Practice Terms & Conditions

Clients and staff at Sussex Home Vets work together effectively so that you, your pet and all of our patients receive the best possible care.

To do that, clients of our practice must agree to our practice policies, terms and conditions. If you register as a client with us and use our services, you are agreeing to abide by these conditions. We recommend that you consider printing and retaining a copy for future reference. If you have any queries regarding our terms and condition, then please contact us at [email protected]

Terms

• Sussex Home Vets Ltd.  Company Number: 15171927.  The registered address is Renroc, Horsted Pond Lane, Horsted Green, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5TH
• We are contactable via telephone, email or post:

07845 176339 / [email protected] / Renroc, Horsted Pond Lane, Horsted Green, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5TH

• We are able to contact you via telephone, email or post, using the details that you provided to us when you registered as a client with us.
• In order to enable us to carry out appropriate treatments for your pet, we will require information from you. If this information is not provided within a reasonable time frame, then we will not be held liable for any delays in carrying out veterinary services, nor for injury or death of an animal as a result of this information not being provided.  We may also withdraw our veterinary services

Our Veterinary Services

• Sussex Home Vets Ltd. is registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and all of our Veterinary Surgeons and our Veterinary Nurses are suitably qualified and subject to the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.  Practice Premises Number: 7714824
• We are a limited services provider.  We provide an ‘at your home’ service for consultations.  Due to this we must work alongside your existing veterinary practice in order to provide other veterinary practice services such as, but not limited to, diagnostic services, surgeries and in-patient hospitalisation care.  In some circumstances it may not be appropriate for us attend at home (eg. A surgical or medical emergency) or unable due to geographical location/ other appointments in which case we may have to refer you back to your existing practice or make arrangements for you to be referred to a suitable facility.
• You agree that to maintain continuity of care that the clinical notes of your animals can be passed between us and the existing practice.
• Consultations are available by appointment only.  These may be requested via telephone, email or online booking platform.
• We reserve the right to ask for a deposit in the case of unduly cancelled or missed appointments. Please do make us aware as soon as possible if you know that you cannot make your scheduled appointment.
• Veterinary services will be provided by a suitably trained or qualified member of staff, and sometimes this may include trainees working under direct supervision or a suitably trained or qualified member of staff.
• During our normal business hours, we will provide veterinary services to you.  As we will attend animals at your home- it may not always be possible to arrange an appointment quickly enough and therefore you may be directed to your existing practice or alternative suitable provider (eg referral hospital).  Outside of regular business hours, you may directed to our external dedicated out-of-hours (OOH) provider.
• We will be providing veterinary services at your home. You must comply with any health and safety instructions given to you and you are responsible for any equipment or belongings left there. You are responsible for making sure that the premises are safe and accessible by our staff.
• You are responsible for making and attending appointments, via telephone or our online booking system. We cannot guarantee that appointments will be available at your desired time.
• Estimates may be provided verbally or in writing.  All estimates are approximate, and the final fee may be higher or lower, due to the possibility of complications and differing response to treatments.  We will always endeavour to keep you updated if the expected costs change during the course of treatment.
• You agree to payment in full at the time of each consultation.
• You may obtain prescription only medications (POM-Vs) from Sussex Home Vets Ltd, or you may ask for a written prescription to be provided, and then use this written prescription to obtain medications from another veterinary surgery or a pharmacy.  Animals must be under our care in order for us to prescribe POM-Vs for them.  Our governing body, the RCVS, defines “under our care” as having been recently physically examined.  In some cases where immediate treatment is necessary, a written prescription might not be appropriate.  A fee will be charged for a written prescription.  Animals which need repeat prescriptions for ongoing medications will require examinations periodically, and the duration depends on the case in question.  Usually, the maximum time between examinations is 6 months.  All re-examinations incur a charge.
• We are unable to refund or exchange any unused medication once it has been dispensed by us.
• In certain circumstances, where a suitable alternative is not available, we may use or prescribe medication which is not licensed for veterinary use. We may ask you to sign an “off license consent form” when this is required.

Consent

• During an initial consultation, we will normally agree a treatment plan, and this will often be verbal agreed consent, at the time.  For some treatments and procedures you may be required to sign a written “consent form” for this purpose.
  • Wherever possible we will obtain your consent before carrying out any procedure or treatment.    In exceptional circumstances, where deemed necessary by veterinary staff, we are authorised to take all steps needed in order to ensure the welfare of your pet, and you are responsible for any costs incurred in taking such steps, whether or not your prior consent has been obtained.  We will provide you with full details of treatment provided as soon as it is reasonably possible.
• We can accept and rely on instructions and information given to us by your representatives, for example, a family member, pet sitter or kennels presenting your pet to us.  We reserve the right to refuse instruction from them, for example if they are under 18 years of ages, or if we reasonably believe that they are not authorised to represent you.  We may require proof that they are authorised to represent you.  You can email us to let us know who is authorised (or not authorised) to represent you should you wish.

Second Opinions, Records and Insurance

• You are free at all times, at your own cost, to seek or request a second opinion concerning any veterinary services that we have provided.
• We will not be responsible for any delays outside of our control, but we will always contact you as soon as possible to let you know, and take steps to minimise any further delays.
• Your animal’s medical records, including x-rays, test results, and ultrasound images, are our property. You may request a copy of your animal’s medical records to be sent to another veterinary service provider by emailing or telephoning us. We will process your request in a reasonable period of time. We may request that you pay any outstanding fees to us before doing so.
• We do not provide pet insurance; you are responsible for arranging this, and we recommend that our clients take out appropriate insurance cover for their pets with a reputable insurance provider.

Our Staff, Clients and Animals

• We have a zero tolerance policy against offensive, violent or aggressive behaviour.
• We reserve the right to decline to provide veterinary services, to ask you to leave the premises, or for us to immediately leave your premises and to terminate our contract with you if you, or any person connected with you, engage in such behaviour (whether in our practice, on the phone, via email or via social media sites).
• You can end your contract with us at any time. When your contract ends, you are responsible for collecting your animal from us, and for paying any outstanding bills.  We recommend that you register your pet with another veterinary practice from the date your contract with us ends, and we are not responsible for arranging this for you.  If you wish to end your contract with us, then please do let us know via email or post.
• We may end the contract with you if you break any terms of the contract, if you do not make payment to us within 7 days of us reminding you that payment is due, or if you fail to provide information necessary for us to provide veterinary services in a reasonable timescale of us requesting such information. We may end the contract for other reasons, and will under these circumstances provide 14 days notice.

Payment

• Veterinary practices provide private healthcare, and professional fees vary according to the case and the level of treatment required.  A full itemised invoice will be provided for any transaction made with us.
• Payment in full is expected at the time of treatment.
• We may, at our discretion, require you to pay part of pay the whole of the estimated service costs in advance.
• Where you have a valid insurance policy, we may at our discretion agree to make a claim for payment directly to your insurance policy.  We may charge a fee for completing, submitting and/or managing an insurance claim on your behalf.  You agree to pay us on request for that fee, and any amounts that the insurance company do not pay within 30 days of the invoice being issues to you.
• Payment is accepted via cash, debit or credit card or bank transfer. We are unable to accept cheques.
• We may take further action to recover overdue payments. We may refer overdue accounts to our debt collection agency for recovery.  Any overdue debt will accrue interest by 4% above the base rate.  Additional charges in connection to collecting the outstanding balances will also be added to your bill, including but not limited to, administration costs, debt collection agency and court fees.
• We may refuse to supply further veterinary services to you until all outstanding bills are paid.
• If you are unable to pay for the veterinary services provided by us, we are only obliged to fulfill our minimum legal responsibilities and professional regulatory obligations in respect of the animals under our care.

Liability

• If we fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for any foreseeable loss or damage you suffer as a result of our breach or failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable.
• We supply products to you for domestic and private use only, and are not liable for business losses. Our website and promotional / social media material is for general information purposes only and does not constitute advice. We endeavour to provide accurate and true information at the time of writing, however we can give no guarantee or assurance regarding the accuracy of any content. If you are unsure, then please contact us. 
• Our liability to you is limited. Subject to the above exceptions, our liability to you for any damages, losses, claims, costs or expenses arising out of our supply of any products or services shall not exceed: (a) if the supply of those goods or services are covered by our public liability or professional indemnity insurance, the limit of that insurance for each claim or series of connected claims; and (b)  if the supply of those goods or services are not covered by our public liability or professional indemnity insurance, the value of the total fees paid or payable by you for the products or services in question.

Client Confidentiality

• In normal circumstances, we will not disclose any information about a client, or their pet(s) without prior consent. Full details on the data we collect and how it is used can be found in our privacy policy which is listed below- in this document.
• We may occassionally share anonymised data with research groups and institutions as part of our ongoing commitment to progression in the veterinary profession.
• Telephone calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
• CCTV recording maybe used or the safety of our staff, clients and patients.
• In some circumstances we may record consultations for accuracy of note-taking.

We may make changes to these terms. We recommend that you check them each time you use our website to ensure that you understand the terms that apply at that time.

These terms were most recently updated on 3^rd April 2026

POLICIES and DATA

Complaints Policy

At Sussex Home Vets Ltd. we strive to provide you with the best possible service, as we wish to ensure the health and welfare of pets entrusted to our care as per our professional code of conduct.

Feedback is encouraged to ensure that we can make improvements where necessary, and the sooner we are made aware of an issue the sooner we can address it.

Ways to contact us with feedback:

• Face to face – please inform the vet or nurse in charge of your pet’s care during your visit if you have any concerns. We will always be happy to help. Please remember that we are all doing our best, and abusive behaviour will never be tolerated.
• Phone – 07845 176339
• Email – [email protected]
• Write to us – Sussex Home Vets Ltd., Renroc, Horsted Pond Lane, Horsted Green, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5TH

If you wish to make a complaint, please ensure that you provide your name, address and preferred method and time of contact/reply. Please also include your pet’s name, date on which you last attended the practice, a summary of your concerns, and any team members involved if you know their names. All communications will be treated with confidentiality. We will respond as soon as we can, and always within 14 working days. This allows us time to fully investigate and speak to staff members involved in the case.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our internal investigations, you can contact relevant external bodies such as the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/clients/) or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (https://animalowners.rcvs.org.uk/concerns).

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Privacy Policy

Sussex Home Vets Ltd. is an independent business.  Company number: 15171927   RCVS registered premises: 7714824

When you register with Sussex Home Vets Ltd, contact us 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.

We will keep our privacy policy under regular review and we publish any updates on this website. This privacy policy was last updated on 27/01/2026.

How We Will Use Your Personal Information

We will process your Personal Information in so far 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 including appointment and vaccination reminders (“Service Communications”). You can choose how you would like to receive these communications by post, email or SMS. Please call or email our Customer Service team if you would like to change how you receive Service Communications. 

What Personal Information Do 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 animal with your chosen practice, send reminders and anniversary notifications, correspondence and information about our services directly to you and send information about local animal health issues.
• Email address – So that we can contact you about your Animal, send reminders about your appointments, vaccinations, flea or worming treatments or correspondence about our service and animal health issues. To send Pet Health Plan anniversary notifications and payment failure notifications.
• Mobile number – So that we can contact you about your Animal, send reminders about your appointments, vaccinations, flea or worming treatments and or correspondence about our service and animal health issues. So we can contact you about your Pet Health Plan membership.
• Telephone number – So that we can contact you about your Animal and your Pet Health Plan membership.
• Bank, debit or credit card details – So that we can receive your monthly Pet Health Plan payments or pay veterinary fees.

Please remember to let our team know if any of the above information changes as soon as possible so that we have up to date records. Our staff will ask you to confirm your records are up to date on a regular basis.

Marketing

In addition to our contractual services, we would like to process your Personal Information with your consent to send you information about other products and services available from the Practice. You can change your mind at any time and unsubscribe or subscribe by talking to staff in our practice or by following the links on any marketing emails you receive. 

We use Google for marketing purposes and you can find their privacy policy here.

Data Retention

We will keep your Personal Information for as long as you are a client of our Practice and thereafter for as long as any legal claim may be made against the Practice or our colleagues 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. 

Who Do We Share Information With and Why?

Referral practices

When we refer an animal to a referral hospital or specialist, we need to share relevant information to arrange appointments, tests, treatments and services.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your address.
• Your email address.
• Mobile number.
• Telephone number.

Laboratories and Animal Crematoria

So that we can arrange tests, treatments and services and obtain results on your behalf.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your address.

Your insurer

So that we can obtain permission to perform certain investigations and treatments at their expense. To arrange payment for investigations and treatments provided.

We may share:

• Insurance policy number.
• Your name.
• Your address.

Banks and payment service providers

So that we can deal with payments for the appointments, services, treatments and goods provided. To make refunds.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your account details.
• Your address.

Credit reference and fraud prevention agencies

We may share your personal information with and obtain information about you from credit reference agencies or fraud prevention agencies.

We may share:

Your name.

Your address.

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.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your account details.
• Your address.

Email providers, printers and mailing houses

So that we can send you reminders, administrative information relating to the way we provide services to you, information about animal health issues relevant to you and marketing communications if you have consented to receiving them.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your address.
• Your email address.

Law enforcement agencies

If we receive a request in writing from a law enforcement agency, we may be required to provide your personal information.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your address.
• Your email address.
• Mobile number.
• Telephone number.
• Location information.
• Bank, debit or credit card details.
• Insurance policy number.

Moving practice

If you decide to move to a new practice we will provide a copy of your animals’ records to the new practice when requested. This is part of our professional conduct obligations from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

We may share:

• Your name.
• Your address.
• Your email address.
• Mobile number.
• Telephone number.

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 a member of the Pear Tree Vets team. 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 animal names.

How To Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or the information we hold about you.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 07845 176339

Address: Sussx Home Vets Ltd., Renroc, Horsted Pond Lane, Horsted Green, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5^TH

We may make changes to this policy. We recommend that you check them each time you use our website to ensure that you understand the terms that apply at that time.

These terms were most recently updated on 3^rd April 2026