Vet care changes

These changes will make sure we are able to continue helping pets and owners in need, today and for years to come.

What has changed?

All clients will need to pay a consultation fee to see a vet or vet nurse. How much you pay will be based on the benefits you receive and the treatment you are accessing.

We will also be asking clients to pay the initial and ongoing costs of responsible pet ownership, such as microchipping, vaccinations and neutering. These will be charged at reasonable prices and ensure we can continue to provide lifesaving care and treat life-long conditions.

Surgery, medication and non-surgical procedures will now have set prices for some clients to make our pricing easier to understand.

Band A treatment

Those currently eligible for free of charge vet treatment will access Band A treatment. This is anyone who receives:

universal credit where there has not been a reduction in payment due to work or other income such as savings
income support
jobseeker’s allowance (income-based)
employment and support allowance (income-related)
pension credit

Band B treatment

Those currently eligible for reduced cost vet treatment will access Band B treatment. This is anyone who receives:

universal credit where there has been a reduction in payment due to work or other income such as savings
working tax credit
child tax credit
housing benefit with no other benefit
council tax reduction with no other benefit (not the 25 per cent single person discount)

What will I need to pay in future?

You will no longer need to pay your annual registration fee to access our services. How much you’ll pay for seeing a vet or vet nurse and any treatment will depend on whether you are Band A or Band B.

Band A charges:

Daytime consultation with a vet (£10) or a nurse (£5)
Out of hours consultation (£55)
Solensia and Librela medication (£50 per injection) plus consultation fee
Neutering (£100 to £300 depending on the surgery)
Vaccinations (£30 per injection, includes consultation and vaccine)
Flea and worming treatments (prices vary based on breed and size)
Microchipping (£10)

Band B charges:

Daytime consultation with a vet (£25) or a nurse (£15)
Out of hours consultation (£80)
Medication (£5, £15, £35 for up to a month’s worth of drugs depending on which band the drugs are in)
Solensia and Librela medication (£50 per injection) plus consultation fee
Surgery (£150, £200, £250, £300, £400, £450* depending on the surgery)
X-rays (£100 or £190)
Ultrasounds (£50 or £120)
Stays in our animal hospital for every 24 hours (£60, £80, £100 depending on treatment)
Neutering (£100 to £300 depending on the surgery)
Vaccinations (£30 per injection, includes consultation and vaccine)
Flea and worming treatments (prices vary based on breed and size)
Microchipping (£10)

Updated terms and conditions

Read our updated hospital terms and conditions.

Registering more than two pets

If you are eligible for Band A, we will fund veterinary treatment for two of your pets (exclusions may apply). You will be asked to pay a consultation fee to access this treatment. If you have other pets you wish to bring to us for treatment, you may be able to access Band B vet support.

If you are eligible for Band B, we’ll aim to offer you veterinary treatment at a discounted rate for any pets that are registered and live in your household.

What if I cannot afford to pay towards the cost of treatment?

We would encourage you to make sure that you are not missing out on any benefits that you might be entitled to. Your local Citizens Advice or Age UK may be able to help you with this. It is not uncommon that people miss out on welfare support simply because they are unaware of their entitlement.

How will I pay?

All pre planned surgeries and procedures require full payment before treatment starts. If full payment is not made and treatment can be safely delayed, we will reschedule the procedure.

For some urgent cases where our vets consider it to be suitable, we may be able to offer a payment plan to allow you to spread the costs over up to 12 months, using a direct debit. This will not be suitable for all cases, and we reserve the right not to offer this option in all circumstances.

Failure to pay your bill will result in the withdrawal of our veterinary services.