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...
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...
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…
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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…
Few other practices better reflect the near exponential growth of the UK referral sector than North Downs Specialist Referrals. The Surrey hospital has trebled in size in its 15 years – a tale of sustained success and one that echoes a wider story…
Wildbore Vetstop sounds like it might be a rather intriguing, perhaps even slightly dangerous, place to work. But what’s in a name? Not a lot, as VBJ discovered last month when we headed north to hear another independent success story…
A first opinion hospital practice on the edge of Epping Forest, with in-house CT and MRI, and a dedicated radioiodine unit in nearby Harlow, the practice has certainly branched out in recent years...
It is always a tough task setting up a new veterinary practice from scratch. But some have it tougher than others – as VBJ discovered when we headed to Merseyside to visit Village Vets last month…
Running the referral division for one of Europe’s largest corporate practice groups can be a complicated business. VBJ discovered just how complex when we paid a visit to CVS referrals director John Innes at the ChesterGates Referral Hospital Veterinary Specialists.
In these days of manic corporate consolidation, it is important to remember the benefits owning your own practice can bring. So when VBJ was asked to visit an independently owned practice that is positively thriving in the face of corporate competition, we jumped at the chance.
It is often said the best things come in small packages. For a branch of Cromwell Vets, that package proved to be a 9m by 4m prefabricated box. It’s not a lot, but, as VBJ discovered, it's already having a big impact ...
Anyone opening their own veterinary practice has to be a pretty remarkable person. So when VBJ heard about a woman who did just that in less than six weeks for £150,000, we just had to pay her a visit.
Medivet is now one of the biggest practice groups in the UK, with more than 250 sites across England and Wales. To get a better idea of how the business works, VBJ paid a visit to the place where it all began more than 30 years ago.
There is something very British and familiar about a high street veterinary practice based in a converted red brick house. Late Victorian and Edwardian era buildings often ooze character and charm, but also present some unique challenges to a growing business...
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the one health concept, so it seems entirely appropriate that orthopaedic specialists Mark Bush and Martin Owen chose a former medical centre to house their new referral business.
