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Covid-19 update March 2022

Covid-19 update

Thank you to all our clients and pets for your support and patience during Covid and the difficult restrictions that we have all had to find a way to work within. We appreciate your understanding, which has facilitated our ability to keep each of our practices running as smoothly as possible.

The relaxing of restrictions is a big step forward in the pandemic. After almost 2 years of ‘Covid secure’ measures, we would like to start to move back towards normality. We remain aware, however, that the Covid virus is still around and that some of our clients and staff remain ‘vulnerable’. At Orchard House, we wish to open up in a gentle and careful way to enable us to provide a safe environment for our staff and our clients.

From Monday 7th March we will start by using the following protocol:

  • If you are more comfortable continuing to remain in your vehicle during your pet’s appointment, we are happy to accommodate this.
  • If you would like to come into the practice with your pet you will be able to do so, but with a maximum capacity of two clients in the waiting room at any one time. Our waiting rooms are small and we want to keep numbers down. Please have only ONE owner per pet. If you come into the building, we respectfully ask that you wear a mask.
  • Please give us a call to pre-order any repeat medications, worming or flea/tick prevention, before visiting to collect and pay for them. Please give us a call when you arrive and one of our staff members will bring your order to you.

Please note:

Please advise our Client Care Advisors when booking your appointment to let us know if you would like to come into the practice with your pet or not. Please arrive no more than 5 minutes before your appointment to facilitate only 2 clients in the practice at a time. We will try to keep waiting times to a minimum. We appreciate your help with this.


Stocksfield

At our Stocksfield branch, we have only one consultation room. In the past we were able to see only one pet at a time. During the last 2 years a second vet has been able to work at Stocksfield by examining your pet in our work area. We would like to continue with this additional service, but it will mean that at Stocksfield you may not be able to accompany your pet into the consultation and will need to wait in reception. We will attempt to allocate these appointments to clients who do not wish to come into the building.


We will continue to monitor and review the situation and change the protocol as necessary.

We have been truly thankful for the support from our clients in the last 2 years, and hope that you bear with us as we take our first, tentative steps back to more normal working practice.

Many thanks for your help and support.

Kind regards

Tim.