Cancellation, NO Show, and Late Policy
We at East Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital understand that sometimes you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. In the past, we have done our best to be flexible; however, these unprecedented times have lead to a high demand for veterinary care. As a result, when a client does not call in advance to cancel an appointment, another pet is prevented from getting much needed treatment. As a result we are adjusting our cancellation, no show, and late policies as described below.
A veterinary/client relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. As such we strive to be on time for your scheduled appointments and we ask that you try to give us the same courtesy by giving us a call well in advance when you are unable to keep your appointment. As a courtesy, we provide reminder calls/texts/e-mails before your appointment. Below, our missed, late cancellation, or "no show" policies are described.
Late Arrival Policy: We make every effort to be on time for all of our appointments. Unfortunately, when even one patient arrives late, it can throw off the entire schedule for that day. In addition, rushing or "squeezing in" an appointment shortchanges the patients and contributes to decreased quality of care. As a result, a client that arrives 15 minutes or more late to their appointment will be rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but hope you understand that we are committed to providing top quality care to all of our patients.
Cancellation of an Appointment: In order to be respectful of the medical needs of other patients, please be courteous and call our office promptly if you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment time. If it is necessary to cancel your appointment, we ask that you call at least 24 hours in advance. Appointments are in high demand and your early cancellation will allow another patient access to timely veterinary care. An appointment that is cancelled without 24 hours notice will be charged a $65 missed appointment fee.
Cancellation of a Surgical Procedure or a Specialty or Sedated Procedure: Surgical and specialty as well as sedated procedures (ex. OFA radiographs, sedated examinations, etc) take a great deal of time in preparation for our staff and are in exceptionally high demand. In order to be respectful of the medical needs of other patients, please be courteous and call our office promptly if you are unable to keep your scheduled surgery. If it is necessary to cancel your appointment, we ask that you call at least 7 days in advance. Appointments are in very high demand and your early cancellation will allow another patient access to timely and in some instances life saving surgical care. A surgical procedure that is cancelled without 7 days notice will be charged a fee of $120.
Appointment No Show Policy: A "no show" is a client who misses an appointment without contacting our office. A failure to be present at the time of the scheduled appointment will be recorded as a "no show" in the patient medical record. The first time there is a "no show", we will contact you via phone/e-mail/text or mail as indicated by your primary method of contact to inform you of the missed appointment. A charge for the cost of the missed appointment fee of $65. A second occurrence of a "no show" will incur a charge for the missed appointment and require a deposit to reschedule. A 3rd occurrence of a "no show" within one year will result in you being discharged from the practice and the appointment deposit will not be returned.
We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support as we strive to provide top quality care to the furry members of your family and as we work hard to be available to our clients for the care that you need during these unprecedented times.