Veterinary Surgeon | East Sussex

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon to join a long-established, independent and RCVS-accredited small animal practice on the East Sussex coast.

Offering a salary of £51,000-£68,000 FTE depending on experience and additional qualifications, this permanent position can be offered on either a full or part-time basis. The role would suit a confident GP vet who enjoys building lasting relationships with clients and patients, combining high-quality consulting with routine and non-routine surgery within a genuinely independent environment where clinical autonomy, continuity of care and work-life balance are actively prioritised.

With no out-of-hours, paid overtime, a 1 in 3 Saturday morning rota, £2,000 CPD allowance and funded certificate opportunities, this is an excellent opportunity for a Veterinary Surgeon looking to establish themselves within a supportive independent practice close to the Sussex coast.

Key Highlights

• Salary of £51,000-£68,000 FTE depending on experience and qualifications.
• Permanent full or part-time position.
• Independent, RCVS-accredited small animal practice.
• Ideally suited to a Veterinary Surgeon with 2-3 years' experience.
• Primarily based at a well-established coastal branch.
• Excellent mix of consultations, medicine, surgery and dentistry.
• 1 in 3 Saturday mornings until 12:30pm.
• One evening clinic per week, finishing at 6:30pm.
• No out-of-hours.
• Overtime paid when additional hours are required.
• Five weeks' annual leave plus Bank Holidays.
• £2,000 annual CPD allowance for full-time vets.
• Certificate study supported and funded.
• Professional fees paid.
• Genuine clinical autonomy with no corporate targets.
• Excellent continuity of care and loyal client base.

The Practice

This long-established independent small animal practice has been providing veterinary care for 30 years and has developed an excellent reputation for combining high clinical standards with compassionate, personal service.

RCVS accredited and multi-award-winning, the practice remains proudly independent and places considerable emphasis on giving its Veterinary Surgeons the freedom to make the right clinical decisions for their patients without the pressure of corporate targets.

Continuity of care is particularly important to the practice. Its approach is centred around clients seeing a familiar Veterinary Surgeon wherever possible, allowing vets to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with both patients and their owners while following cases through from initial presentation to treatment and recovery.

The practice also has an excellent record of staff retention, with many team members having remained with the business for a significant number of years. Professional development and individual clinical interests are actively encouraged, while maintaining a friendly working environment where colleague wellbeing and a sustainable work-life balance are genuine priorities.

This position is primarily based within a smaller coastal clinic, providing an excellent opportunity for a Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys greater ownership of their caseload and becoming an integral part of the local community.

You'll work alongside two additional part-time Veterinary Surgeons, two Registered Veterinary Nurses and an experienced reception team, with further clinical support available through the wider practice.

Facilities & Equipment

The coastal clinic provides everything required to deliver a high standard of first opinion veterinary care, including:

• Dedicated consulting room.
• Operating theatre.
• Small inpatient hospital area.
• Digital radiography.
• Digital dental radiography.
• Ultrasound scanner.
• Comprehensive in-house laboratory.
• VetScan Imagyst.
• Microscopy facilities.
• Dental drill and dentistry equipment.
• Modern operating lights.
• Height-adjustable clinical tables.
• Oxygen generators.
• Air conditioning.

The practice is well equipped to investigate and manage a broad range of first opinion medical, surgical and dental cases in-house.

The Location

Situated on the East Sussex coast within easy reach of Brighton, this position offers an excellent combination of coastal living and accessibility to one of the South East's most vibrant cities.

The practice is located within a popular coastal community, with the beach within walking distance and excellent access to the surrounding Sussex countryside. Brighton and Hove provides an extensive range of restaurants, entertainment, shopping and transport connections, while the South Downs offer outstanding opportunities for walking, cycling and outdoor activities.

For someone considering relocation, the area provides an attractive balance between a coastal lifestyle and convenient access to Brighton and the wider South East.

The Role

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

The practice is looking for a confident general practitioner who enjoys managing their own caseload and developing strong relationships with clients and patients.

You'll primarily take responsibility for the day-to-day veterinary caseload at the coastal clinic, working with the support of the branch nursing and reception team alongside two other part-time Veterinary Surgeons.

The caseload includes cats, dogs and small furries and provides a good balance between consultations and surgical work. Typically, the working day includes consulting alongside a smaller number of operations, allowing you to maintain and develop both medical and surgical skills.

You'll be expected to confidently manage routine first opinion cases alongside routine and non-routine surgical and dental procedures.

The role offers a good level of clinical autonomy, making it particularly suited to a Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys taking ownership of cases and following patients through their complete clinical journey.

Rota & Work-Life Balance

The practice places genuine emphasis on maintaining a sustainable working environment and does not expect Veterinary Surgeons to routinely work beyond their contracted hours.

The rota includes:

• Full or part-time hours available.
• Thursday as the regular day off for the full-time rota.
• At least one evening clinic per week, finishing at 6:30pm.
• 1 in 3 Saturday mornings, finishing at 12:30pm.
• No out-of-hours.
• No routine Sunday working.
• OOH provision outsourced to a nearby emergency provider.
• Overtime paid if additional hours are required.

Lunch breaks are actively protected and the practice encourages colleagues to take them, helping ensure that long working days and unpaid overtime do not become the norm.

Any occasional overtime that is required is paid rather than being treated as an expected part of the working day.

The Candidate

The practice is looking for an experienced RCVS-registered Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys being a true first opinion GP and wants to develop long-term relationships with clients and patients.

Ideally, you'll have around 2-3 years or more of small animal experience and be comfortable with the level of autonomy associated with working within a smaller branch clinic.

You'll be confident across consultations, general medicine, routine surgery, non-routine procedures and dentistry, with strong communication skills and a genuine commitment to delivering excellent client service.

The successful candidate will:

• Be RCVS registered.
• Have good first opinion small animal experience.
• Be confident managing consultations independently.
• Be comfortable with routine and non-routine surgery.
• Have confidence with dental procedures.
• Enjoy developing long-term client relationships.
• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Be comfortable taking responsibility for their own caseload.
• Value continuity of care and clinical autonomy.
• Be committed to providing compassionate, high-quality veterinary care.

The practice is particularly interested in finding someone looking to settle into a position long term, become part of the local community and build genuine relationships with clients and their pets.

Salary & Benefits

• Salary of £51,000-£68,000 FTE depending on experience and additional qualifications.
• Full or part-time permanent position.
• Overtime paid in addition to salary.
• No out-of-hours.
• 1 in 3 Saturday mornings until 12:30pm.
• Five weeks' annual leave plus Bank Holidays.
• £2,000 annual CPD allowance for full-time Veterinary Surgeons, pro rata for part-time.
• Certificate study supported and funded where appropriate.
• Professional membership fees paid.
• Company pension.
• Employee discount.
• Free parking.
• Protected lunch breaks.
• Genuine clinical autonomy.
• No corporate targets.
• Excellent continuity of care.
• Supportive and long-established team.
• Excellent opportunity for long-term career development within an independent practice.

If you're an experienced Veterinary Surgeon looking for greater clinical autonomy, excellent continuity of care and a genuinely independent working environment where work-life balance is respected, this is an excellent opportunity to build a long-term career within an established practice on the East Sussex coast.

Interested?

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Please quote Job Reference: 26-00491

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