February 2021

Spending a small fortune developing a business is probably not at the top of the agenda for most people in their seventies. But Duncan MacIntyre of Bute and Cowal Vets is not most people, as VBJ discovered when he spoke to us last month about his ambitious plans for expansion…

33 mins

January 2021

One of the many lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that sustainability and the need to live more lightly on our planet have now become urgent objectives for everybody and every business. For experienced small animal vet Rob Douwes, these concepts were the driving force when he opened Green Vets in York 18 months ago…

24 mins

December 2020

Coronavirus continues to dominate the agenda, but for some the Brexit deadline is now starting to loom just as menacingly. For practices like Parklands Veterinary Group in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, what happens on 1 January is of huge significance, as VBJ discovered when we spoke to clinical director Eamon Donnelly…

24 mins

November 2020

One of the most persistent myths attached to owning a practice is that it’s impossible to maintain a sensible work-life balance when you’re running the show. But the reality can be very different, as VBJ discovered when we paid a visited to Henlow Veterinary Centre, an independent first opinion practice in Bedfordshire…

5 mins

October 2020

Eastcott Referrals was born when Peter Southerden began offering dental referrals from a small practice based in an old Victorian house in Swindon almost 20 years ago. The practice long ago outgrew its humble origins and while dentistry is still a key focus, Eastcott now has strong roots in many different areas...

36 mins

September 2020

In the first months of lockdown, BVA guidance meant most practices were only able to deal with emergency cases, and work all but dried up for some. But for the teams at Vets Now Manchester, the coronavirus crisis meant that while some things changed, in many ways everything stayed the same...

35 mins

August 2020

Running a fast-growing 24-hour small animal practice is a demanding job, whatever the weather. Throw in a pandemic that shuts down society for months and that task becomes a whole lot more complicated, as VBJ discovered when we spoke to JVP at Vets4Pets Northampton, Jenny Millington...

35 mins

July 2020

For most small animal practices across the UK, the story of coronavirus has been pretty bleak – certainly where practice revenues have been concerned. But at Bury St Edmunds Veterinary Centre the crisis has played out differently, as VBJ discovered when we hooked up with partner Jenny Reason...

30 mins

June 2020

The coronavirus outbreak has brought massive and sudden change to the veterinary profession. But practices are adapting to a new normal and lessons are being learned every day, as the team as Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in the West Midlands is discovering...

26 mins

May 2020

When Lennon Foo opened Amity Vets in Newton Abbott nearly three years ago, he had a bold vision for the way he wanted to deliver veterinary care. VBJ caught back up with Lennon to see how his practice and bold, client-centred vision was bearing up to the coronavirus crisis...

26 mins

April 2020

Vet Chris Copeman built one of the first Passivhaus homes in the UK and now he has opened its first Passivhaus veterinary practice.

March 2020

Buying into a partnership is still a big part of the plan for many veterinary surgeons. But what happens when that plan suddenly has to change? VBJ paid a visit to Swaffham Veterinary Centre in Norfolk to find out...

3 mins

February 2020

Spinney Vets near Northampton has just undergone a significant refurbishment that has seen the practice double in size. Now the dust has settled, VBJ paid a visit to see if the investment has paid off...

1 mins

December 2019

The demise of the high street is a well-documented phenomenon in villages and towns across the UK. But as VBJ discovered when we visited West Sussex last month, for some vets this has provided the perfect opportunity to put their practices back at the heart of the communities they serve…

2 mins

November 2019

Earlier this year, Lambert, Leonard and May (LLM) Farm Vets became the latest farm practice to join the VetPartners group. VBJ paid a visit to see how this change has impacted on one of the UK’s most highly respected farm animal outfits...

41 mins

October 2019

The UK has 725 referral practices, which means 17% of all veterinary sites are now dedicated referral centres or offer referral services. So, anyone thinking of entering this crowded marketplace needs to pitch their offering carefully...

3 mins

September 2019

Building a small animal practice right next door to a cattle market might not seem like the best piece of logic. But for Ben Gamsa and his team at Cotswold Vets, near Swindon, it made perfect sense...

3 mins

August 2019

The recruitment crisis has hit hard in veterinary practices of all shapes and sizes across the UK. But in some places it’s hit especially hard, as VBJ discovered when it paid a visit to rural Lincolnshire.

2 mins

July 2019

One of the biggest reasons given for the growth of corporate veterinary practice is that the traditional partnership model is broken. But is that really the case? VBJ headed to Didcot, Oxfordshire to find out...

2 mins

June 2019

Not many equine practices in the UK have such a gilt-edged reputation as Oakham Veterinary Hospital. And as VBJ discovered when we paid a visit to the horsey hotbed of Rutland last month, it’s a reputation well earned…

2 mins