If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Patient Finance

Take a few minutes to read this section

Payment Options

Thank you for choosing Walton Lodge Veterinary Group for your pet’s treatment. We understand that this is a very stressful time for you, but please take a few minutes to read this section to help you understand the terms and conditions of treatment for your pet as well as the costs.

  • Payment
  • Non-insured patients
  • Insured patients
  • Financial responsibility

Payment

All queries relating to the costs of your pet’s treatment should be discussed with the Veterinary Surgeon at the initial consultation and arrangements can be finalised with reception after your initial consultation.

Please appreciate that any estimates given to you by the Veterinary Surgeon are estimates only and the cost of treatment can change depending on what extra medication or treatment your pet may need. Our Veterinary Surgeons work with your pet’s best interest at heart at all times and no two pets are the same.

 

Non-insured patients

If you do not have insurance, you may be required to pay a 50% deposit of the estimated costs at the time of your initial consultation; the balance is then due on the collection of your pet.

Insured patients

If you have adequate insurance cover, we offer a direct claim service if you are unable to settle the bill in full and cannot wait for reimbursement from your insurance provider. In this instance, we will claim the invoices due directly from your insurance provider.

Please note that direct claims must be arranged in advance, prior to your appointment.

To take advantage of this, please complete the following steps:

  1. Call your insurance provider and give them permission to speak to us or fill out a T&Cs form with one of our receptionists.
  2. In some circumstances, a pre-authorisation is not available. In these cases, we will need to speak to your insurance provider and discuss with them to see whether they are likely to cover the condition or not. Note: the insurance provider will not guarantee to pay over the phone, they will just give us the information required to make a decision.
  3. Request a pre-authorisation form and fill in your sections, sign it and then forward it on to us.  We will then complete it and forward it on to your insurance provider for processing. Please note that insurance companies can take seven working days to provide a response to a pre-authorisation request, depending on whom you are insured with. Therefore, please let us have your form as early as possible so that we can start the process. Please note that we are not always informed directly whether the request has been approved and we, therefore, recommend that you contact your insurance provider prior to attending your appointment.

An admin fee will be charged for handling the insurance claim (direct or indirect).

Note: A direct claim will not be possible should your insurance company not agree to cover or, if upon receipt of the clinical history, we have concerns that your insurance provider will not cover the condition.

Financial responsibility

You are required to sign a consent form for the treatment of your pet. This form contains a clause that specifies that you are responsible for any of our fees and costs of your pet’s treatment. If you are insured and we have agreed to do a direct claim for you but there are costs that do not get settled by your insurance provider, you remain responsible for settling those costs directly with us; this includes any ‘own excess’ that your insurance provider may deduct from their payment to us. In signing this consent form you agree to these terms and accept the liability.

Insurance Information

Have a look at our insurance information. Here, you will find guides on pet insurance and claims.

Go to Insurance