Terms & Conditions

October 2026

This document sets out the terms of the contract established between Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd) and our clients. This contract comes into being when you register your animal with Leith Vets or ask us to provide any veterinary services. Should you have any queries regarding aspects of these terms of business please contact us immediately and we will be happy to help.

Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd.) is a family owned, independent practice registered in Scotland with registration number SC758823, the VAT registration number is 442 6176 00. The practice is owned by Nichola Hinchy and James Corcoran and its registered office is 9A, Park Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 6JD. We have a 14 day returns policy for any goods sold which do not meet quality standards.

Our Services

The Practice conforms to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Practice Standards and all of our veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses are suitably qualified and are subject to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.

We may need certain information from you to enable us to carry out treatments on your animal and provide you with veterinary services. We will contact you to ask for this information, if you do not provide this information within a reasonable amount of time, or if you give us incomplete or incorrect information we will not be liable for any delay in carrying out services or any injury or death caused to an animal as a result.

Our opening times are visible on our website.

Consults are available by appointment.

Consent

As part of the ongoing treatment of the animal, our veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses will recommend treatment plans and courses of action to improve our patient’s healthcare. Wherever possible we will obtain your consent before undertaking any procedure or treatment and require you to sign and date our consent form (hereinafter referred to as ‘Consent Form’). The vets and/or vet nurses will discuss possible treatment options before you give consent. In exceptional circumstances, our veterinary staff may need to provide emergency treatment. In the event that emergency treatment is required, practice staff will take all reasonable steps to obtain your prior consent, but you acknowledge and consent that we are authorised to take all such steps as the veterinary staff reasonably believe are necessary to promote the welfare of your animal, and that you will be responsible for the costs incurred in taking such steps, whether or not your consent has been obtained. We will of course provide you with full details of the treatment provided as soon as is reasonably possible.

By consenting to our terms and conditions, you consent to information (including that of a financial nature) being shared with any secondary agents included on your client file.

Owners must be over 18 years of age to provide consent for veterinary treatment and estimated costs.

Second Opinions and Specialist Referrals

Should you feel that you would like a second opinion on your pet’s welfare or condition, please speak to a member of the team. We are happy to arrange a second opinion with either another vet within our practice, or by referral to a specialist.

Prescriptions

Prescriptions are available from Leith Vets. You may obtain prescription only medicines, Category V (hereinafter referred to as ‘POM-Vs’) from the practice or ask for a written prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. We can only prescribe POM-Vs for animals under our care that have been recently examined. A prescription may not be appropriate for an in-patient or where immediate treatment is necessary. The practice will advise you about written prescription charges (hereinafter referred to as ‘Prescription charges’). Prescription charges are applied only when you request a written prescription but go elsewhere to have the prescription filled. Animals requiring repeat prescriptions will need to be re-assessed periodically by the veterinary surgeon dealing with the case.

The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions for/supplies of relevant veterinary medicinal products every 3-6 months depending on the type of medication, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for re-examination is our consultation fee which can be found on our website. Written prescriptions are in line with the CMA levy. The re-examination interval will vary between clinical cases but is generally 3-6 months. We require at least two working days’ notice for any requests for a repeat or written prescription. Our practice policy is to email written prescriptions directly to the pharmacy of a client’s choosing. We do not provide printed paper copies of prescriptions directly to clients. This policy is to avoid prescription fraud. It is illegal to use medication which has been prescribed for a different patient. We are obliged to report any prescription fraud and medicine misuse to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. We are unable to refund or exchange any medication that has left the premises or has been bought elsewhere. If you need help in safely disposing of unused medications, please ask a member of the team.

Clients may be able to find medications significantly cheaper elsewhere. We encourage clients to compares prices online and at other retailers to see the savings that can be made. Clients are welcome to ask for written prescriptions which will be provided by the end of the second working day following the consultation. Our practice policy is to email a digital copy of the written prescription directly to the pharmacy to avoid the risk of prescription fraud. We do not provide paper copies of written prescriptions. Further information on the prices of medicines is available on request.

We always endeavour to keep our medication prices competitive with online pharmacies. However, for some medications, we are unable to purchase them from our wholesalers at prices as low as those offered online. When you purchase your pet’s medication from Leith Vets, you are supporting a locally owned family business and helping us continue to provide the highest standard of care while supporting jobs within our local community. Buying directly from us also means you have access to expert advice on dosing and potential side effects, medications sourced from reputable manufacturers and stored correctly, and immediate availability without waiting for delivery. Where applicable, we can also submit insurance claims directly to your insurer at no extra cost. While we may not always be able to match online prices, we believe the personal service, expertise, convenience and continuity of care we provide offer excellent value for you and your pet.

Off license medication

In certain circumstances, where no suitable alternative exists, it may be appropriate for our veterinary surgeons to prescribe medication for your pet which has not been licensed for veterinary use. This may include the use of drugs in one animal species which are licensed in another or some human medications which are not available in veterinary form. Use of our services expressly allows for this use following discussion with a veterinary surgeon. When dispensing off licence medication we will ask you to sign a consent form.

Pricing

Up to date pricing for consultations, common procedure, cremation fees and our Leith Vets Pet Health Club can be found on our website at www.leithvets.co.uk.

Estimates

Estimates (written or verbal) are provided either at the time of booking the appointment or during the consultation itself for all procedures costing over £500. Occasionally we may need to email the written estimate within 48hr of the recommendation for non-emergencies. All estimates provided are only approximate and the final fee could be higher or lower depending on complications during treatment and how the patient responds to the treatment. A written amendment to the initial estimate will be provided if the estimated costs are likely to increase by 20% or £500 whichever comes first. We will endeavour to contact you as soon as we have reason to believe that the costs could be significantly higher than the estimate provided.

Home visits

In most cases your pet will receive more comprehensive treatment if it is brought into the surgery where we have the equipment, facilities and staff necessary to treat them. However, there are some cases when it may be preferable to provide treatment at your home. We endeavour to come out to your home at your convenience but we ask that you call the surgery in the morning so we can arrange this around other duties. There is an additional charge for a home visit. You will be provided with an estimate of fees when booking a visit. The cost of a home visit depends on the distance from the practice.

Cancellations

Late cancellations and missed appointments can have an impact on the service we can offer and we are often called with pet emergencies that need to be seen on the same day. Missed appointments can delay urgent care of sick pets and put our team under pressure.

Please note that once you have booked an appointment with us it means that we have reserved time in our schedule exclusively for you and your pet. If you cancel your appointment less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to take place, you may be subject to a cancellation fee of 100% of the cost of the consultation. This also applied to members of the Leith Vets Pet Health Club. Repeated missed appointments may also mean that we ask for payment in advance of future appointments.

Leith Vets charge a booking fee of £100 for non-neutering procedures and 50% of the total cost of neutering procedures when all surgical procedures are booked. The following cancellation fees apply if procedures are cancelled with less than 48hr notice:

Procedure estimate >£200 = £100 cancellation fee

Procedure estimate <£200 = £50 cancellation fee.

Dental procedure deposits are non-refundable if cancelled with less than 7 days notice.

You can cancel or reschedule an appointment by calling us on 0131 516 1550 or emailing us at info@leithvets.co.uk.

Out of hours care and hospitalisation

We have provisions in place with ICR Loanhead to provide emergency care for outside our normal surgery hours. Further details concerning the precise arrangements for emergency service are available in the practice. Up to date OOH consultation fees for ICR Loanhead are available on our website.

In-house hospitalisation is appropriate for some patients. Overnight checks can be arranged and these will be discussed with you before your animal stays overnight. There may be additional charges for overnight hospitalisation and in-patient examinations. In the interest of staff safety, we cannot provide overnight consultations or visitations of pets.

Online consultation service

We are able to provide an online consultation service inside our standard practice opening hours. This allows you to obtain information and advice from one of our veterinarians. A physical examination of the animal is mandatory every time antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiparasiticides, or controlled drugs are prescribed, except in exceptional circumstances.

In certain circumstances the veterinary surgeon may consider that your pet's healthcare issues are best addressed other than through the online consultation service and they may suggest that you should seek advice in person at the practice or a third-party practice, such as our out of hours emergency care provider.

As part of the online consultation service you will need to provide information about your pet. You accept that we may only provide services in accordance with these Terms if you provide us with all the information we need. A clinical record of online consultations will be made in your pet’s record and this can be shared with other veterinary care providers if required.

Therefore, you must:

• Provide all information accurately and in English.

• Seek further medical advice if you have any concerns about our services or any information that we provide.

• Follow any instructions you are given by the veterinarian.

• Follow any instructions regarding the use of any medicines or products the veterinarian recommends.

• Report any adverse or unexpected effects of treatments to us or visit an emergency vet if we are unavailable.

By submitting a request for an online consultation you agree to pay the associated fees for this service in advance of the consultation. During the online consultation, the veterinarian will discuss with you and assess your pet’s needs and, if possible, provide you with information, guidance and/or advice.

If your pet needs immediate medical attention you should promptly take your pet to the emergency veterinary care provider.

You agree that the online consultation service is for registered clients of Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd) and by using the service when not registered you are in breach of these terms and conditions.

Payment

All charges are subject to VAT which is currently set at 20%. Fee levels are determined by the amount of time spent on the case, the requirement for specific diagnostic testing and according to any drugs, materials and consumables used. A full itemised invoice detailing any charges made will be provided for any consultation, surgical procedure, or transaction made with us. In the event that your pet is hospitalised we may require part payment in advance of any period of hospitalisation and/or interim payments for longer periods of hospitalisation. If your pet is hospitalised we will make all efforts to phone you each day to discuss the progress of your animal and the fees incurred.

Payment is accepted by debit/credit card. Please note that we can not accept cheques and we will only accept cash under exceptional circumstances. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide credit terms, however we work closely with a third party credit provider (Klarna) who may be able to help you spread the cost of treatment if required. If you use a third party credit provider any agreement is between you and the credit provider and not with Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd).

Please note that if a pet is registered with our practice we will assume that any person (over the age of 18) other than the registered pet owner who may bring the pet in for treatment is duly authorised by the registered pet owner to seek treatment for the pet and to incur costs for which the registered pet owner will be liable. We also reserve the right to discuss all information of a financial nature with the person bringing the pet in.

Where a pet is not registered with our practice we will assume that the individual requesting treatment accepts liability for all costs incurred. A deposit may be required in this case.

Should an account not be settled within 7 days of the time the invoice is issued, (without prior arrangement with the Director), a reminder invoice will be sent and an additional administration charge of £20 excluding VAT will be applied. Should it be necessary, further reminders will be sent and further administration charges incurred. After due notice, overdue accounts will be referred to a solicitor agency and/or debt collection agency. Any costs incurred in respect of collecting the debt, such as the cost of correspondence or court fees will be added to the account.

If you are unable to settle your account as specified above, please discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff.

Unless a prior arrangement has been made we request that individual cremations are paid for in advance.

The Right to Refuse Services

Any client found to be threatening a member of staff, behaving inappropriately or failing to clear their account in response to a final written request will be refused veterinary services other than emergency care and will be given 14 days to find alternative veterinary care for their pets. Patient histories will be emailed to the client.

Insurance

We strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. In some cases with prior agreement, it is possible for the practice to submit a claim directly to the insurer. Where possible we request that a pre-authorisation form is completed. There will be an administration charge to cover the substantial administration costs of direct claims, in addition to the policy excess and any co-payments. This is required to be paid at the time of consultation, collection of drugs/food or upon discharge of your pet from our care. There is a direct insurance claim processing fee of £25. We do not charge an insurance processing fee for claims where the insurance company reimburses the client.

We request the following at the time of request –A signed insurance claim form at the time of collection of your pet and indication that payment should be made directly to us. To pay all outstanding fees in full immediately if the insurance company decline to accept the claim in part or in full, or if the insurance company has not made settlement within 60 days of submission of the claim. Failure to do so could result in us seeking full settlement from you after 60 days. We are unable to perform direct insurance claims without a full patient history from any previous vet practices the patient has attended. All client and patient details must match the details the details in the insurance policy.

Liability

Nothing in this agreement shall limit or exclude either party’s liability (a) for death or personal injury caused by their negligence, (b) for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) for any other act, omission, or liability which may not be limited or excluded by law. If we fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of this agreement or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. We only supply products to you for domestic and private use and we will not be liable for business losses. Our website and promotional material is for general information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Leith Vets endeavours to provide content that is accurate and true at the time of writing. However, we can give no assurance regarding the accuracy, timeliness or applicability of any content. In cases where you are unsure, please contact us and one of our veterinarians will be pleased to help.

Client confidentiality

The veterinary surgeon/client relationship is founded on trust, and in normal circumstances we will not disclose to any third party any information about a client or their animal(s) given by the client. For full details on what data we collect and how it is used, please refer to our Privacy Policy which is available on our website.

Investigation of your pet’s health may involve, for example, taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scan. Whilst we make a charge for performing and interpreting these investigations, ownership of the record remains with Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd). Case records including radiographic films, other images and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Leith Vets (Forth Petcare Ltd) in the interests of animal welfare and for our own protection.

At the request of a client we will provide copies of relevant clinical records, including any clinical records that have been acquired from another practice. A reasonable charge may be made where any significant expense is involved in providing such copies, for example, with the provision of copy radiographs.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the development of the veterinary profession, from time to time the Practice may share anonymised data with research groups and institutions.

Telephone calls

All calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

CCTV

We use CCTV including audio recording at Leith Vets the safety of our staff, clients and patients. Recordings may also used for training and quality services. Recordings will be kept for 30 days.

Complaints

We pride ourselves on offering top quality service and take customer satisfaction and complaints seriously. Should we not meet your expectations on any aspect of our service, please let us know at the time where possible. Alternatively, should you wish to raise a formal complaint, we ask that you contact the practice in person, by telephone or email within three months of the complaint event. The director will then investigate your complaint thoroughly. The complaint will be responded to within 21 days of submission. The Leith Vets complaints policy is available on our website.

Third Party Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy

Leith Vets is committed to providing a working environment free from harassment and sexual harassment. Our aim is to ensure that that all of our staff are treated, and treat others, with dignity and respect. Leith Vets does not tolerate the harassment or sexual harassment of its staff by any third party, and we encourage the reporting of any concerns to us.  We will investigate such reports and, where appropriate, take action to protect our staff.

Who is a “third party”? 

A third party is anyone who is not an employee of Leith Vets. This may include (but is not limited to) the following:

• Prospective, existing and former clients

• Contractors

• Work experience students or EMS students

• Suppliers and representatives

• Other visitors to the practice

• Members of the public.
  

What is harassment?

Harassment under discrimination law is any unwanted conduct which is:

• Related to age, disability, gender reassignment, race (which includes colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation; and

• Has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

It also includes treating someone less favourably because they have submitted, or refused to submit, to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or that is related to gender reassignment or sex, in the past.

Harassment may occur even where:

• It is a one-off incident

• The victim does not make it clear that the conduct is unwanted

• The perpetrator does not intend to harass; and/or

The victim does not have the protected characteristic in question (e.g. they may complain about the treatment of someone else).

“Unwanted conduct” covers a range of physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct including (but not limited to) the following:

• Spoken words (in person or over the phone)

• Written words (e.g. in emails, text or other instant messaging)

• Posts or contact on social media

• Photos or other images

• Physical gestures or touching

• Facial expressions

• Mimicry

• Jokes.

Leith Vets also does not tolerate conduct which has the same impact on our staff, even if it is related to the protected characteristics of marital or civil partner status and pregnancy or maternity (which are not covered by the definition of harassment in the Equality Act 2010) or not related to any protected characteristic, e.g. bullying and aggressive behaviour.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment occurs where:

• The perpetrator engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature; and

• The conduct has the purpose or effect of either violating the victim’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

Sexual harassment may occur even where:

• It is a one-off incident

• The victim does not make it clear that the conduct is unwanted

• The victim has welcomed the conduct in the past, but it has become unwanted

• The perpetrator is the same sex as the victim

• The perpetrator does not intend to sexually harass; and/or

• The victim was not the intended recipient of the conduct.
  

Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature includes (but is not limited to):

• Physical touching or suggestive gestures

• Sexual banter and jokes

• Talking about sex or using lewd language

• Displaying or viewing sexual images

• Unwelcome advances or suggestive behaviour

• Leering or staring

• Sexually offensive or intimidating comments

• Commenting on appearance; or

• Sending emails, texts, instant messages, social media posts or messages and phone calls with content of a sexual nature.

What action will Leith Vets take in relation to third party harassment or sexual harassment?

Where a staff member reports concerns of third-party harassment or sexual harassment, Leith Vets will conduct a full investigation. This may involve notifying the employer or professional association of the third party in question. We may review CCTV and phone call recordings.

Where a complaint of third-party harassment is upheld, Leith Vets will take appropriate steps to deal with the complaint and to prevent it from happening again.  Action may include (but is not limited to):

• Warning the harasser about their behaviour

• Notifying the harasser’s employer or professional association

• Terminating our relationship with the harasser and/or their employer or professional association

• Banning the harasser from our premises; and/or

• Reporting the matter to a relevant regulator and/or the police.

Miscellaneous

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.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our terms and conditions, please feel free to email us at info@leithvets.co.uk, to call us on 0131 516 1550 or to ask a member of staff.