VIMA Terms and Conditions
Key points in plain English (the full terms below apply)
- Two ways to book. A single module at £600, or the Full Programme (all six modules) at £495 per module – £2,970 in total instead of £3,600. Both prices include one night's accommodation and are quoted without VAT.
- The Full Programme is a commitment. The £495 rate is a discount given because you commit to complete all six modules. If you withdraw without a Permitted Reason, the discount is withdrawn and you pay £600 for each module you attended or were charged for – an extra £105 per module (clause 5).
- Genuine reasons are protected. Serious illness, bereavement and other unforeseen circumstances (clause 5.5) do not cost you the discount. We will help you catch up on a missed module (clause 7).
- No upfront lump sum. Full Programme delegates are invoiced for each module as it falls due (clause 4.3).
- Cancelling a module. The refund depends on how much notice you give (clause 6).
- 14-day cooling-off. If you are a consumer booking online, you may cancel within 14 days of confirmation (clause 6.5).
- Your data. Nupsala is the controller of your personal data. Clause 17 explains what we collect, why, who we share it with and your rights.
1.About these terms
1.1
These terms (the Terms) apply to every booking for the Veterinary Interventional Musculoskeletal Advances programme (VIMA or the Programme) and form the contract between you and Nupsala Ltd, a limited company registered in England under company number 8054726, trading as Nupsala, whose registered address is 37 Pate Road, Leicester Road Industrial Estate, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0RG (we, us).
1.2
Please read the Terms with the information on the booking page. By completing a booking and ticking the acceptance boxes you agree to them.
1.3
In these Terms:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Module | One of the six face-to-face modules of the Programme: 1 Elbow; 2 Shoulder; 3 Stifle; 4 Hip; 5 Spine and Distal Joints; 6 Clinical Consolidation and Capstone Review. |
| Individual Module Booking | A booking for one or more Modules that is not a Full Programme Booking. |
| Full Programme Booking | A booking, made as a single commitment, for all six Modules at the Full Programme Rate. |
| Standard Rate | £600 per Module. |
| Full Programme Rate | £495 per Module. |
| Delegate | The person who attends the Programme. |
| Booking Party | The person or organisation responsible for booking and payment. This may be the Delegate. |
| Permitted Reason | A reason listed in clause 5.5. |
| Counted Module | A Module that counts towards the Standard Rate Adjustment, as defined in clause 5.3. |
| Consumer | An individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. |
| Assessment Requirements | The requirements described in clause 9.1. |
1.4
Nothing in these Terms affects any right you have as a Consumer that cannot lawfully be limited. To be safe, we apply the Consumer protections in these Terms to every Delegate.
1.5
If a practice or employer is the Booking Party, the Booking Party is responsible for paying the fees and for making sure the Delegate knows and follows these Terms. The Full Programme Commitment in clause 5 applies to the Booking Party and the Delegate.
2.The Programme
2.1
The Programme is delivered through six progressive Modules, each focused on an anatomical region. Each Module includes guided pre-learning, faculty-led teaching, practical skills training, competency assessment and workplace-based case portfolio work.
2.2
Module 1 (Elbow) runs on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December 2026 at voco Oxford Spires, Oxford. The dates and venues of Modules 2 to 6 are provisional. Months marked * on the booking page are to be confirmed. We will confirm each date and venue in writing at least 8 weeks before the Module.
2.3
Places are limited to 26 Delegates per Module. We give priority to Full Programme Bookings, so that a core group of Delegates can progress through all six Modules together. Individual Module Bookings are accepted in order of booking where places remain, and anyone else joins the waiting list. Within each group, veterinary surgeons are offered places first (clause 3.3).
2.4
The faculty for Module 1 are listed on the booking page. We may change faculty where necessary and will tell you as soon as we can.
2.5
The Programme is educational. Clause 11 explains your professional responsibilities.
3.Booking and how the contract is formed
3.1
You book through the booking page by choosing an Individual Module Booking or a Full Programme Booking and giving the information we ask for.
3.2
Your booking is an offer. The contract is formed when we send you a written confirmation email (the Confirmation). Joining the waiting list does not create a contract. If a place is offered to you from the waiting list, we will hold it for 24 hours.
3.3
Eligibility. The Programme is designed for registered veterinary surgeons, who are offered places first. Veterinary nurses may attend, but must apply what they learn only within their own scope of competence, their professional responsibilities and the requirements of the RCVS and its Code of Professional Conduct. All Delegates remain individually responsible for making sure that any use of what they learn on the Programme complies with all relevant regulatory requirements.
3.4
You must give accurate information. We may refuse or cancel a booking if the information is wrong or payment is not made, and we will refund anything you paid for the cancelled booking.
3.5
With the Confirmation we will send a copy of these Terms and the pre-course questionnaire. Please complete the questionnaire before the first Module so the faculty can tailor the sessions.
4.Fees and payment
4.1
The fees are as follows. All prices are quoted without VAT.
| Booking type | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Module Booking | £600 per Module | Includes one night's accommodation and the items in clause 4.2. |
| Full Programme Booking | £495 per Module (£2,970 for six Modules) | Saves £630 compared with six Individual Module Bookings (£3,600). Conditional on the commitment in clause 5. The Full Programme Rate is fixed for all six Modules. |
4.2
Included: tuition, pre-learning materials, practical sessions and models, refreshments on the programme, the faculty dinner on Day 1 of each Module, and one night's accommodation (the night of Day 1). Not included: travel, extra nights, meals not on the programme, personal and professional insurance.
4.3
Invoicing. All invoices are issued, and all payments are collected and reconciled, by Nupsala. If you choose a Full Programme Booking you do not pay the full £2,970 upfront. We invoice each Module as it falls due, about 4 weeks before it starts, payable by 14 days before the first day of that Module. For an Individual Module Booking, payment terms will be confirmed in your booking confirmation.
4.4
You can pay by bank transfer or card. Card payments are processed by our payment provider, Stripe, and we do not store your card details.
4.5
If an invoice is not paid on time we may withhold your place, access to pre-learning materials and assessment, and may treat the booking as withdrawn under clause 5.3(c) after giving you 7 days' written notice. If you are a business customer we may charge interest and recovery costs under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
5.Full Programme Commitment
5.1
Your commitment. By choosing a Full Programme Booking you commit to attend and complete all six Modules. In return we reserve your place on every Module and give you the Full Programme Rate.
5.2
The discount is conditional. The Full Programme Rate is a discount of £105 per Module (£630 over six Modules). We give it only because you have committed to the whole Programme: we plan venues, faculty and the size of the cohort on that basis, and places are limited. It is not an unconditional price.
5.3
If you withdraw without a Permitted Reason. This clause applies if you:
(a)
tell us you will not continue with the Programme;
(b)
do not attend a Module you are booked on, and no Permitted Reason applies; or
(c)
are removed from the Programme for unpaid invoices (clause 4.5) or conduct (clause 12.2).
Then the Full Programme Rate stops applying to you and you must pay the Standard Rate for every Counted Module. A Counted Module is each Module you attended in whole or in part, and any Module on which clause 5.4 applies. We will invoice a Standard Rate Adjustment, calculated as: (Standard Rate × number of Counted Modules) minus the amounts you have already paid or been invoiced for those Modules. It is payable within 14 days. You will not be charged for later Modules that are not Counted Modules.
5.4
Notice. To avoid a Module becoming a Counted Module, you must give us written notice that you are withdrawing at least 28 days before the first day of the next Module. If you give less notice, or do not attend, that Module is a Counted Module.
5.5
Permitted Reasons. Each of the following is a Permitted Reason if it was not foreseeable when you booked and you cannot reasonably avoid it:
(a)
serious illness, injury or medical condition of the Delegate, including pregnancy-related complications, supported by medical evidence;
(b)
serious illness, injury or death of a partner, child, parent, dependant or other close family member, or of someone the Delegate cares for;
(c)
bereavement of a close family member or close friend;
(d)
a legal obligation that cannot be moved, such as jury service or a court summons;
(e)
call-up for military reserve service or emergency service duty;
(f)
a change to the date or venue of a Module that we make under clause 8 which the Delegate cannot attend; and
(g)
any other genuine, unforeseeable circumstance outside the Delegate's reasonable control that we accept, acting reasonably and in good faith.
5.6
If a Permitted Reason applies, no Standard Rate Adjustment is charged and you keep the Full Programme Rate for the Modules you have completed and any you defer. You may (a) defer the Module to its next available delivery under clause 7.2, or (b) withdraw from the Programme. If you withdraw, we refund anything you have paid for Modules you have not attended.
5.7
Telling us and evidence. Tell us in writing as soon as reasonably possible at [email protected] (please put VIMA in the subject line). Give reasonable evidence within 14 days, for example a fit note or doctor's letter, a letter from your employer or a court summons. We treat this in confidence and will decide within 10 working days. If you disagree with our decision you can use the complaints procedure in clause 18.
5.8
Not Permitted Reasons. For example: a change of mind, workload, staff shortages or rota changes, the cost of the Programme, relocation or a change of job by choice, dissatisfaction with the Programme (please use the complaints procedure first), and failing to complete pre-learning or case studies.
5.9
Worked examples.
| Scenario | What happens | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A. Attended Modules 1 and 2 (paid 2 × £495 = £990). Gives 6 weeks' notice before Module 3 that they will not continue. No Permitted Reason. | 2 Counted Modules at the Standard Rate = £1,200. Less £990 already paid. No charge for Modules 3 to 6. | Pay £210 |
| B. As A, but gives only 10 days' notice before Module 3. The Module 3 invoice (£495) has been issued. | 3 Counted Modules (Module 3 counts because notice was under 28 days) = £1,800. Less £990 paid. The balance includes the Module 3 invoice. No charge for Modules 4 to 6. | Pay £810 in total (£495 invoiced + £315 adjustment) |
| C. As A, but the Delegate is seriously ill and provides a medical certificate. | Permitted Reason. No adjustment. The Delegate may defer Module 3 or withdraw. Any payment for Module 3 is refunded. | Pay £0 |
5.10
Not a penalty. The Standard Rate Adjustment only reverses the discount. It is the price you would have paid had you booked the Modules individually. You are not charged for Modules you do not attend (other than as set out in clause 5.4).
5.11
Acknowledgement. At booking you will be asked to tick a separate box confirming that you have read and understood this clause 5, including the amounts above. We record the date and time of your acceptance.
5.12
Your right to cancel within 14 days under clause 6.5 comes first. If you use it, no Standard Rate Adjustment applies.
6.Cancellation, transfers and refunds
6.1
Cancellations must be sent in writing to [email protected] (please put VIMA in the subject line) and take effect when we receive them on a working day.
6.2
Individual Module Booking. The refund depends on how long before the first day of the Module we receive your notice:
| Notice given | Refund |
|---|---|
| 28 days or more | Full refund of fees paid, less an administration charge |
| Fewer than 28 days, or non-attendance | No refund |
| A Permitted Reason applies (clause 5.5) | Full refund, or transfer to the next delivery of the Module at no extra charge, at your choice |
6.3
Full Programme Booking. You cannot cancel individual Modules and keep the Full Programme Rate. Cancelling or missing a Module without a Permitted Reason is a withdrawal under clause 5.3. If a Permitted Reason applies, see clauses 5.6 and 7.
6.4
Changing the Delegate. For an Individual Module Booking you may transfer your place to a colleague who meets the eligibility criteria, free of charge, if you tell us in writing at least 7 days before the Module and the colleague accepts these Terms. A Full Programme place cannot be transferred without our written consent.
6.5
14-day cooling-off for Consumers. If you are a Consumer and book online, by phone or by email, you may cancel within 14 days after the day we send the Confirmation, without giving a reason, by telling us in writing. We will refund everything you have paid within 14 days of your notice. No Standard Rate Adjustment or administration charge applies. If a Module starts within those 14 days and you ask us to provide it during that period, you must pay for the part of the Module already provided if you then cancel.
6.6
Refunds are paid within 14 days of our agreeing to them, to the original payment method.
6.7
If you leave a Module early, arrive late or do not use the accommodation or dinner, there is no refund or reduction. Late arrival or early departure may prevent competency sign-off (clause 9).
7.Missed Modules, deferral and catch-up
7.1
To receive the Programme certificate you must complete all six Modules and meet the Assessment Requirements.
7.2
If you miss a Module for a Permitted Reason, you may attend its next scheduled delivery, subject to availability, at no extra course fee (once per Module). You may need to attend out of sequence. If we do not run another delivery within 12 months we will either arrange a suitable alternative or refund the fee for that Module.
7.3
If you miss a Module without a Permitted Reason, clause 5.3 applies to a Full Programme Booking. For an Individual Module Booking there is no refund, but you may rebook at the Standard Rate, subject to availability.
7.4
You should complete the Programme within 24 months of your first Module. We may extend this if a Permitted Reason applies.
8.Changes or cancellation by us
8.1
We may change dates, times, venues, faculty or content where reasonably necessary. We will tell you as soon as we can. We will give at least 8 weeks' notice of confirmed dates for later Modules.
8.2
If we make a material change to the date or venue of a Module and you cannot attend, you may transfer to an alternative date or withdraw. Withdrawing for this reason is a Permitted Reason and you receive a refund for the Modules you do not attend.
8.3
If we cancel a Module, we will offer you a refund of the fee paid for it or a place on the rescheduled Module, at your choice. We are not responsible for non-refundable travel costs unless caused by our breach or negligence.
8.4
Different Modules may be held at different venues.
9.Assessment, attendance and certificate
9.1
To complete the Programme you must meet the Assessment Requirements in the Delegate Welcome Pack and each module handbook. These include practical competency sign-off, module assessments and case-based work. You must also complete the pre-learning and attend all practical teaching sessions.
9.2
We give opportunities for supervised practice, coaching and additional supervised attempts before competency sign-off. We do not guarantee that you will pass. There is no fee for supervised practice or additional attempts during a Module. The aim is for every Delegate's competency to be signed off on the day.
9.3
On completing all six Modules and the Assessment Requirements, we will award the certificate of completion. No programme certificate is issued for partial completion. Details of any certificate of attendance for individual Modules will be confirmed before each Module.
9.4
The certificate is not a regulated qualification, a licence to practise or a specialist title. It is not awarded by any regulator. Information about CPD will be confirmed before the first Module.
10.Pre-course learning and case studies
10.1
We will issue pre-course learning at least 10 days before each Module. Please allow about 3 hours to complete it. Further information about CPD will follow.
10.2
You must complete the case studies from your own clinical practice using the template provided, and submit them before the next Module.
10.3
Confidentiality. Do not include client names, addresses, contact details or any other information that identifies a person. Anonymise every case. You are responsible for having any permission needed from your practice.
10.4
Selected cases may be used in group discussions. Treat other Delegates' cases as confidential and do not share them outside the Programme.
10.5
By submitting a case you confirm it is genuine and accurate. We will not publish an individual case without your permission.
11.Professional responsibility
11.1
The Programme is educational. You remain responsible for your own clinical judgement and for working within your competence and the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct.
11.2
Practical sessions use models. If you use any technique on a patient, that is your sole responsibility and we are not responsible for the clinical outcome.
11.3
The content is general and not advice on any individual case. Evidence changes over time.
11.4
Check with your professional indemnity insurer that you are covered for the procedures you carry out. Any product or protocol discussed must be used in line with its licence, the prescribing cascade and your professional obligations.
12.Conduct, materials, recording and community
12.1
Be respectful and inclusive, follow instructions from faculty and venue staff, and follow health and safety rules in practical sessions, including safe handling of needles.
12.2
We may remove a Delegate whose conduct breaches this clause or puts anyone's safety at risk. No refund is given, and clause 5.3(c) applies to a Full Programme Booking.
12.3
All course materials are protected by copyright. You may use them for your own learning and practice. You may not copy, share, post or sell them.
12.4
Do not photograph or record sessions without our consent. We may take photographs or video for the Programme. We need your separate consent before we use your image or testimonial for marketing (clause 17).
12.5
Delegate community. Joining the VIMA delegate community group, a closed Facebook group, is optional and needs your agreement. Other members will be able to see the details you share with the group. You can leave at any time. Members must follow the group rules and the platform's terms.
12.6
Do not post other Delegates' information or case details on social media.
13.Venue, accommodation and welfare
13.1
We book rooms for the nights stated in clause 4.2. Rooms are allocated in order of booking, Full Programme Bookings first. Extra nights are at your own cost. We cannot guarantee a room if you book late.
13.2
Tell us about any dietary, access or other requirements when you book. We will try to accommodate them.
13.3
The faculty dinner on Day 1 is included and we strongly encourage you to attend.
13.4
You are responsible for your own travel and belongings. Do not attend if you are unwell and tell us as soon as possible.
14.Sponsorship and independence
14.1
VIMA is an educational initiative with Nupsala as its main sponsor. Other companies may be offered the opportunity to sponsor future Modules.
14.2
Faculty choose the educational content. Faculty will disclose any commercial or professional conflicts of interest relevant to the programme content, recommendations, teaching activities or educational materials. You are not required to buy anything.
14.3
We do not give sponsors your personal data unless you have given your explicit consent.
15.Liability
15.1
Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited.
15.2
Subject to clause 15.1, our total liability to you for any claim relating to a Module is limited to the fees you paid for that Module.
15.3
If you are a business customer we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or loss of profit or earnings (including locum costs). If you are a Consumer, we are responsible for foreseeable loss caused by our breach or negligence, but not for loss that was not foreseeable.
15.4
We are not responsible for clinical decisions you make.
16.Events outside our control
16.1
We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, travel disruption, venue closure, illness of faculty, industrial action, or a public health emergency.
16.2
If this means we cannot run a Module, clause 8.3 applies.
17.Privacy notice
17.1
This clause is our privacy notice for the VIMA website, booking process and Programme. It is part of these Terms.
17.2
Who is responsible. Nupsala Ltd (company number 8054726), 37 Pate Road, Leicester Road Industrial Estate, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 0RG, is the controller of your personal data. Contact: [email protected].
17.3
What we collect and why.
| What | Examples | Why we use it | Lawful basis | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booking details | Name, email, phone, practice, job title, RCVS registration number | Manage your booking, confirm eligibility, contact you | Contract; legitimate interests | Until 6 years after the Programme ends |
| Payment and invoicing | Billing details, invoices, payment records | Invoice, take payment, accounting and tax | Contract; legal obligation | 6 years after the financial year |
| Pre-course questionnaire | Experience, confidence, areas of interest | Tailor teaching to the cohort | Legitimate interests | 12 months after the Programme |
| Assessment and portfolio | Attendance, MCQ results, competency sign-off, case studies, feedback | Assess you, issue and verify certificates | Contract; legitimate interests | 6 years from completion |
| Dietary, access and health information | Allergies, mobility needs | Catering, access and safety | Explicit consent (special category data) | Deleted 30 days after the Module |
| Photos, video and testimonials | Images from Modules, quotes | Marketing and community | Consent | Until you withdraw consent or 3 years |
| Marketing preferences | Email address, interests | Updates about future Modules | Consent (or soft opt-in for existing customers) | Until you unsubscribe |
| Website and technical | IP address, device, cookies | Security, analytics | Legitimate interests; consent for non-essential cookies | As in the cookie policy |
| Messages and complaints | Emails, call notes | Respond and keep a record | Legitimate interests | 2 years |
17.4
Where data comes from. From you; from your practice if it books for you; from our payment provider; and from faculty (assessment records).
17.5
Who we share it with. Nupsala's accounts team; VIMA administrators; faculty; the venue and hotel (names, arrival, dietary and access needs); our academic partner, where needed for programme review; our IT, website, payment, email and learning-portal providers; the delegate group platform if you join; and professional advisers or regulators where required. We do not sell your data and we do not give it to sponsors without your explicit consent.
17.6
Transfers abroad. Some providers may process data outside the UK. If so we use approved safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum.
17.7
Case studies. Do not put client personal data into case studies or the portal (clause 10.3). If any is included by mistake we will delete it.
17.8
Marketing. We will email you about future Modules only if you have agreed (or, for existing customers, where the law allows). Every email has an unsubscribe link.
17.9
Security. We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data.
17.10
Your rights. You can ask to see, correct, delete or restrict your data, to receive a copy in a portable format, to object to certain uses, and to withdraw consent at any time. Contact [email protected]. We will reply within one month.
17.11
Complaints. You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
17.12
Cookies. Our website uses cookies as described in our cookie policy.
17.13
Changes. We will tell you about important changes to this notice.
18.Complaints
18.1
Tell us at [email protected] (please put VIMA in the subject line). We will acknowledge within 5 working days and aim to reply fully within 20 working days.
18.2
If you are not satisfied, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a senior member of the Nupsala team.
19.General
19.1
Entire agreement. These Terms, the Confirmation and any invoices are the whole agreement between us.
19.2
Changes. The version of the Terms in force when you book applies to that booking. Any change to the Terms for a booking in progress must be agreed in writing.
19.3
Transfer. We may transfer our rights and duties to another Nupsala group company or a successor. You may not transfer yours without our consent (except as clause 6.4 allows).
19.4
Severance and waiver. If part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in force. Failing to enforce a right is not a waiver of it.
19.5
Third parties. No one else has rights under these Terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
19.6
Notices. We may give notice by email to the address you gave when you booked.
19.7
Law. English law applies. The courts of England and Wales have non-exclusive jurisdiction. If you are a Consumer living in Scotland or Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in your local courts.
