General Practice FAQ's
How do I register my pet with Willows?
Willows has specialist vets – can't I just go straight to one of those?
My pet is going to stay overnight – will someone be there?
Are the staff at Willows properly trained?
How much is my pet's treatment going to cost?
My pet is insured – will the costs of treatment be covered?
My pet is insured – can Willows claim directly so I don't need to pay?
My pet has an ongoing problem – do I need to keep paying for consultations and treatment?
I want to give some feedback about Willows – how do I do this?
How do I register my pet with Willows?
If your pet has not been seen by a vet before, all you need to do is contact reception and they will take your details and make an appointment should you need one.
If your pet is currently registered at another veterinary practice and has no ongoing problems you can transfer your pet to us by contacting your current veterinary surgeon and requesting that they send us your pet's clinical history. We will then see your pet at the first routine appointment you make.
If your pet is already under treatment for an ongoing problem by a vet at another practice and you wish us to take over your pet's treatment then you will need to contact your current vet and request that they provide us with your pet's clinical history including details of any blood test results, the results of any other investigations and also details of any treatment your pet is receiving. The appointment time will be extended to 30 minutes in order for us to have the time to fully assess the situation, and the fee for the consultation will be proportionately higher as a result. You will still be seen by one of our general practice vets in these circumstances.
Where is Willows?
See our location details for a map and instructions for finding us.
Does Willows treat horses?
Willows is a small animal practice, which means that we treat dogs, cats, rabbits and other small 'children's' pets.
Willows has specialist vets – can't I just go straight to one of those?
No. Our specialist vets only see cases referred to them by other veterinary surgeons, whether they are vets working elsewhere or vets who are working in our own general practice department.
My pet is going to stay overnight – will someone be there?
At Willows we are committed to providing the best levels of care for our patients. The practice is staffed 24 hours a day and nursing staff are on premises overnight to look after the in-patients. Any hospitalised patients have whatever treatments and other attention they require as often as is necessary throughout the night.
Are the staff at Willows properly trained?
We take pride in what we do, and providing top level care for our patients can only be done by having personnel who are properly trained, either through courses provided by others or by being trained in-house. We are a recognised post-graduate training centre for vets as well as being a registered training centre for veterinary nurses. In addition, we encourage all members of staff to attend regular continuing education meetings, conferences, seminars etc and we provide our own sponsored meetings for staff, using speakers from both inside and outside the practice.
How much is my pet's treatment going to cost?
If you would like details of consultation fees and routine procedures such as neutering, please contact reception for up to date pricing. If your pet has a more complex problem then the vet will be pleased to give you an estimate of further treatment costs at the time of the consultation, before you decide whether or not to go ahead.
My pet is insured – will the costs of treatment be covered?
You will need to check with your insurance company about your level of cover, any exclusions you may have and what excess you will need to pay. We will do our best to help with this process, but insurance companies often prefer to deal with the policyholder.
Any shortfall in the cost of treatment which is not covered by your insurance company will be payable to us by you.
My pet is insured – can Willows claim directly so I don't need to pay?
Please see our Payment Options section for our policy on direct claims.
My pet has an ongoing problem – do I need to keep paying for consultations and treatment?
In general we make a charge for every consultation your pet has with a veterinary surgeon and for all treatments we prescribe. Exceptions are appointments with nurses which are free of charge, a free six month health check after puppy or kitten vaccinations and the first two post-operative check-ups after a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia (excluding ear syringing).
I want to give some feedback about Willows – how do I do this?
If you would like to give us feedback when you visit the practice you will find comment cards in the waiting room which you can fill in (anonymously if you would like) and post into the comments box. We are constantly striving to improve the service we offer and we are always pleased to get feedback, whether good or bad!
If you have an issue which you would like to raise more formally then you should contact us and ask for the Practice Manager, Jenny Tubb.
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