Policy

Thank you for trusting the care of your cat(s) to Whiskers ‘N’ Beans. By registering your cat/cats with us, you agree that you have read and understood our terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them.  Should you require any clarification of any aspect of the terms then please ask.  

In order for us to consult smoothly, please ensure your cat is in a secure room ready to start consultations prior to our arrival. If children and other animals are present, we ask that they are supervised. Please note, by law, we require a consenting adult present. If there is no responsible adult present at time of consultation, we will cancel the booking and you will lose your booking deposit. 

As we are a mobile unit, we do require access to parking. If this is not possible, we may need to park our vehicle elsewhere, but please note, we may need to come back if any additional ailments are found during the appointment for additional treatment/medication. 

 

No show/late cancellation fee: 

Any cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice the call out fee is non-refundable. 

Any cancellations between 25 hours’ and 48 hours’ notice, the call out fee will be 50% refundable. 

When cancelled at short notice, we are unable to fill that timeslot and therefore need to recoup the loss. 

Please note, when we arrive, if there is no answer for 15 minutes from the start of the appointment time and we have exhausted contact options for you, we will leave the premises and the booking deposit will be non-refundable. 

If you are late to the appointment, the time slot will continue as booked and only the remaining time will be allocated to the appointment. If further time is required, additional fees will be added, or a new appointment will be booked (at full charges).
 

Consultations:

All call-out fees are payable on booking and are used to secure your booking. This amount is non-refundable if our cancellation policy is not adhered to.

Additional charges may apply to extended consultations beyond the allotted timeframe. Any medication or minor procedures are charged on top of this and are payable at the time of consultation. 

Veterinary Consults:

Our veterinary surgeon will examine your cat and discuss with you the treatment options during your consultation. A minor surgical or diagnostic procedure might be advised. In that case you will be given an estimate for the probable cost of treatment or procedure. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate and additional costs may occur which cannot be predicted at the outset of treatment.  

Nurse Consults:

Our veterinary nurse will examine your cat and discuss with you options during your consultation. Please note, no medication can be provided without prior consultation and dispensing with our veterinary surgeon.

Our nurses are bound by rules and regulations as set forth by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) UK and as such cannot diagnose any ailments or offer treatment. Your cat will require a veterinary consultation for further analysis in such cases. 

 Ambulance Service:

Our Animal Ambulance service transports critical and non-critical patients. 
Consent and paperwork signed at pick up points. 
We will establish first aid and treatment plans with the referring veterinary surgeon in the event action is required on-route to referral destination. 

We act as the transferring agent only, and do not offer owner transportation. Humans will have to make their own way to the destination point. 

Payment for this service is required upfront.

Surgical Procedures:
We use an off-site medical unit in North London to carry out sterile and non-sterile procedures such as neutering and dentistry. 
All procedures will be discussed with the attending consulting veterinary surgeon and an estimate given to the client prior to appointment, Consent and risks will be discussed at time of pick up.
For all surgical procedures such as neutering or dental procedures, we require a 50% booking deposit. This is then used towards the final cost of treatment.

Payment:

You may settle your account using pay-by-link, BACS and certain credit cards or a debit card, please note, we currently do not accept American Express. 

We regret that we are not able to offer delayed payment of any kind. You are liable for any fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your cat is in the care of a relative, friend or agent. 

No medicine can be dispensed without payment either prior to or on collection.

You will receive an invoice after every consultation, minor surgical or medical procedure or transaction with us. 

 

Prescriptions: 

Written prescriptions are available upon request. 

Cats requiring repeat prescriptions will need to be re-assessed periodically by one of our veterinary surgeons. The re-examination period will vary between clinical cases.  Please give us at least five working days’ notice for any requests for a repeat or written prescription. There is a charge for a re-examination and written prescriptions, details of which will be provided on enquiry.

You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, category V (POM-V) from our veterinary surgeon or ask for a written prescription and obtain these yourself from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Our veterinary surgeon may only prescribe POM-Vs for animals under his/her care. 

A prescription may not be appropriate if immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medication that may be prescribed for your cat(s). 

We can only prescribe medications for cats that are registered with Whiskers ‘N’ Beans and are already being treated by one of our veterinary surgeons. We cannot supply medications or prescriptions without first seeing the animal. 

Prescriptions are only available for a maximum of up to 6 months at a time. The veterinary surgeon will provide medication based on a patient’s clinical needs, and where repeat examinations are required, the duration of treatment per prescription may be shorter. 

This is to comply with RCVS code of conduct and guidance and cannot be avoided. 

Please note that we cannot accept the return of any prescription drugs as such items cannot be resold. If you wish us to safely dispose of any unwanted medication, we can do so. 

 

 

Out-of-hours: 

Whiskers ‘n’ Beans is a primary veterinary care service that does not offer an in-house out-of-hours emergency service. 
For all emergency veterinary care outside of our working hours of (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm), please call our dedicated emergency number; 0204 525 1162 and you will be connected to our out of hours provider, Veteris. 

Veteris are available 24 hours a day and specialise in emergency home visits. They triage your pet over the phone initially, and if your pet requires hospitalisation, they have an ambulance service which will take your pet to their purpose-built hospital in Shoreditch. 

Veteris address: 51 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB.

The emergency service is a chargeable service and quotes are based on distance and treatment required. 

If your cat requires emergency treatment during our working hours, please contact us and we can assist where possible, but do ask that you are aware of your nearest veterinary surgery or hospital. 

 

 

Complaints handling policy: 

We are committed to providing a high-quality veterinary service to all our clients. If you have a complaint regarding our service or conduct, please email us management@whiskersnbeans.co.uk

What will happen next? 

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 28 days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure. 

2. We will then investigate your complaint. 

3. Management will either invite you to an online meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint, or alternatively write to you with their response to the complaint, within 28 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. 

4. Within three working days of any meeting, they will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions that have been agreed with you. 

5. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact the Royal College of Surgeons (RCVS) who can conduct their own investigation if warranted. 

6. If you are not happy with any decision or outcome and wish to leave Whiskers ‘N’ Beans veterinary service, we will be more than happy to forward all clinical records to the veterinary practice of your choice. 


Safety:

Here at Whiskers 'N' Beans LTD we are committed to providing a safe environment and have the right to carry out our services and provide care without fear.

We have a zero tolerance policy to any forms of violence, aggression or abusive behaviour directed at our staff. 
Any incidents of such manner are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. 
Such behaviour will result in an immediate ban from all our services bar emergency assistance.

If you are unhappy with the service provided we have a complaints procedure to assist you, or alternatively you have the right to register with another practice.

We trust this policy is clear and supports a mutually respectful environment for staff, patients 
and clients.