By using the services offered by Gallop and Bound Physiotherapy, you, the owner/s, accept and agree to the Terms and Conditions of this agreement. If you do not agree to the Terms and Conditions laid out, then please do not use this service, including use of educational content on Gallop and Bound Physiotherapy’s website. The Terms and Conditions may be changed from time to time, but you will be notified when this happens. You may withdraw your consent at any time by notifying the Physiotherapist and we will terminate our intervention for you and your animal.

Veterinary Consent

It is a legal requirement that all therapists obtain veterinary consent before any new treatment can take place (see the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, Section 19.19 and Veterinary Surgeons [Exemptions] Order 2015). Written consent from the veterinary surgeon, or verbal consent directly given from the veterinarian to the physiotherapist, is required prior to assessment and treatment.

It is you, the owner/s, who is responsible for obtaining written consent and/or veterinary practice details for the physiotherapist to obtain consent prior to assessment and treatment. Should the veterinarian require a consent template, the physiotherapist can provide this but this will need to be arranged prior to assessment and treatment.

Services

With Gallop and Bound Physiotherapy, your animal will always be seen by a Chartered Physiotherapist who is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy. The physiotherapist will assess and treat your animal in line with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy’s codes of practice. The physiotherapist will write and hold notes on your animal and the treatment they receive for seven years after last treatment. All information will be confidential and operating under the Data Protection Act (1988) and (2018), complying with GDPR legislation.

The physiotherapist will discuss their assessment findings with you prior to providing any treatment.

The physiotherapist is skilled in a number of treatment options, but will offer the treatment that is available and that they have clinically reasoned as the most appropriate for your animal’s presentation. You, as the owner/s, have the right to refuse or withdraw treatment for your animal at any point.

Treatment Fees

The physiotherapist will generate an invoice for all animals treated, for the owner/s own records.

The physiotherapist will keep their own copy of the invoice and will update it once it is paid.

Payment can be made by cash, card or via BACS. On receiving treatment for your animal, payment must be made on the same day of that assessment/treatment.

Please note, if the physiotherapist agrees to travel to you to treat your animal on your property/livery, there will be a flat rate travel charge of £5 if the distance is more than 10 miles from Spetisbury (near Blandford Forum) and £10 if the distance is more than 20 miles.

If the physiotherapist feels the animal requires a veterinary surgeon review first, or if the animal shows signs of aggression that could endanger the physiotherapist, owner/s and/or animal, they may not treat the animal. Should such a situation arise, full payment is still required for the session as you are paying for the physiotherapist’s time allotted and clinical expertise.

Cancellations and Missed Appointments

You, the owner/s, can cancel your animal’s appointment, free of charge, if you notify the physiotherapist with 48 hours’ notice prior to the allotted appointment time. If you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, you will be charged 50% of the full appointment fee and will be required to pay within the seven-day payment period from the date in which you cancelled. This fee is charged due to the physiotherapist not being given a sufficient timeframe to book another patient in that allotted time.

If you miss your animal’s allotted appointment time and do not give any notice to the physiotherapist, you will be charged the full fee and will be required to pay this within the seven-day payment period from the date of your missed appointment. This fee is charged due to the physiotherapist not being given any time to book another patient in that allotted time.

The physiotherapist reserves the right to cancel any appointments at any time due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances. Please ensure you have provided the correct contact details so we can alert you as soon as we are aware that cancellation is required. The physiotherapist will then strive to rebook your animal’s appointment at both their and your earliest convenience.

Insurance Claims

If you wish to claim your animal’s treatment through their insurance, it is up to you to provide the insurance company with the relevant information. The physiotherapist will still require full payment from you on the day of treatment. It is then your responsibility to claim back the money from your insurance company, using the invoices provided.

Illness and Health Concerns

Animals with infections or contagious conditions will not be treated until they are a minimum of one week clear of symptoms and have veterinary surgeon consent to continue with physiotherapy. This is both to allow the animal to recover and to prevent spread of the condition to the physiotherapists’ other patients.

If the veterinary surgeon advises that physiotherapeutic treatment should stop, it is the owner/s responsibility to notify the physiotherapist as such.

In light of Covid-19, should a pandemic restrict the indoor attendance or mixing of owner/s and physiotherapist, the physiotherapist has the right to deny being indoors with the owner/s if this is advised by Government guidelines and allows continuation of work. This may mean the animal is treated indoors whilst the owner remains outdoors.

Marketing and Visual Content

The physiotherapist may request the use of your animal’s images on their business pages, for educational or marketing purposes. If you do not want your animal’s images shared on Gallop and Bound Physiotherapy’s business pages, please alert the physiotherapist to your wishes and they will not be shared. Photographs or videos may still be kept on your animal’s confidential notes to support the physiotherapist’s assessment and clinical reasoning for treatment. Should the physiotherapist feel it is appropriate to share these with your animal’s veterinary surgeon, they will discuss this and request consent from you, the owner/s first.