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Overview:

This is without doubt the most challenging veterinary position within a practice. The CD is responsible for all day-to-day aspects of running the business, including achieving and maintaining high professional standards, maximising turnover, keeping the team happy and productive, handling client complaints, organising the work rota and ensuring all relevant legislation and regulations are complied with. Usually a CD will run a branch of a multi-centred clinic or a single practice within a larger corporate. Ideally he or she has previous experience in a senior veterinary role or might even have run his or her own business. Good communication skills and excellent command of the English language are mandatory for this position. The task is a tough one, but the salary is usually significantly higher than in any other veterinary position and the job will allow a successful candidate to develop (or improve) excellent management and business skills.

 

Responsibilities:

• Ensure that the day-to-day operations of the practice are compliant with "best practice" and follow the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines and regulations.
• Optimise service to clients in order to develop the business and the reputation of the practice and company.
• Co-ordinate clinical audits to ensure the clinical performance of the practice is maintained in line with current thinking in the veterinary profession.
• Ensure proper veterinary pharmacy in accordance with legal requirements and the recommendations of the British Veterinary Association and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
• Ensure relevant training and continuing professional development is provided to all members of the team.
• Maintain an effective staff rota, focusing on minimum locum usage and minimum overtime.
• Maintain a good working relationship with all staff and monitor dynamics within the team to ensure effective, positive communication between all members.
• Ensure all personnel issues are dealt with within the practice in a professional and legal manner.
• Ensure compliance with all employment law, including Health and Safety legislation.
• Interview all new veterinary surgeons for the practice.
• Manage the financial activities of the practice.
• Maximise turnover and productivity within the practice.
• Ensure a professional fee structure is being implemented at practice and correct charging.
• Maximise stock usage, profitability and control.

Overview:

The senior veterinary surgeon of a practice or clinic is usually head of the veterinary team. He or she is mainly responsible for the veterinary side of the business, including establishing veterinary procedures and protocols, achieving and maintaining high professional standards, maximising turnover, keeping the veterinary team happy (and productive), handling client complaints, organising the work rota and ensuring all relevant legislation and regulations are complied with. Applicants should have sound veterinary knowledge and experience. Good communication skills and command of the English language are essential to fulfil the criteria of this position. Senior veterinary surgeons are expected to lead by example. The job can be quite challenging, but for the right person creating and shaping his or her own team can be both rewarding and satisfying.

 

Responsibilities:

• Ensure that the day-to-day operations of the practice are compliant with "best practice" and follow the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines and regulations - you must lead by example.
• Make sure that the practice is run efficiently in order to meet budgets; maximise turnover and productivity within the practice.
• Optimise service to clients in order to develop the business and the reputation of the practice and company.
• Be familiar with and work within the legislation affecting the practice of veterinary medicine in the UK and all the ethics of practice as outlined in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Guide to Professional Conduct.
• Provide clinical audit to ensure clinical performance of the practice is maintained in line with current thinking in the veterinary profession.
• Assist the practice manager in managing the financial activities of the practice with the aim to maximise profits.
• Interview all new vets for the practice.
• Ensure responsibility for proper veterinary pharmacy according to legal requirements and British Veterinary Association and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines.
• Produce and manage a rota system to ensure effective, profitable operation of the team (minimum locum usage, minimum overtime).
• Maintain a good working relationship with all members of the team; communicate effectively and in a positive manner with all colleagues.
• Ensure a professional fee structure is being implemented at practice and correct charging.
• Maximise stock usage, profitability and control.

Overview:

Assistant veterinary surgeons are based at practices or clinics. They are usually responsible to the Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Clinical Director and/or Practice Principal of that practice. The role of the assistant veterinary surgeon is to treat surgical and medical patients with the informed consent of the client and in accordance with UK legislation and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Guide to Professional Conduct. The position is ideal for those who want to concentrate fully on pure veterinary work and do not wish to be responsible for the management and day-to-day administrative operations of the practice or team. It is a great opportunity for recent graduates to gain experience, but the position is also suitable for more experienced vets who would like to work part time, study for a postgraduate qualification or just want to work in practice whilst learning more about the country and the people they have come to.

Responsibilities:

• Assess and examine patients when on duty and provide surgical and medical treatment as appropriate.
• Write up all cases in full within an appropriate time scale.
• Ensure all laboratory and clinical reports are recorded on the animal's clinical records.
• Communicate effectively and in a positive manner with clients, maintaining a high professional standard. Inform clients about their animals' progress, results of any tests, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and costs involved.
• Attend the adequate annual hours of Continuous Professional Development as required by the RCVS.
• Maintain a good working relationship with all members of the team.
• Follow practice protocols and procedures in regard to surgical and medical treatment, nurse training, general hygiene and dress code.
• Carry out all reasonable duties as required in a professional manner.

Overview:

Locum vets replace an absent veterinarian within an existing veterinary practice or clinic. Most locum vets are “self-employed”, which means that it is the locum vets’ own responsibility to declare any income in their annual tax revenue, to have the necessary insurances (e.g. private health cover and professional indemnity insurance) in place and to attend the adequate annual hours of Continuous Professional Development as required by the RCVS. Locum Vets work in a particular position on a temporary basis to enable the practice to continue providing its clients and patients with the high level of service and standards of veterinary medicine they’re accustomed with. All locum vets must be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and should have at least two years of experience with the species they are supposed to work with. Locum vets must be capable to work sole charge and should be able to follow through their own cases. They usually work as part of a team of other dedicated vets, nurses and admin staff. Work placements can range from a few days to several months and can be anywhere in the UK. Locum vets are usually paid per day worked and sometimes also get a percentage of their turnover as an additional bonus. Accommodation is provided in many, but not all, cases. Locum positions allow a tailor-made work-life balance at a fairly high income, as the pay per day is usually higher than that of an employed vet and the placements chosen are completely up to the locum.

Responsibilities:

• Strive to deliver the same (or better) services and the same (or better) standards of veterinary medicine as those provided by the absentee.
• Work as part of a team of dedicated veterinarians, nurses and administrative staff.
• Follow practice protocols and procedures in regard to surgical and medical treatment, nurse training, general hygiene and dress code.
• Carry out all reasonable duties as required in a professional manner.
• Assess and examine patients when on duty and provide high standards of surgical and medical treatment as appropriate.
• Write up all cases in full within an appropriate time scale.
• Ensure all laboratory and clinical reports are recorded on the animal's clinical records.
• Communicate effectively and in a positive manner with clients, maintaining a high professional standard. Inform clients about their animals' progress, results of any tests, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and costs involved.
• Attend the adequate annual hours of Continuous Professional Development as required by the RCVS.
• Maintain a good working relationship with all members of the team.

Overview:

Emergency/night vets usually only work at night or, in some cases, on weekends and bank holidays; in general these duties are called 'out of hour' because they are not covered by normal daytime working hours. Emergency/night vets either work within a bigger practice covering that practice's own out of hour duties or are employed by an emergency clinic, which provides out of hour cover for a number of 'member' practices. Wherever they work, emergency/night vets are normally part of a dedicated team of vets and nurses and strive to deliver high standards of patient care, customer service and member practice satisfaction. Like all veterinarians working in the UK, emergency/night vets must be registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). They should have at least two years of experience with the species for which they are providing out of hour cover and ideally have some previous experience in emergency veterinary medicine and surgery. As part of their duties they will have to look after hospitalised patients as well as assess, examine and treat new emergency admissions and should therefore be able to work sole charge under pressure and to follow through their own cases. Due to the fact that night and emergency positions are, by definition, expecting the vet to work unsocial hours, the salary is normally substantially higher than for a "day-time" position. Most emergency/night vets work on a rota system which allows them plenty of time off to recover and pursue other interests. The most common working rota is one week on (i.e. on duty) and one (or two) weeks off (i.e. free time). Accommodation is usually, but not always, provided. The nature of the position means that the workload is almost always exciting and challenging and allows the veterinary surgeon to quickly build up confidence and skills and become an expert in emergency medicine and surgery.

Responsibilities:

• Work as part of a team of dedicated veterinarians, nurses and admin staff.
• Follow practice protocols and procedures in regard to surgical and medical treatment, general hygiene and dress code.
• Carry out all reasonable duties as required in a professional manner.
• Provide telephone advice to clients.
• Assess and examine new emergency admissions when on duty and provide high standards of surgical and medical treatment as appropriate.
• Provide triage and management of hospitalised animals.
• Write up all cases in full within an appropriate time scale.
• Ensure all laboratory and clinical reports are recorded on the animal's clinical records.
• Communicate effectively and in a positive manner with clients, maintaining a high professional standard. Inform clients about their animals' progress, results of any tests, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and costs involved.
• Attend the adequate annual hours of Continuous Professional Development as required by the RCVS.
• Maintain a good working relationship with all members of the team.