Payments and Insurance

You will be provided with an estimate of the likely costs of any investigation or treatment for your pet during your initial consultation at the hospital. Please be aware that this estimate is an approximation based on the clinician’s first consultation with you and that additional charges may be incurred during the investigation or treatment of your pet. We will keep you fully informed of any major additional charges that may be incurred and your clinician will liaise closely with you to advise on the best course of action for your pet. Some patients will need to be re-examined at the hospital and may require ongoing investigation or treatment.

All re-examination appointments and any further investigation and/or treatment over and above that discussed or estimated in your initial consultation will incur charges. Please contact us for current fees and treatment costs. Our client account administrators will be happy to help you with any queries you might have regarding your account.

Please note that all fees are subject to VAT at the current standard rate.

Dogs Trust - Shared Adoption Scheme - pre approval

For owners of dogs through the Dogs Trust Shared Adoption Scheme, a pre approval is needed before treatment can be begin. This is a condition laid down by the Dogs Trust who will refuse to pay for costs if pre-authorisation is not completed. You will need to provide us with the Adoption Scheme number whereupon we will calculate the estimated costs and send them to the Dogs Trust for approval. The Trust will then provide us with the amount funds available for the treatment.

Owners With Pet Insurance

Please note that pet insurance policies can vary considerably from one provider to the next. We are happy to work with you in completing your claim; however we do ask that you note the following:

  • All insurance claims processed via the Hospital will be subject to a £25 administration fee.
  • Only one fee will be charged per case/condition.  Clients wishing to process a claim themselves will be expected to pay all fees on presentation of the invoice.
  • It is your responsibility to check your policy and inform your insurer of your referral before your first appointment.
  • It is also your responsibility to ensure that your pet is covered for the particular condition it is being investigated or treated for, as well as having an adequate level of financial cover.
  • You will also need to keep track of where you are in respect to any financial limit your policy provider may impose.
  • It helps us to handle your claim if, when talking with your insurance company, you give permission for the Small Animal Teaching Hospital to discuss any aspects of your claim directly with them.
  • You will need to give us a signed claim form before your pet is discharged from the hospital.
  • Once payment is received, if there is an amount still outstanding - for example, an excess payment - we will write to you and ask for the balance.
  • Please note you are responsible for any shortfall in payment from your insurance company, even if you are in dispute with them about the amount.
  • We are able to claim directly from most insurance companies and ask that you complete your insurance form to allow this. You can, if preferred, pay us in full when you collect your pet, and then claim back from the insurance company yourself.
  • When you arrive at the hospital, please provide us with details of your policy, your insurance company name and policy number.
  • After discharge of your pet, we will forward a copy invoice to your home address so you can see what we are claiming from your insurance company.

Owners Without Pet Insurance

  • We will request a deposit of up to 50% of the initial estimate from all uninsured clients bringing their pet in for the first time.
  • Your estimate for diagnosis and treatment of your animal will be provided by the clinician during your consultation.
  • You can elect at your consultation not to proceed with any further investigations.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of payment, insurance or fees, please contact us.