Sore Paws Terms & Conditions
Please take the time to read through our Day to Day Practice Policies.
Terms and Conditions
These provide the basis for the contract between the client and the Veterinary Surgery. If you require clarification on any of the below please do not hesitate to ask.
1) Appointments and consultations.
All appointments and examinations with the vet attract a fee. Clients and their pets are attended to by Veterinary Surgeons and Nurses during consulting hours by appointment. The charging process is based on the allocation of appointments, and/or the consultation process, with or without a pet present. Appointments are available in the morning, afternoon and early evening. Urgent cases will be seen outside consulting hours during the day, but you may be asked to sit and wait until a Veterinary Professional is available to attend to your pet. All prices are inclusive of VAT at the current rate. If you fail to attend an appointment without contacting us to inform us, on the third occasion of thisyour account will be stopped and no further services will be made available to you.
2) Out of hours.
Our out of hours care is provided by Vets Now – Gateshead and Wear Referrals. Although we liaise with Vets Now – Gateshead and Wear Referrals for the provision of 24 hour care, Vets Now – Gateshead and Wear Referrals are separate businesses and therefore have separate pricing, over which we have no influence.
3) Estimates.
The practice can provide written estimates of probable costs for procedures and treatments. It is important to consider that treatments and procedures may not follow a conventional course and therefore an estimate may only be approximate. However, we will do our best to keep clients fully informed of costs during the course of treatment and will do so if the expected fee is to be more than 20% greater than the original estimate. In the case of some routine procedures we will give quotations. Some additional fees may be added to quotations for additional services and goods provided in unforeseen circumstances.
4) Payment.
All transactions (a transaction is defined as the transfer or sale of goods, services, treatments and fees from the practice to the client) are to be paid for immediately. The practice accepts cash, credit and debit cards and payment in advance. Payments are accepted by chip-and-pin cards only. In cases where a patient is admitted for disease investigation, surgery and/or treatment, payment is due at the end of the investigation/treatment.
5) Payment terms.
The practice welcomes prior warning of genuine inability to pay as specified in “4. Payment”. To pay in instalments, or in full at an agreed date, will only be offered in the instance where the pet will likely suffer catastrophic outcomes if the treatment is not provided immediately, and the prognosis is expected to be good as a result. This must be arranged at the time of transaction, prior to commencement of treatment. Fees for vaccinations and other routine procedures do not attract payment terms in any circumstances and must be postponed until payment can be made. If payment terms are not met, the outstanding amount will lead to our debt recovery process being initiated. If no payment terms have been agreed, or if no forewarning of inability to pay is received, interest and accountancy fees may be applied from the day the debt is incurred. Goods and services, which have not been paid for, will remain the property of the practice until payment is received in full. If patient records are requested to be released to another practice where the client owes money to Sore Paws Veterinary Clinics then immediate payment in full should be provided. Transferred records may include comment on non-payment.
6) Payment terms – insured pets.
Clients with insured pets which have incurred fees are required to pay Sore Paws Veterinary Clinic in full in accordance with point 4 above. Clients will be requested to make a claim to their insurers for direct payment to the client. However, in exceptional circumstances, where the full amount cannot be paid, then an agreement for payment arrangements must be made with the practice. In such circumstances the client must provide evidence of a valid and appropriate policy. Payment of the policy excess(es) and payment for all goods not covered by the policy are due at the time of the transaction and are the responsibility of the client. The insurance policy is a contract between the client and the insurer – the practice cannot adjust fees, complete claim forms with client details, advise clients or liaise between clients and the insurers. We reserve the right to charge for processing claim forms – fees for this service are not covered by such policies. In the event that a dispute arises regarding pay out by an insurance company, this is between the client and their insurers. Any sum outstanding remains the sole responsibility of the client.
7) Payment terms – defaults.
When a client of Sore Paws Veterinary Clinics has defaulted on a payment, either at the time of a transaction or on a payment agreement, for any reason, our debt recovery process will be initiated, and Veterinary Surgeons and staff employed by the company may not attend to any animal owned by that client, or attend to any animal registered at that client’s home address, until full payment is received. If the company agrees to retain a client with a payment default record, all future transactions will be expected to be paid in full.
8) Payment – unsupported.
Any cheques returned by the bank as not honoured, any credit card payments not honoured and any cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the client record being restored to the original sum. Further charges added in respect of bank charges, administrative charges and interest charged on the original sum from the date of the transaction will be applied to the account. Full payment will then be due immediately. Fraudulent transactions will be reported to the police.
9) Goods ordered.
Payment must be taken at the time of goods ordered by a client, for example repeat prescriptions, prescription foods, and these items must be collected within a reasonable time. Refunds of non-collected goods will not be given unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated and this is at the discretion of management..
10) Medicine returns.
The practice does not accept the return of medicines for credit, refund or swap. There may be a charge for disposal of returned medicines. The return of non-medical products may be accepted in the original, undamaged package.
11) Second opinions and referrals.
When another Veterinary Practice requires the details of a patient’s history for the purposes of a second opinion, a patient referral or if a client has changed practice, then the records will be passed directly to the second practice following consent from the client.
12) Referral practice costs.
All fees incurred by a client at a referral practice are to be paid directly to the referral practice by the client.
13) Investigative care.
The care given to pets may require making specific investigations. The practice makes a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results.
14) Prescriptions.
Repeat prescriptions should be ordered in advance. Drugs, and all other goods, are to be paid for at the time of collection or in advance (see also clause 10). Sore Paws Veterinary Clinics will provide written prescriptions for treatments prescribed by the Veterinary Surgeons at the practice, if requested for a fee. Clients may then present the prescription to a high street pharmacy, internet pharmacy or another veterinary practice to obtain the goods. All pets requiring on-going treatment with a POM-V (Veterinary Prescription Only Medicine) or POM (Prescription Only Medicine) are required to be examined by a veterinary surgeon regularly. The most common frequency is every six months. This examination applies to those clients who request a written prescription for their pet’s treatment and to those who purchase their drugs directly from us. All patients prescribed flea treatments are required to be examined at the clinic at least once.
15) Reminders.
The provision of reminders for vaccinations and other services and products by Sore Paws Veterinary Clinics is a courtesy – there is no obligation on the practice or the staff regarding the consequences of failure to provide such reminders.
16) Hospitalised pets – non collection.
If a pet which has been hospitalised at the clinic for treatment or surgery and is not collected by the owner, or the owner’s representative, within a period of two weeks after the agreed collection date, then the staff, (having used all possible means to contact the owner), will take measures to rehome the pet. Money owed to the clinic will remain outstanding. Additional boarding fees will be added daily and, in the event of the pet being collected at a later than agreed date, these fees, along with all other outstanding fees, will be payable before collection of the pet.
17) Telephone calls.
The details (client name, date, time and reason for call) of all incoming telephone calls are noted in writing and all calls are recorded.
18) Data protection.
Sore Paws Veterinary Clinics adhere to the Data Protection Act.
19) Declining Registration.
We reserve the right to decline or remove registration and notice of this will be provided.
20) Abusive Behaviour.
We reserve the right to terminate telephone calls if our staff are feeling threatened or subjected to verbal abuse. We reserve the right to remove clients from our register and cease to provide further Veterinary services if we consider their conduct and behaviour to be unreasonable, threatening, or in breach of the above terms and conditions. Notification of this will be provided formally in writing.
Sore Paws Practice Health Plan Terms and Conditions
Last updated: 22 July 2026
These terms apply to every Sore Paws Practice Health Plan (“PHP”). Please read them together with the PHP benefits and prices displayed on our website and the plan information provided when you join.
1. About your Practice Health Plan
1.1 Your PHP is a preventative healthcare membership provided by the Sore Paws veterinary practice named in your joining confirmation (“Sore Paws”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
1.2 The PHP allows you to spread the cost of specified routine and preventative healthcare for the named pet over monthly payments. It is not pet insurance and does not cover every treatment your pet may require.
1.3 Insurance is intended to help with unexpected illness or injury. We recommend maintaining suitable pet insurance alongside your PHP where appropriate.
2. Joining the PHP
2.1 You must be aged 18 or over and be the owner of, or responsible for, the pet enrolled on the PHP.
2.2 Each PHP applies only to the pet named when you join. Benefits cannot be transferred to another pet or person without our written agreement.
2.3 Your membership begins when we accept your application and take or arrange your first payment. The first monthly payment is taken when you join. The following 11 payments are collected by Direct Debit.
2.4 A £5 joining fee is payable for each new PHP and will be collected with the first Direct Debit payment.
2.5 We may decline an application where we cannot safely or reasonably provide the selected benefits to the pet.
3. Your chosen plan and benefits
3.1 The benefits included depend on the pet’s species, weight category and selected cover level. The applicable benefits and monthly price are those shown on the relevant PHP page of our website and confirmed to you when you join.
3.2 Benefits may include routine vaccinations and health checks, parasite prevention, nail clipping, microchipping, VidiVet access, consultations, diagnostic tests and discounts. A benefit is included only where it is expressly shown as included in your chosen plan.
3.3 Benefits are subject to clinical need, the professional judgement of the treating veterinary professional, product authorisation and any legal prescribing requirements.
3.4 A plan benefit has no cash value, cannot be exchanged for another service or product and cannot be carried forward if it is not used during the applicable membership period.
3.5 Treatments, products, tests and services that are not expressly included in your chosen plan are charged at our current prices.
4. Unlimited consultations
4.1 Where your chosen plan includes unlimited consultations, this means 15-minute consultations conducted in person at a Sore Paws practice during our published opening hours.
4.2 Consultations must be booked in advance and remain subject to appointment availability and clinical triage.
4.3 Unless expressly stated otherwise, unlimited consultations do not include treatment, medication, diagnostic tests, procedures, hospitalisation, home visits, extended consultations, emergency or out-of-hours services, referral services or consultations delivered by another veterinary provider. These are charged separately.
4.4 We may arrange a longer or differently structured appointment where clinically appropriate. Any additional fee will be explained before the service is provided wherever reasonably possible.
4.5 Unlimited consultations must be used reasonably for the named pet’s veterinary care. They must not be booked speculatively, transferred or used in a way that prevents reasonable access for other clients.
5. Parasite prevention and home delivery
5.1 Where parasite prevention is included, the product and frequency supplied will be selected by us according to the pet’s species, weight, age, health, lifestyle, clinical need and current prescribing rules.
5.2 You must provide accurate information and attend any health check or weight check reasonably required before a product can be prescribed or supplied.
5.3 We may substitute a clinically suitable product or brand where necessary because of availability, safety, prescribing requirements or clinical judgement.
5.4 Where free home delivery is included, products will be sent to the most recent address you have provided. You must tell us promptly if your address changes. We are not responsible for loss or delay caused by an incorrect or outdated address.
5.5 You must notify us promptly if a delivery is missing, incomplete or damaged so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, replace it.
6. Discounts
6.1 Any PHP discount applies only to the named pet, eligible items and services supplied directly by Sore Paws while the membership is active.
6.2 Discounts cannot be exchanged for cash, applied retrospectively or combined with another promotion unless we expressly agree otherwise.
6.3 Discounts do not apply to third-party, referral or out-of-hours charges unless expressly stated.
7. Payments and price changes
7.1 You must maintain a valid Direct Debit instruction and ensure that sufficient funds are available when each payment falls due.
7.2 Prices include VAT where applicable.
7.3 We may change the monthly price during a 12-month term to reflect changes in our costs, taxes, medicines, products or the services included. We will provide at least 14 days’ written notice before the new price takes effect.
7.4 If you do not accept a price increase, you may cancel the PHP by notifying us before the increase takes effect. In that situation, no early-cancellation payment under clause 10.4 will apply, although any overdue monthly payments and charges for services or products outside the PHP remain payable.
7.5 If your pet moves into a different weight category, we may transfer the pet to the appropriate PHP and adjust the monthly price after giving you advance notice.
8. Failed or missed payments
8.1 If a payment is missed or rejected, we may contact you, retry collection and suspend access to PHP benefits until the account is brought up to date.
8.2 We may end the PHP if payment remains outstanding after we have given you a reasonable opportunity to pay.
8.3 You remain responsible for unpaid monthly payments and for the normal price of benefits received while payments were overdue or after membership ended.
9. Cooling-off periods
9.1 If you join online, by telephone or away from our practice, you normally have 14 days from the day after the contract is made to cancel without an early-cancellation charge.
9.2 If you ask us to begin providing benefits during the cooling-off period and then cancel, you must pay for the products and services supplied up to cancellation. We may deduct that amount from any refund due.
9.3 To cancel during the cooling-off period, contact either Sore Paws practice using the details in clause 18.
9.4 Where applicable law gives you a further cooling-off period when the PHP renews, we will honour that right. If you ask us to supply a benefit during a renewal cooling-off period and then cancel, you must pay for the products and services supplied up to cancellation to the extent permitted by law.
10. Duration, renewal and cancellation
10.1 The PHP has an initial minimum term of 12 months. Unless you or we cancel it, it will automatically renew on each anniversary of the membership start date for a further fixed term of 12 months. Each initial or renewed 12-month period is referred to as a “contract year”.
10.2 We will send at least two renewal reminders in good time before each renewal. The reminders will explain the renewal date, the monthly price that will apply and how to cancel. You may prevent renewal by notifying us at any time before the renewal date.
10.3 You may ask to cancel at any time by contacting us. If cancellation takes effect during a contract year, clause 10.4 applies unless another provision of these terms says otherwise.
10.4 We will compare:
- the monthly payments remaining until the end of the current contract year; and
- the amount by which the normal selling price of all PHP benefits already supplied exceeds the membership payments we have received.
You will pay whichever of those two amounts is lower. If neither calculation produces a positive balance, there is no early-cancellation payment.
10.5 The cancellation calculation in clause 10.4 applies separately during every contract year, including each renewed 12-month term. For example, receiving an annual booster or parasite treatment after renewal and then cancelling may create a benefits shortfall, but you will never be charged more than the monthly payments remaining in that contract year.
10.6 We may end the PHP on reasonable notice where we stop offering the plan, can no longer provide it, the veterinary relationship has broken down, you misuse the benefits, behave abusively towards our team, provide materially false information or seriously breach these terms.
11. If your pet dies or is rehomed
11.1 Please tell us as soon as reasonably possible if the named pet dies or is permanently rehomed.
11.2 If the pet dies, we will end the PHP and will not charge the early-cancellation payment described in clause 10.4. Any overdue monthly payments or charges for services outside the PHP remain payable.
11.3 If the pet is rehomed, we may agree to transfer the PHP to the new owner following appropriate identity, consent and payment checks. If we cannot transfer it, cancellation will be handled under clause 10.
12. Appointments and your responsibilities
12.1 You are responsible for booking appointments and bringing the named pet to the practice when required. We are not responsible for benefits missed because an appointment was not booked or attended.
12.2 You must give us complete and accurate information about the pet’s health, medication, weight, behaviour and circumstances and tell us promptly of relevant changes.
12.3 Our normal appointment, late-arrival, non-attendance and client conduct policies continue to apply.
13. Availability and changes to benefits
13.1 Services are subject to appointment availability, clinical priority, staffing and the availability of medicines and products.
13.2 We may make a reasonable change to a product or the way a benefit is delivered where necessary for clinical, safety, legal, supply or operational reasons. Any substitute will, where reasonably possible, provide a substantially equivalent benefit.
13.3 If we make a material reduction to the overall benefits during a contract year, we will give advance notice. You may cancel before the change takes effect without an early-cancellation payment under clause 10.4.
14. Veterinary care and emergencies
14.1 All veterinary care is provided according to the pet’s clinical needs and the professional judgement of the treating veterinary professional. Membership does not guarantee a particular medicine, test, diagnosis, treatment or outcome.
14.2 The PHP does not replace emergency care. If your pet needs urgent treatment, contact us or our advertised out-of-hours provider. Out-of-hours and third-party charges are not included unless expressly stated in your chosen plan.
15. Personal information and Direct Debit administration
15.1 We process personal information to administer the PHP, provide veterinary services, collect payments, communicate with you and meet our legal and professional obligations.
15.2 We may share the information necessary to administer payments with our Direct Debit provider and other service providers acting on our behalf.
15.3 Further information about how we use personal data and your rights is provided in the Sore Paws Privacy Policy on our website. The privacy policy is separate from these membership terms.
16. Liability and your legal rights
16.1 Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
16.2 Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
17. General terms
17.1 If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms will continue to apply.
17.2 If we do not enforce a term immediately, that does not prevent us from enforcing it later.
17.3 We may transfer our rights and obligations under this agreement to another organisation, provided this does not reduce your rights. You may transfer your rights only with our written agreement.
17.4 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. You may bring proceedings in the courts that apply to you under consumer law.
18. Contacting us
Questions, notices and cancellation requests may be sent to info@sorepawsvets.co.uk or made by contacting either practice:
- Newton Aycliffe: 01325 308 000 – 5/6 Cobblers Hall, Burnhill Lane, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 4SE
- Winlaton: 0191 414 4233 – Commercial Public House Building, Commercial Street, Winlaton, NE21 5QX
