Respecting your privacy

Terms & Conditions

Registration
It is important for us to maintain accurate records of our clients and patients. In order to do this, we will often ask you to confirm the details we hold. If your details change, please inform us so we may ensure our data base is as up to date as possible.

Payment terms and Methods of payment
Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of medication.

You may settle your account using: Cash, Credit/Debit card; Maestro, solo, MasterCard, VISA, Delta or Amex. We do not accept cheques unless covered by a cheque guarantee card and by prior arrangement.

Settlement terms
Should an account not be settled in accordance with these terms we reserve the right to escalate your account to a Debt Collection Agency or Solicitor. All costs and charges may be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt: such as court fees, correspondence, court attendance, phone calls, etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any card payment not honoured, and cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being returned to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administrative costs.

Inability to pay
If for any reason you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter prior to treatment with a member of staff.

Fees
All fees and drugs charges include VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials and consumables used.

Estimates of treatment costs
We will provide on request a written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate – often a pet’s illness or injury will not follow a conventional course. We will provide the details of the price of any medicine stocked or sold on request.

Consent
Written signed consent for procedures is required in all cases when admitting a patient and may alter as the diagnostics and treatment continue. Any alterations will be discussed over the phone. Consent is also required for the use of ‘off-licence’ medications. In this case a lifetime consent can be provided to allow this to be done without asking for specific permission in each and every separate case.

Written prescriptions are available from this practice
You may obtain relevant veterinary medicinal products from your veterinary surgeon OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. There is a charge for this service. However, you will be responsible for sourcing these medications from a suitable supplier and should bear in mind that delay in the start of treatment may not be in the best interests of the welfare of your pet.

You will have to pay any supplier separately for any drugs, which costs will be at their market rate. In circumstances where it is essential to begin treatment immediately then prescriptions will not be offered. This is most likely to be in the case of injectable medications where a delay would be unacceptable. Prescriptions will not be issued for similar drugs used in anaesthesia or emergency situations.

Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe relevant veterinary medicinal products only following a clinical assessment of an animal under their care.

A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions for/supplies of relevant veterinary medicinal products every 3-6 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances.

The price of a written prescription is £30.00*. Please speak to the Veterinary Surgeon or Reception for the price of medicines.

Return of unused drugs
We are happy to accept unused medications back into the practice for disposal only. Drugs which have left the premises are no longer fit for resale and cannot be refunded. Drugs purchased from any other supplier will not be accepted for disposal.

Pet health insurance
Yorkshire Independent Referrals strongly support the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness, injury or accidents. We are willing to do direct claims for the majority of insurance companies subject to certain conditions. If you would like us to process a direct claim
on your behalf, please note that we require you to pay in full any excesses, deductions & treatments not covered by your insurance company.

Any gap between insurance cover and our invoice remains the responsibility of the client.
Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff.

Out of hours cover
Our out of hours cover is currently provided by Donaldson’s Vets, The Veterinary Hospital, Somerset Road, Almondbury, Huddersfield. They run a 365-day, 24-hour emergency service. Initial contact should be made via our usual telephone number.

Second opinions and referrals
Yorkshire Independent Referrals are happy to see second opinions providing they have been referred to us from your primary care vet. We require access to your pets’ previous medical records prior to booking an appointment and seeing your pet. If you would like a second opinion, please contact your primary care vet and they will be happy to advise you on the process.

If you would like a second opinion for your pet that is being treated with us, then please speak to the treating vet. We have a team of veterinary surgeons who would be able to see your pet for a second opinion.

If you would like your pet seen at an alternative hospital, then we will be happy to forward all clinical notes with your permission to the practice who will be seeing your pet.

There may be times when our Vets advise that your pet may need to attend a different specialist referral practice e.g. medicine, ophthalmology etc. For referrals, with your permission, we will organise the appointment and arrange for all of the relevant clinical information to be forwarded
to the referral centre in advance of your appointment.

Home visits
In the vast majority of circumstances, pets are best cared for in the surgery setting where the veterinary surgeon has access to the full range of medicines, equipment and facilities available
or every eventuality, particularly in urgent cases.

We do understand that in some situations, you may wish to ask for a veterinary surgeon to visit your home. Unfortunately, as a referral centre we would be unable to accommodate this request and would kindly ask that you arrange for your primary care vet to attend your home.

In cases of urgency, we will arrange to see your pet at our surgery as promptly as possible and
may be able to offer advice on transport options if needed.

Complaints and Standards
Yorkshire Independent Referrals aim to provide the best quality service we can for you and your pet. We hope you never feel the need to complain to us, but if you would like to make a complaint then please do so in writing and addressed to the Clinical Director. Please note that all complaints must be received within 30 days of the appointment date. Complaints can be emailed to: info@yirvet.co.uk We aim to respond to all complaints within 10-14 working days.

Standards of conduct expected of our clients
Just as clients are entitled to expect appropriate standards of care, service and value for money from us, the directors and staff are entitled to expect appropriate standards of conduct and behaviour whilst serving our patients and our clients.
Yorkshire Independent Referrals definition of ‘appropriate’ standards of conduct and behaviour is as follows; clients are not entitled to speak to us or treat us in a manner that would be considered inappropriate should we do the same to them. This includes;

• Swearing
• Aggressive, abusive or intimidating behaviour towards members of staff.
• Defamation on social media without drawing our attention to a concern.

Should such instances occur, Yorkshire Independent Referrals reserves the right to de-register
the client and their pets.

Client waiting area
Owners are responsible for keeping their pets under control whilst in the waiting room area. All animals attending the surgery must be suitably restrained for their benefit and for that of fellow clients. Dogs must always be on a lead and cats/small animals always within a suitable carrier/cage. In the interests of personal safety, clients should not approach animals that they do not know without the express permission of their owner.

Clinical records
Your pet’s clinical records, including radiographs, ultrasound scan records and laboratory test reports remain the property of Yorkshire Independent Referrals and will be kept under the terms
of the Data Protection Act (1998). You are entitled to see the records on request. Your pet’s records will be sent to another veterinary surgeon on request from them. If you require a copy
for your personal use, a charge maybe made at the rate for administrative work.

Ownership of radiographs and similar records
The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these examinations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph remains with the practice.

Repeat examinations
It is necessary both for the welfare of your pet and to meet legal obligations, for this practice to re-examine animals receiving long term medications. The interval will vary with the condition and the medication but will be no longer than every 6 months. The prevailing examination fee will be charged for that consultation.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Directors. No agent of person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

Missed appointments
All consultations are by appointment only. Clients are requested to inform the surgery in advance, preferably at least 24 hours before your appointment time, if you wish to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We reserve the right to charge for missed appointments, or for appointments cancelled or changed at short notice. Every effort is made to accommodate clients and to find available appointment slots.

*Prices correct as of June 2025

Data Protection

Yorkshire Independent Referrals will keep your personal information to be used for the benefit of your pets’ health and to update you on recommended treatments as well as any information or offers that we feel will be of benefit to you and your pet.

If you do not wish to be contacted by us, please inform our administrative team who will note your wishes on your record.

Please note that if you do not wish to be contacted you will not receive important reminders.

Your details are only passed on to third parties for sample processing and debt collection purposes where appropriate. It may occasionally be necessary to forward your details on to other Veterinary organisations, for example in a referral situation to a multi-disciplinary centre, but this will normally follow a due discussion with you – the client.

You have the right to request a copy of your information. If you would like a copy of your information to allow us to update or correct it then please contact us at info@yirvet.co.uk

Our website and Facebook page may link through to other websites of interest. Please note that if you use these links that Yorkshire Independent Referrals has no control over third party websites and cannot be responsible for your privacy and protection or for the accuracy of any information on these sites.

We shall Document Information given to us by our clients for the purposes of treating their pets, communicating with the client about said treatment and invoicing for the work done.

This information shall include names, addresses, telephone numbers (both landline and mobile) and email addresses. We receive this information from the client at the same time as receiving consent for its use.

We do not store Bank or credit card details.

Our information is shared with limited third parties for the purposes of sending out samples to external laboratories (Finn Pathologists) and debt recovery agents (Waters & Gate)

We shall hold this information for the duration of time that a client remains a client of this practice and a minimum of a further seven years as befits best practice guidelines as suggested by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

GDPR allows a client the right to:
• Be informed about their information held with us.
• Have access to the information held with us.
• Rectify errors in any information held by us.
• Erase certain information held by us.
• Restrict the processing of any information held by us.
• Object to the usage of their information in data programs

We will comply with any reasonable request within a month.

We have the right to refuse to comply to any unreasonable or excessive requests and will explain this refusal to the individual concerned.

We do not process data held on individuals except where necessary for the benefits of the health of their animals.

Clients must consent to our use of their data for the aforementioned purposes and this consent will be gained when registering or updating client’s records.

Privacy Notice

Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd

This privacy notice tells you how Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd will collect and process your personal data if you register as a client, purchase our services and products, and use our website.

About Us
Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd is an independent referral animal veterinary surgery. Our hospital is in Brighouse, Huddersfield. We protect the health and well-being of your pets and animals, offering a range of orthopaedic services that include diagnosing and treating sick and injured animals, and advising owners on the right pet care.

Who to contact regarding your personal data
We take your privacy seriously. Our Data Protection team looks after data protection and is happy to answer any of your questions about this privacy notice and how Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd uses your data. They can be contacted directly at info@yirvet.co.uk or on 01484 404770.

Yorkshire Independent Referrals as Data Controller – the personal data we collect and process
For processes where Yorkshire Independent Referrals is the Data Controller, the following charts detail the process, its purpose, the personally identifiable information (PII) collected, and the Legal Basis on which it is collected. There are six categories of processing that we undertake. We endeavor to keep this information accurate and up-to-date and not keep it longer than is necessary.

1. Website
As a referral, we would require for your vets to sort out the referral and provide information to us via our website https://yirvet.co.uk

2. Services
When you use our professional veterinary services.

3. Referrals
For practice referrals inbound and outbound – for example when you move out of area, or you are referred to our specialist services by another vet.

4. Payments
Made by cash or when there is aged debt.

5. Additional Services
When you buy Additional Services from us such as arranging cremations.

6. Security
There are various devices in use at our premises for purposes including keeping customers, staff and buildings/property safe.

Disclosure of personal data to our service providers
We may pass on your personal data to service providers contracted to Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd while providing a service to you. They act as a Data Processor on our behalf and are obliged under contract to keep your details secure, and only use them to fulfil the services they provide on our behalf. When they no longer need your data to fulfil this service, they dispose of it in line with Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd.’s procedures.

Yorkshire Independent Referrals as a Data Processor
Yorkshire Independent Referrals does not regularly deal with the following but can also act as a Data Processor for other service providers available via the practice including but not limited to accessing Microchip information and The Pet Blood Bank Service. These relationships are fully documented, and we are committed to keeping all information we process about you secure, private and keep it no longer than is necessary.

How long do we process your data for?
We have fully documented via our Retention Policy how long we keep your data for all processes where we collect PII. This is actively managed by the practice.

Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd is required to retain information in accordance with the law, such as information needed for income tax and audit purposes.

To comply with our professional liability insurance, we keep and securely store past clients; records for seven years. This includes full name, address, email address and telephone number. No payment information is retained.

Legal bases explained
We are allowed to use your personal information for a range of reasons, called ‘lawful bases’.

These are:
1. Contract. We need to collect and use personal information in order to manage your account. We are unable to provide the service without this information.
2. Legal obligation. We may need to use your personal information to meet our legal obligations, for example if we need to process Animal Health Advance Information for AHC paperwork.
3. Legitimate interests. We rely on legitimate interests, for example, when we receive information from you about your lost or missing pet.
4. Consent. We need your express consent for a few processes, for example if you want us to share information with another vet if you are moving out of area.
5. Vital interests. Where the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.
6. Necessary in the public interest. There are times when we need to share information with government services and authorities.
Your rights as a data subject

At any point while we are in possession of or processing your personal data, you the data subject, have the following rights:

• Right of access – you have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.

You can request this via email: info@yirvet.co.uk. If we do hold information about you, we will:
• give you a description of it;
• tell you why we are holding it
• tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
• let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.

Please note that you will need to provide proof of identity – a current passport or driving licence.
• Right of rectification – you have a right to correct data that we hold about you that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to be forgotten – in certain circumstances you can ask for the data we hold about you to be erased from our records.
• Right to restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply to have a right to restrict the processing.
• Right of portability – you have the right to have the data we hold about you transferred to another organisation.
• Right to object – you have the right to object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.
• Right to object to automated processing, including profiling – you also have the right to be subject to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.
• Right to judicial review: in the event that Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd refuses your request under rights of access, we will provide you with a reason as to why. You have the right to complain as outlined below.

Complaints
We take the processing of your personal data very seriously and are here to help with any concerns you may have. Please do contact the Data Protection Manager at info@yirvet.co.uk or on 01484 404770.

If you are still not happy with how your personal data is being processed by Yorkshire Independent Referrals Ltd or how your complaint has been handled, you also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ or by calling 0303 123 1113.