Terms and conditions for our animal hospitals

Our animal hospitals offer low cost veterinary treatment and care to those on certain benefits or a state pension. If you’ve already registered with us, here’s more on our terms and conditions.

1. Our service and eligibility

Blue Cross veterinary support is available for pets living with owners that are eligible for our service. Owners must be in receipt of certain benefits or a state pension and live within the catchment area of one of our animal hospitals. We provide treatment for cats, dogs, small caged birds and small pets (such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters etc).

We offer discounted veterinary treatment to eligible clients. Details of current discount levels and eligibility criteria are available upon request.

We offer both telephone and face to face appointments. When making your appointment we will discuss the needs of your pet and the type of appointment suitable.

2. Preventive care

Preventive care is very important, as it can help protect your pet against deadly diseases and keep them healthy over the long term. This includes neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and flea and worm treatments. Blue Cross provide this treatment at a cost.

3. Registering

Each time you register we will ask for proof that you are the owner of the pet(s) you are registering and that you are still eligible for our services. If we are not satisfied with the proof provided, or during your registration term believe your circumstances have changed, we reserve the right to refuse/cancel your registration.

To maintain your registration, you'll need to renew it annually. Registration is valid for 12 months. We appreciate you keeping us informed of any changes to your address or contact information.

4. Scope of service

The veterinary service we offer is focused on your pet’s welfare and keeping them free from pain. Our resources are limited, and you may find we do not offer the same range of options as private practice. We will discuss all options with you and if you wish to pursue a treatment option which we are not offering, we can refer you to a private or specialist referral practice of your choice. The cost of any referral treatment and aftercare will be your own responsibility.

5. Appointments and consultations

Consultations are by appointment only and payment will be taken at the time of booking. Please arrive on time for your appointment. Late arrivals can cause delays to other clients and could result in your appointment being cancelled. Please ensure that you, the registered owner, attend all appointments with your pets where possible. If this isn’t possible on a short or long term basis, please speak to a member of our team.

We understand that sometimes things come up, but missed appointments can mean other patients have to wait longer, and it can increase the cost of running our services. So, if you miss a consultation, we may charge you for each missed appointment. If you miss a procedure or surgery appointment, your pre-payment may not be refunded.

If you have multiple problems to discuss, we may not have time to address all of them in a single appointment. Please start with the most important problem.

Veterinary students may participate in the treatment of your pet, under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. Please tell us if you do not wish them to be involved in treating your pet.

6. Treatment estimates

During your consultation we will discuss treatment options available to your pet and the estimated costs. We will provide you with an accurate estimate to agree to before treatment starts. If there are significant changes to the cost once treatment has started, we will contact you to discuss further.

7. Paying your bill

Some non-urgent appointments will require full payment to secure the booking and all charges are expected to be settled in full at the time of treatment unless otherwise agreed in advance. A minimum deposit will be taken for all non-urgent procedures, either at the time of booking or before your pet is admitted, any remaining balance must be paid on discharge.

For urgent procedures and hospitalisations, a deposit will be requested at the time of admission, with the outstanding balance payable upon discharge. If a required deposit is not received and it is clinically appropriate to delay treatment, we reserve the right to reschedule the procedure. Failure to settle your account may result in the withdrawal of our veterinary services.

8. Changing vets

If your pet has been seen by another vet in the last 12 months, please let a member of our team know. If you wish to move to another veterinary practice or are seeking a second opinion and need a copy of your pet’s clinical records, please ask a member of our team who can provide these to you or your new practice. Please be aware any charges incurred while seeking a second opinion, will be your own responsibility.

9. Insurance

If your pet’s treatment is being covered by an animal health insurance policy, it is your responsibility to pay your Blue Cross bill in full and reclaim such sums from your insurance provider. 

10. Our prices

Blue Cross reserve the right to change our prices, discounts, eligibility and subsidies at any time, without prior notice.

11. Refunds

Refunds are not available for medications or foods. Other pet products may be returned in unused condition within 14 working days of purchase for a refund, at the discretion of the hospital manager. 

12. Breeding

Blue Cross does not support animal breeding and encourages the neutering of pets. Blue Cross do not fund this treatment but provide it at a discounted cost. We may withdraw our veterinary services if we see evidence of repeated breeding. If you choose to bring pets which require treatment for breeding related conditions, this may result in the withdrawal of our veterinary services. 

13. Waiting room safety

When visiting our hospital with your pet, please ensure that your pets are suitably restrained/muzzled, in baskets or on leads and always kept close to you. Children should always be supervised and should not be allowed to approach other people's pets. 

14. Photos and videos

Photographs of your pet may be taken at our hospitals for internal purposes such as monitoring treatment progress and discussing the case with our veterinary team. If any images are to be used externally, we will ask you for additional permission.

We do not allow filming or recording within our hospitals without prior, written permission.

15. Complaints and feedback

Your feedback is important to us as it helps us understand your needs and continuously improve our service. If you have any concerns or complaints about our service, we want to hear from you. You can share your feedback in a few ways:

• Client surveys – We regularly send out surveys after treatments. These are a great way to tell us what we're doing well and where we can improve.
• Talk to our hospital team – Please don't hesitate to speak directly with any member of our team. We're here to listen and address your concerns.
• Email our support team – If you prefer to email, please contact us at [email protected].

16. Withdrawal of services

Blue Cross reserves the right to withdraw or change its services at any time.  

17. Changes to terms and conditions

We may from time to time change our terms and conditions without giving you notice but we will use our reasonable endeavours to inform you as soon as is reasonably possible. 

18. Unacceptable behaviour

We reserve the right to withdraw our services if you or an associate of yours are in any way aggressive, rude or act antisocially with any Blue Cross staff, volunteers, other clients or members of the public. 

19. Your personal information

We will only use your personal information as set out in our privacy policy.