Arranging a Visit
Non-emergency visits
Non-emergency visits can only be arranged by contacting the practice office by telephone:
01666 880501
The office is open between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
We will always try to give you a time for your visit, but should an emergency occur and your vet be diverted we will do all that is possible to advise you of the delay. To assist us, when arranging a visit it is important you give us the telephone number that you will be on at the time of your visit to enable us to contact you should the need arise.
Emergency Visits
In an emergency during office hours please call us on 01666 880501, outside normal office hours please call 01223 257512. Please click here to find out how to request an emergency visit.
Same-day Visits
If requested, the practice endeavours to ensure you are visited on the same day an appointment is made. For a same-day visit please telephone as early as possible in the day, preferably between 8.30 and 9.30am.
Zone Visits
Many clients will be eligible for a Zone Visit on certain days of the week, when a nominated vet will be covering routine calls in a specific area - please enquire when booking an appointment. Zone visits receieve a 50% discount on the journey fee, but are only available for routine work, such as vaccinations and dental examinations.
Zone visits should be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Specific times for visits cannot be guaranteed, however we will always try to accomodate your request for a morning or afternoon visit when possible. Clients MUST telephone the clinic between 3pm and 5pm the day before to be informed of the designated time of their visit.
Weekend and Evening Visits
Out-of-hours and during weekends we have a professional answering service to handle our incoming calls. The service can be contacted directly on 01223 257512. This number can also be found on the practice answerphone message. We prefer to avoid routine visits at weekends so that we may respond more promptly to emergency calls. However if you are concerned about a horse and are unsure as to whether the situation constitutes an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact the duty vet for advice.
Telephone Advice
If you require advice from a veterinary surgeon, there will often be someone available at the clinic to help you. However, if no one is available, our reception staff will take the details and your telephone number and a veterinary surgeon will return your call when free. This may be later in the day, so if your query is potentially urgent or you may require a visit, please advise the receptionist of the urgency.
Payments
The accounts of existing ambulatory clients are processed at the end of each month. Payment is requested within 21 days of receiving an invoice. Payments can be made by cash, cheque, debit card or most major credit cards. Card payments are accepted by telephone. Prompt payment enables us to keep our charges as competitive as possible. Failure to settle your account in time will incur a 5% administrative surcharge.
If your horse or pony is insured, please advise your insurance company as soon as possible and forward your claim form to us for completion. You do not have to wait until the end of a course of treatment to make a claim, as treatments may be ongoing. You should always check the details of your policy, as most companies will not cover certain items such as: vaccinations, routine dental work, livery costs for in-patients, policy excesses or surcharges for late settlements. To best avoid potential surcharges, it is advisable to settle your account with the clinic directly and reclaim the money from the insurance company in due course.
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