Veterinary Surgeon | Bedfordshire

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon with a strong surgical bias to join a highly regarded, RCVS-accredited Independent Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Bedfordshire.

Offering a salary of £48,000-£70,000 per annum depending on experience, plus an out-of-hours bonus scheme and additional supplements for Certificate holders and Advanced Practitioners, this permanent full-time position offers an excellent combination of advanced clinical work, career development and work-life balance. You'll join an experienced 12-vet team, working a structured 4-day week with a fixed day off, just one Saturday per month and a genuinely minimal on-call rota.

This is an excellent opportunity for a confident first opinion surgeon who enjoys a varied surgical caseload, including emergency procedures, and would like to further develop their skills in areas such as advanced soft tissue surgery within a supportive hospital environment.

Key Highlights

• Salary of £48,000-£70,000 per annum DOE.
• Additional OOH bonus scheme.
• Additional salary supplements for Certificate holders and Advanced Practitioners.
• Permanent full-time position.
• 4-day working week with a fixed day off.
• Just 1 Saturday per month, 8:00am-4:30pm.
• Minimal on-call – 1 weeknight every 2 weeks and 1 weekend every 2 months.
• Experienced 12-vet clinical team.
• Strong surgical bias with advanced soft tissue opportunities.
• RCVS-accredited Small Animal Veterinary Hospital.
• 24-hour inpatient care with a dedicated ECC RVN on site.
• No sole charge.
• Excellent surgical, imaging and diagnostic facilities.
• Five weeks' holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• Two additional paid personal days annually.
• Certificates and Advanced Practitioner status supported and funded.
• RCVS and VDS fees paid.
• Visa sponsorship available.

The Practice

This impressive RCVS-accredited Small Animal Veterinary Hospital provides high-quality first opinion and emergency veterinary care, with 24-hour nursing support for hospitalised patients.

The hospital has achieved ISFM Gold Standard Cat Friendly Clinic status alongside Dogs Trust Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation and recognised Rabbit Friendly standards, reflecting the team's commitment to providing a high standard of care across a diverse small animal caseload.

You'll join a knowledgeable and highly experienced 12-vet team that includes Advanced Practitioners across areas including Small Animal Medicine, Zoological Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging, alongside Veterinary Surgeons working towards further qualifications in Medicine, Exotics and Feline Medicine.

The nursing team is equally experienced, led by a Head Nurse with advanced surgical nursing and ECC qualifications and supported by nurses with additional qualifications in anaesthesia, exotics, feline nursing and veterinary education.

The hospital also has a strong teaching and development ethos. Veterinary students regularly undertake structured placements within the practice, while new graduates, Veterinary Nurses and clinicians undertaking postgraduate qualifications benefit from excellent mentoring and clinical support.

Regular team and practice meetings provide opportunities for colleagues to share ideas, discuss cases and contribute to the continued development of the hospital, alongside in-house CPD and team-building activities.

Facilities & Equipment

The hospital has recently expanded and offers an excellent range of modern clinical facilities and equipment, including:

• Three operating theatres.
• Two dental suites.
• Digital radiography.
• Digital dental radiography.
• Diagnostic ultrasound.
• Laparoscopic surgical equipment.
• Orthopaedic surgical equipment.
• Gastroscopy.
• Bronchoscopy.
• Extensive in-house laboratory facilities.
• Dedicated dog ward.
• Dedicated cat ward.
• Dedicated exotic ward.
• Dedicated surgical preparation and supplies areas.
• 24-hour inpatient facilities.
• Dedicated ECC nursing support.
• Access to specialist referral support for complex cases.

The combination of an excellent caseload and advanced equipment provides considerable scope for a surgically focused Veterinary Surgeon to continue developing their clinical skills.

The Location

Located in Bedfordshire, the hospital benefits from an excellent position combining attractive countryside with outstanding transport connections.

The surrounding area offers riverside walks, countryside, cycling and numerous leisure opportunities, while larger shopping, entertainment and leisure facilities are within easy reach.

Excellent rail connections provide convenient access to London, while the practice is also well positioned between the A1 and M1, providing straightforward road access across the Midlands and South East. Luton Airport is also easily accessible.

The Role

This is a permanent full-time Veterinary Surgeon position specifically suited to an experienced clinician with a strong surgical bias.

You'll manage a varied first opinion surgical caseload and should be comfortable undertaking the full range of routine procedures alongside more challenging surgical cases.

The practice is particularly interested in a Veterinary Surgeon who is confident managing emergency surgery, including procedures such as GDVs, and who would enjoy developing further experience in advanced soft tissue surgery.

There is scope to become involved with procedures such as:

• BOAS surgery.
• Anal sacculectomies.
• Emergency abdominal surgery.
• Advanced soft tissue procedures.
• Laparoscopic procedures.
• Orthopaedic cases.
• Dentistry and dental surgery.

The position isn't exclusively surgical. Your working week will provide a varied balance of operating, consulting and clinical support shifts, ensuring you maintain broad first opinion skills alongside developing your surgical interests.

Every two weeks you'll undertake a dedicated support shift. No routine appointments are booked during this shift, allowing you to manage urgent and emergency cases using extended 30-minute appointments while providing additional support to colleagues where required.

This structure helps prevent emergencies being added to already busy consulting blocks and plays an important role in allowing the clinical team to finish on time.

Rota & Work-Life Balance

The practice has developed a structured rota designed to provide predictability and a sustainable work-life balance.
The rota includes:

• 4-day working week.
• Fixed day off each week.
• Just 1 Saturday per month, 8:00am-4:30pm.
• Mix of consulting and operating shifts.
• One late shift each week.
• Dedicated support shift every 2 weeks.
• Support shift runs approximately 8:30am-7:00pm with no routine appointments booked.
• 1 weeknight on-call every 2 weeks.
• 1 weekend on-call approximately every 2 months.

The hospital operates its own out-of-hours service and has a dedicated ECC Registered Veterinary Nurse on site providing 24-hour inpatient care.
The on-call vet can remain at home, although accommodation is available at the hospital for anyone who would prefer to stay on site.

The ECC nurse receives calls initially and, from 11:00pm until 8:00am, external telephone cover is provided, meaning the Veterinary Surgeon's responsibility overnight is primarily for existing inpatients.

A buddy system is also in place for weeknight on-call duties, with two Veterinary Surgeons sharing the rota and alternating shifts, making it easier to arrange swaps when required.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be an experienced RCVS-registered Veterinary Surgeon with a genuine passion for surgery and the confidence to manage a broad first opinion caseload.

You'll ideally be:

• RCVS registered.
• Experienced within small animal first opinion practice.
• Confident across routine and non-routine surgery.
• Comfortable managing emergency surgical cases including GDVs.
• Interested in developing advanced soft tissue surgical skills.
• A confident and compassionate clinician.
• Comfortable working within a busy hospital environment.
• Keen to contribute to a collaborative clinical team.
• Interested in continued learning and professional development.
• Happy to support veterinary students and less experienced colleagues where appropriate.

An existing Certificate or Advanced Practitioner status would be welcomed but is not essential. The practice is equally keen to hear from experienced Veterinary Surgeons who would like to undertake further qualifications.

Career Development

Learning and professional development are strongly encouraged, with excellent support available for Veterinary Surgeons looking to progress clinically or professionally.

Certificate qualifications can be supported and funded, while Veterinary Surgeons who already hold relevant postgraduate qualifications can receive support towards achieving and maintaining Advanced Practitioner status.

Advanced Practitioners also have opportunities to progress into senior veterinary positions with additional clinical leadership and management responsibilities.

There is also scope for vets interested in veterinary education to develop their teaching and mentoring skills, including support towards relevant postgraduate qualifications.

Salary & Benefits

• Salary of £48,000-£70,000 per annum depending on experience.
• Additional out-of-hours bonus scheme.
• Additional supplements for Certificate holders and Advanced Practitioners.
• Transparent salary banding with clear career progression.
• Permanent full-time position.
• 4-day working week.
• Fixed weekly day off.
• 1 Saturday per month.

• Minimal on-call rota.
• Five weeks' annual leave plus Bank Holidays.
• Holiday entitlement increases with length of service.
• Two additional paid personal days each year.
• Unused personal days added to annual leave at the end of the year.
• CPD actively encouraged and funded.
• Certificate qualifications supported and funded.
• Advanced Practitioner status supported.
• Access to extensive online CPD.
• RCVS fees paid.
• VDS fees paid.
• Employee Assistance Programme through BUPA.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Visa sponsorship available.
• Excellent clinical and career progression opportunities.

If you're an experienced Veterinary Surgeon looking for a surgically focused position offering an excellent caseload, advanced facilities, strong clinical support and a genuinely manageable rota, this is an outstanding opportunity to continue developing your career within a progressive Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Bedfordshire.

Interested?

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Please quote Job Reference: 26-00504

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