Veterinary Surgeon East Kent

Veterinary Surgeon | East Kent

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to join a friendly, independently owned small animal practice on the beautiful East Kent coast.

Offering a salary of up to £65,000 per annum depending on experience, this permanent position can be offered on a full or part-time basis, with a full-time rota of four days per week, no out-of-hours and just 1 in 4 Saturday mornings. With 15-minute consultations, a good balance of consulting and operating, excellent nursing support and generally three Veterinary Surgeons working each day, this is an excellent opportunity for a vet looking for genuine clinical freedom alongside a healthy work-life balance.

The vacancy has arisen following the relocation of a long-standing Veterinary Surgeon after around 10 years with the practice, and the team is now looking for an experienced vet who can become an equally valued long-term member of this established independent practice.

Key Highlights

• Salary of up to £65,000 per annum DOE.
• Permanent full or part-time position.
• Full-time rota of 4 days per week.
• Shifts of either 9:00am-6:00pm or 10:00am-7:00pm.
• 1 in 4 Saturday mornings, 9:00am-1:00pm.
• No out-of-hours.
• No routine sole charge.
• 15-minute consultations.
• Good balance of consultations and operating.
• Independently owned and run small animal practice.
• Established and experienced veterinary and nursing team.
• Excellent diagnostic, surgical and dental facilities.
• In-house orthopaedic support.
• £1,500 CPD allowance plus 5 CPD days.
• RCVS and VDS fees paid.
• 5 weeks' holiday including Bank Holidays.
• Accommodation available if required.
• Visa sponsorship available.

The Practice

This well-established independent small animal practice has been providing veterinary care to pets and their owners in East Kent since for the last 18 years. Remaining proudly independently owned and run, the practice has developed a loyal client base, with more than 5,000 local families having entrusted their pets to the team.

The practice places a strong emphasis on delivering high-quality veterinary care alongside excellent client service, while giving its Veterinary Surgeons the clinical freedom to provide a more flexible and personalised approach to individual patients.

You'll be joining an experienced and established team of Veterinary Surgeons, Registered Veterinary Nurses and support colleagues. The veterinary team includes clinicians with additional expertise in areas including Small Animal Medicine, Ophthalmology and Dentistry, while the nursing team includes an experienced Head Nurse and RVNs with interests across surgical nursing, radiography, feline medicine, laboratory work and small furries.

There is excellent clinical support throughout the working day, with generally three vets working each day. This means there is no routine sole charge attached to the position, although occasional periods may arise due to annual leave or sickness.

The practice also works hard to create a friendly and positive environment where colleagues enjoy working together, and the longevity of existing team members reflects the supportive culture within the practice.

Facilities & Equipment

The practice is well equipped to investigate and manage a broad first opinion small animal caseload in-house, with facilities including:

• Digital radiography.
• Diagnostic ultrasound.
• Digital dental radiography.
• Full in-house laboratory facilities.
• Modern surgical equipment and facilities.
• In-house orthopaedic support.
• Modern anaesthetic and patient monitoring equipment.
• Dedicated dental facilities.
• Cat-friendly facilities.
• Isolation facilities.
• Fear Free trained team members.
• Free on-site parking.

The practice is committed to investing in the facilities and equipment required to provide a high standard of clinical care.

The Location

Located on the East Kent coast, the practice offers an excellent lifestyle for someone looking to combine an interesting veterinary career with coastal living.

The area is known for its attractive coastline, beaches, historic character and access to beautiful Kent countryside. The practice is conveniently located for the town centre, seafront and railway connections, with London accessible by direct rail services.

The wider East Kent area provides easy access to Canterbury, Dover, Sandwich and the surrounding coastal communities, while excellent road and rail connections make travelling further afield straightforward.

For a Veterinary Surgeon considering relocation, accommodation can also be provided, with a self-contained flat located above the practice. The accommodation includes a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with en-suite facilities.

The Role

This is a permanent Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon position available on either a full or part-time basis.

The practice is ideally looking for a Veterinary Surgeon with a couple of years' experience who is comfortable managing a varied first opinion caseload and confident across both consultations and routine GP surgery.

You'll enjoy a good balance between consulting and operating, allowing you to maintain and continue developing a broad range of general practice skills.

Consultations are scheduled at 15-minute intervals, providing appropriate time to assess patients, communicate with clients and develop good continuity of care.

The caseload includes:

• Small animal consultations.
• General medicine.
• Routine GP surgery.
• Dentistry.
• Diagnostic imaging.
• Preventative healthcare.
• Medical investigations and case work-ups.
• Ongoing case management and continuity of care.

The practice values clinical freedom and encourages Veterinary Surgeons to investigate and manage their cases according to the individual needs of each patient.

Rota & Work-Life Balance

The practice places genuine importance on ensuring colleagues have time outside work and offers a particularly attractive rota for an independent first opinion position.

For a full-time Veterinary Surgeon, the rota consists of:

• 4 days per week.
• Shifts of either 9:00am-6:00pm or 10:00am-7:00pm.
• 1 in 4 Saturday mornings, 9:00am-1:00pm.
• No routine Saturday afternoon working.
• No Sunday working.
• No out-of-hours.
• No routine sole charge.

The practice itself is open Monday-Friday from 8:30am-7:00pm and Saturday mornings, with emergency out-of-hours provision outsourced when the practice is closed.

Part-time applications are also welcomed, and the practice is happy to discuss flexible working patterns around the successful candidate's circumstances.

The Candidate

The practice is looking for an experienced RCVS-registered Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys being part of a friendly team and is passionate about providing excellent first opinion veterinary care.

Ideally, you'll have at least a couple of years' small animal experience and be confident with consultations and routine GP surgery.

The successful candidate will:

• Be RCVS registered.
• Have good small animal first opinion experience.
• Be confident with consultations.
• Be comfortable undertaking routine GP surgery.
• Have excellent client communication skills.
• Enjoy developing long-term client and patient relationships.
• Work well as part of a collaborative clinical team.
• Have a positive and proactive appr