorded message will give the number for the member of staff on call. There is an emergency surcharge for seeing the vet outside normal opening hours. Birds which are hospitalised outside normal working hours are checked and treated according to their clinical needs.
Orders and delivery
All orders are subject to availability and Avian Veterinary Services have no liability if products are not available. All funds must be cleared before any items are dispatched. Customers are recommended to allow 5 clear working days before delivery is made. However should any problems arise that are not within the control of Avian Veterinary Services orders may take longer and Avian Veterinary Services hold no responsibility.
All deliveries will be made through Royal Mail, First Class. Whilst we recommend allowing 5 clear working days, Royal Mail, First Class will endeavour to deliver your products within 1-3 working days.
We are not held responsible for any strike action taken by Royal Mail and if the period of strike is due to last more than 10 working days in a row we will seek alternative arrangements. Avian Veterinary Services do not hold any responsibility to damage caused to products during delivery. Customers are recommended to seek remedy with the carrier. All goods are delivered as advertised where possible.
Returns
Returns are not available unless products are faulty or Avian Veterinary Services have processed the order incorrectly. Once an order has been made including payment, cancellations are not available. Any unused medication prescribed by Avian Veterinary Services can be returned and will disposed of in accordance with Regulations.
Variations in Terms of Trading
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Practice directors. No agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the Practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.
Privacy Notice
Avian Veterinary Services (“AVS”) is the trading name of Tiercel Professional Management Limited.
Richard Jones and Carli Dodd are responsible for keeping secure the information about You that We hold. Those at AVS who have access to your information include veterinary professionals involved in the care and treatment of your bird(s) and reception staff all of whom understand their legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality and follow AVS procedure to ensure this.
When you register with the AVS, request treatment for your bird, contact the practice by email, telephone or in writing we will collect and process personal information (“Personal Information”) about you.
We understand the importance of looking after the Personal Information that you provide and this notice (“Privacy Notice”) sets out what Personal Information we collect, why we need to collect it, how we will use it and how long we will store it for.
How we will use your personal information
We will process your Personal Information insofar as it is necessary for the performance of our contract with you to provide veterinary services. This will involve using your Personal Information to provide you with our products and services and to send you information related to the services we provide to you. You can choose how you would like to receive these communications by post, email or SMS. Please talk to the Practice Manager if you would like to change how you receive Service Communications.
What personal information we collect and why
- Name – So that we can identify you and personalise our communications with you.
- Address – So that we can identify you, register your bird with our practice, send correspondence and information about our services or health issues that may affect your bird directly to you.
- Email address – So that we can contact you about your bird, send correspondence and information about our services or health issues that may affect your bird, directly to you.
- Mobile number So that we can contact you about your bird, send correspondence and information about our services or health issues that may affect your bird, directly to you.
- Telephone number – So that we can contact you about your bird, send correspondence and information about our services or health issues that may affect your bird, directly to you.
- Location information (such as postcode) – So that we can contact you about your bird, send correspondence and information about our services or health issues in your area that may affect your bird, directly to you.
- Bank, debit or credit card details – So that we can receive payment for the services we provide if applicable.
- Insurance policy number – So that we can communicate with your bird insurance provider if applicable.
Please remember to let a member of the AVS team know if any of the above information changes as soon as possible in order for us to keep our records as up to date records.
Data retention
We will keep your Personal Information for as long as you are a client of AVS, for as long as any legal claim may be made against the practice, and for as long as is required to comply with our legal and regulatory requirements including to the HMRC and RCVS.
Sharing your information
We are required to share your Personal Information in certain circumstances to ensure that we are able to provide you with services obtain payment or correspond with your insurance provider. In each case we will only share the data necessary for the purpose and it will only be in relation to the specified purpose. Each third party is required to have in place comparable data security measures and to be fully compliant with the terms of the General Data Protection Regulations.
With whom we share information with and why
Referral /Second Opinion / New Veterinary Practices
Should we refer a bird to a referral hospital or specialist, or you request a second opinion / transfer to a new veterinary practice we need to share relevant information to arrange appointments, test, treatments and services.
Information we share:
- Your name.
- Your address.
- Your email address.
- Mobile number.
- Telephone number.
- Your bird(s)’ clinical history; including radiographs/digital images, laboratory test results etc.
Laboratories and Animal Crematoria
So that we can arrange tests, treatments and services and obtain results on your behalf.
Information we share:
- Your name.
Your insurer
To arrange payment for investigations and treatments provided.
Information we share:
- Insurance policy number.
- Your name.
- Your address.
- Your bird(s)’ clinical history; including radiographs/digital images, laboratory test results etc.
Accountants
Information we share:
- Your name.
Debt collection agencies
If you fall behind with payments for the services we provide, we may engage a debt collection agency to recover the debt on our behalf.
Information we share:
- Your name.
- Your address.
- Your outstanding balance / detailed invoice of services/products provided.
In certain circumstances or if required by law, we may need to disclose your information to a third party not connected with your bird(s)’ care, including HMRC or other law enforcement or government agencies
Save as set out above, we will not sell, lease or transfer your personal information to any other person or company without your prior consent.
Keeping your data secure
We recognise the importance of keeping your personal data safe and we have in place security measures and policies to prevent personal data from being lost, used or accessed without our permission. We limit access to your Personal Information to those who have a genuine business need to know it. Those processing your information will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
We also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.
Your rights
The General Data Protection Regulation grants all data subjects the following rights without charge. These include the right to:
- Fair processing of information and transparency over how we use your use Personal Information;
- Access your Personal Information and to certain other supplementary information that this Privacy Notice is already designed to address;
- Require us to correct any mistakes in your information which we hold;
- Require the erasure of Personal Information concerning you in certain situations;
- Receive the Personal Information concerning you which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to a third party in certain situations;
- Object at any time to processing of Personal Information concerning you for direct marketing;
- Object to decisions being taken by automated means which produce legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affect you;
- Object in certain other situations to our continued processing of your Personal Information;
- Otherwise restrict our processing of your Personal Information in certain circumstances.
For further information on each of those rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, see the Guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on individuals’ rights under the General Data Protection Regulation.
If you would like to exercise any of your rights, please contact the practice manager at AVS. In order for us to deal with your request efficiently, please provide:
- Sufficient information to allow us to identify you;
- Evidence of your identity and your address (for example, a copy of your driving licence or passport);
- As much information about your request including, if applicable, dates, specific documents or bird names.
- We will keep our privacy policy under regular review and we publish any updates in the surgery and on our website. This privacy policy was last updated on 15/05/2018
How to contact us
Email: info@avianveterinaryservices.co.uk
Post: Practice Manager, Avian Veterinary Services, 16 Dalby Court, Gadbrook Business Centre, Northwich, CW9 7TN