Chine house employs 18 vets, with 49 members of staff in total. We aim to provide a the highest level of veterinary care for your animals.
Animal Care by People Who Care
Surgeries and appointments
We offer booked appointments for all of our surgeries. The reception is open from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 12.30pm on Saturdays to book clinic appointments. We do aim to be prompt for each appointment but please bear in mind that emergencies do occur during surgeries and sometimes a very poorly animal can be in the Hospital requiring frequent monitoring by the vet.
Visits for small animals
We understand that sometimes a home visit is necessary. There is an extra charge for this service as inevitably it takes up more of our staff.
If you are finding it difficult to get your pet to the Hospital we may be able to come and collect it for you if we have enough staff available. Again there will be an extra charge for this service as it takes up more staff time. Insurance companies seldom pay for these services.
Please phone the Hospital for more information.
Out of hours/emergencies
Our normal hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and 9am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. On Bank Holidays and at other times we offer a 24-hour emergency service only.
If you contact us outside of normal hours you will be directed to the emergency vet. Our emergency vet will be one of the vets from our practice.
We do charge an extra fee in addition to normal fees for cases seen out of normal surgery hours.
Please remember that this service is for emergencies only.
Fees
Chine House Veterinary Hospital is a private veterinary hospital. The fees charged pay towards the building, the running costs of the practice, staff salaries and the most up to date diagnostic equipment, staff training and continuous professional development.
We will endeavour to provide estimates for procedures and treatments. You must appreciate that sometimes our estimate will be exceeded because unexpected complications may occur. If we think that our estimate may be exceeded by more than 20% we will try to contact you for your authority to proceed. If however, we cannot do so quickly, we will complete any treatment in the way in which we judge is necessary to protect the welfare of the animal.
How to pay
We do request that payment is made at the time of treatment. If your pet/animal is insured we do ask you to pay at the time of treatment and subsequently claim the money back from your insurers. We accept cash, cheques and most credits cards. You will receive a detailed invoice from us for every consultation, surgical treatment, vaccination etc. Should you have any concerns with regard to payment, please advise our staff prior to consenting to the treatment for your animal.
Repeat Prescriptions and Supply of Drugs
The general policy of this practice is to re-assess animals requiring repeat prescriptions at least every 6 months. This may vary depending on individual circumstances.
If you wish, you may request a written prescription for your animals medications to be dispensed by a third party. This is not the case with drugs supplied in an emergency, or under anaesthesia. We do make a charge for preparing a prescription.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that all our clients consider taking out animal health insurance including third party, accident and illness cover. We do not sell insurance and cannot advise on the merits of any particular policy.
Please be advised that it is your responsibility to settle your account and reclaim the fees from your insurers. We will complete the claim form and provide copy invoices for you. There is an administrative charge for this service.
Complaints Procedure for Clients
We hope that you will never have cause to complain about any of our staff, or the standard of care that we provide for your pets. However, should you have concerns, please speak initially to the senior member of our nursing team, or the veterinary surgeon involved. Most problems should be able to be sorted out at this level.
More serious complaints should be addressed, in writing, to the Practice Manager. We will then investigate the complaint and respond in writing.
Client behaviour
Chine House Veterinary Hospital will not tolerate any aggressive, or abusive behaviour to any staff member at any time. Any client behaving in such a way will be asked to leave the premises immediately and will then be notified in writing that they must find alternative veterinary cover.
