Independent vets – An honest and appreciative post
What does it mean to be an independent vets? To you, our clients and patients, but also to the team who work here? We delve deep into the world of being an independent vet practice. From the highs and lows, to the good and bad. It is a hard-working and fast paced environment but the team that makes up your independent vets practice will tell you that feeling of going home knowing you have contributed to saving a beloved family pet is a feeling that cannot be described.
What is an independent vet practice?
An independent vet is a veterinary practice that is owned by one or more veterinary surgeons, or owners. An independent vet practice is usually focussed in one geographical area, and can have one or more practices. Here at Orchard House Vets, we serve Tynedale and the North East. Our practices in Hexham, Stocksfield and Bellingham are owned by one veterinary surgeon, Tim Pearson, and has been for the last 26 years. Being long established and independent means we keep a lot of the same staff for many years, and that is so important in providing that independent and personal touch.
Importantly, an independent vet is not governed by corporate policies and procedures when it comes to making decisions on the best course of treatment for your pet. Vets operating in independent practices are empowered to resolve all treatment decisions in house, right away, using their clinical judgement, with the knowledge they have complete support from the owners, who they are also always able to communicate with regularly and promptly.
Why are independent vets important?
Simply put, we focus solely on the very best care for your pet. Your pet’s health is not “our number one priority”, it is our ONLY priority. Being independent means we do not analyse sales of products or have targets set to us which must be achieved, the time it takes to do this could be better spent on being a member of the local community and giving the absolute best care possible to you and your pet! The importance of independent vets cannot be overstated. Once upon a time, all vets were independent or worked in independent practices. Sadly, reality means this isn’t always possible, but it is all the more important to support the remaining independent practices.
Family-style, independent practices like Orchard House Vets tend to have low staff turnover based on the excellent culture, environment and feeling of belonging that exists, meaning your pet is more likely to receive continuity of care and see the same familiar faces who know their treatment history each and every time you visit. Similarly, as the pet owner, you’re more likely to form a one-to-one trusted relationship over time with an independent vet.
Why are there fewer and fewer independent vets?
It used to be law that only veterinary surgeons could own veterinary practices, however that changed at the turn of the century. It is now legal for non-veterinary surgeons to own vet practices. This in turn lead to investment from groups and individuals with no background in veterinary medicine to purchase established vet practices and to form large groups. These large groups often have multiple investors, which does mean that corporate vets are under more pressure to achieve set targets. In recent years, the UK has seen a progressive shift towards clinics being sold to corporates.
A ‘corporate’ is a clinic or group of clinics owned and run as a corporation, with multiple sites located across the entire UK. These corporations consist of a board of directors, often a very large number of shareholders, location managers and appointed vets in assigned surgeries. Often these vets will call themselves ‘owners’, however this isn’t the case and essentially these practices are owned by the corporation.
Sometimes, from the outside, it may be difficult to tell them apart. Often when they are sold, not much appears different from the outside, particularly branding, practice name and logo. But if you delve deeper, subtle changes begin to emerge. For example, practices owned by the same corporate post the same news or articles on their social media platforms and their websites look the same as the clinic in the next village.
Why use Orchard House Vets?
We’re an independent, expertly managed and regulated team who are passionate about delivering the very best veterinary care possible. We never cut corners and will always take the correct course of action based on the needs of our patients and your wishes. We are an RCVS Accredited Practice achieving outstanding status and awards in every category – there are not many independently owned UK practice to achieve this. Our Stocksfield and Bellingham branches are ‘cat friendly clinics‘, with Stocksfield being a silver awarded practice, and Bellingham bronze.
This means our clients have peace of mind knowing that we’re committed to delivering excellence in pet care and customer service.
Since 2019, we have had three of our team reach the finals of the Petplan Awards, and one member of our team go on to win ‘Veterinary Nurse Of The Year’. We were voted ‘Best Veterinary Care Provider – North East’ in 2022, and we are trusted by over 10,000 households across the Tyne Valley and North East.
Orchard House Veterinary Centres may always be growing but it’s our promise to ‘stay small whilst growing big’, always retaining the same values that sets us apart from other vet practices and corporate practices. We’re not restricted by corporate policies and procedures; our trusted team is driven by what’s best for you and your pet and we will use our expertise to help you make informed healthcare choices.