News
Covid-19 Update & Out of Hours Provision
by admin on June 16th, 2020
Category: News, Tags:
Transitioning to a more normal range of veterinary services:
In line with the easing of restrictions across the UK, our governing body are allowing us to begin transitioning towards providing as full a range of veterinary services as possible in a safe manner. However, during the pandemic it will not be a return to pre-Covid ‘business as usual’. We will be increasing our services this week by degrees, and in relation to demand.
Safe working:
All our services have to be risk assessed and provided in a manner that supports safe working and recognises 2m Social Distancing. Our premises do not lend themselves to the necessary social spacing that is possible in supermarkets and high-street stores, nor do our consulting rooms.
Visiting the clinic:
Creating a socially-distanced queueing system in our limited space would seriously delay pets arriving for urgent appointments so we respectfully request that all clients arriving at the clinic do not enter but instead:
- Call us, confirm their mobile phone number, and supply their car type and registration if applicable
- Clients without mobile phones, please knock on the window
- Please be prepared to remain outside the clinic e.g. in a car
Pets will be collected from holding zones and examined. The vet will then contact you and treatment plans will be agreed remotely. Payment can be made over the phone.
Contact-free collection of medication, pet food and anti-parasitic medications is in place and a specific, secure collection time and place can be organised in advance. For any products you’d like to order simply call us to arrange for payment and safe collection of these items.
Where appropriate you will be offered video or telephone consults, enabling you to get the advice you need and for our team to decide if we need to see your pet in person to provide further care. For any emergencies or seriously ill pets we will ask you to attend the practice.
Your safety and the safety of our teams is our top priority so please follow the social distancing procedures we have in place to minimise contact.
We apologise that formerly simple procedures and transactions are taking much longer than was usual, for reasons of social distancing. Your co-operation and patience are greatly appreciated.
Out of Hours Services:
From Monday 15th June our out of hours emergencies will be attended by Worthing Emergency Vets based at Grove Lodge Veterinary Hospital in Worthing, West Sussex, for a trial period of 3 months. Please rest assured that all pets in our hospital will continue to be attended by one of our vets and nurses outside opening hours, and will not be transferred to Worthing.
At the end of March two of our team of vets departed for new positions but were not replaced because of lockdown. The remaining small team of vets continued to provide emergency cover. We are sad to say that this reduced team are no longer able to continue to provide 24 cover whilst at the same time returning to normal working hours, and the volume of work the clinic is currently allowed to undertake does not allow for replacement of these team members at present.
