Veterinary Surgeon

Job Description

Introduction
Our Client is an independently owned hospital based in Bridgend, South Wales, and is looking for an experienced Senior Veterinary Surgeon to take a leading role within its established first on-call rota.

This position would suit a confident clinician who enjoys emergency medicine, inpatient care and the responsibility that comes with providing continuity for hospitalised patients outside normal opening hours. The hospital operates its own out-of-hours service and provides the successful candidate with a supportive senior structure, overnight nursing cover and protected paid recovery time.

Working Hours / Rota
The first on-call position ordinarily operates across a five-day working week and forms part of an 11-week rota. Across each rota cycle, the successful candidate will complete three separate sets of out-of-hours duties.

The main overnight element consists of seven consecutive nights on call, followed by seven fully paid days away from the practice for recovery. From Monday to Friday, the Veterinary Surgeon will receive the hospital handover at 4:00pm and manage inpatients and emergency cases until approximately 9:00pm, depending on clinical demand. They will then remain on call until 8:00am.

Weekend handovers take place at 2:00pm. There may be flexibility to divide the seven-night block into Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday through Sunday across the rota for a candidate who would prefer not to complete seven consecutive nights.

The successful candidate must live within 15 minutes of the hospital or stay in the hospital’s on-site flat while completing overnight duties.

The rota also includes one Saturday and Sunday morning shift from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Saturday mornings primarily cover consultations, while Sunday mornings focus on emergency appointments. The Veterinary Surgeon will receive the following Monday as a fully paid recovery day.

There is also one additional Saturday morning consultation shift from 9:00am to 1:00pm during the 11-week rota.

Role Description
The position combines a varied daytime general practice caseload with responsibility for the hospital’s first on-call service. Daytime duties include consultations, inpatient care, routine and emergency surgery, and charity-related clinical work.

During out-of-hours periods, the successful candidate will take responsibility for hospitalised patients and emergency presentations. The hospital’s approach is focused on providing appropriate, pragmatic overnight care while maintaining continuity for patients already receiving treatment.

The Veterinary Surgeon will have an RVN and SVN on site throughout the night, together with access to a senior back-up Veterinary Surgeon for advice, a second opinion or additional attendance when required.

As a senior member of the team, the successful candidate will also support recent graduates and developing Veterinary Surgeons. This may include discussing cases, assisting with emergency decision-making and helping colleagues build their confidence in medicine, surgery and inpatient care.

There is scope to develop a degree of clinical bias towards a particular area of interest, provided the successful candidate remains comfortable contributing to the wider general practice, hospital and emergency caseload.

Team Size
The successful candidate will join an established multidisciplinary hospital team that includes experienced Veterinary Surgeons, developing clinicians, Registered Veterinary Nurses, Student Veterinary Nurses and wider support colleagues.

An RVN and SVN are present on site 24 hours a day, ensuring that the first on-call Veterinary Surgeon has continuous nursing support when managing hospitalised and emergency patients.

The hospital also has a structured senior clinical team, with experienced Veterinary Surgeons available to provide back-up support during overnight and weekend duties.

Practice Details & Equipment
The hospital is RCVS accredited and VetGDP approved, with a strong focus on clinical development, mentoring and practical support. It forms part of a small independently owned group with additional operating branches and a consultation-only site within the surrounding area.

The purpose-built hospital provides separate waiting and hospitalisation areas for cats, dogs and exotic patients. It also offers staff and client parking and has been designed to support a varied first-opinion, inpatient and emergency caseload.

Clinical facilities include DR digital radiography, Doppler ultrasound, a dedicated dental suite, dental radiography, a comprehensive in-house laboratory with Sedivue urinalysis and a selection of endoscopes.

The hospital is located between Cardiff and Swansea, with convenient access to the M4, the South Wales coastline and nearby countryside.

Ideal Candidate
The role would suit an experienced Veterinary Surgeon who is confident managing emergency cases, hospitalised patients and a varied small animal general practice caseload.

The successful candidate should be comfortable making independent clinical decisions outside normal working hours while recognising when a second opinion or additional support would benefit the patient.

Previous out-of-hours or emergency experience would be advantageous, although the hospital is primarily looking for a calm, capable clinician with strong communication and case-management skills.

An interest in teaching and supporting less experienced Veterinary Surgeons is important. The successful candidate should enjoy sharing their knowledge, discussing cases and helping colleagues develop confidence in emergency medicine and surgery.

This is just some of the information about the job and company, but there will be more questions. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is happy to get those questions answered for you during the recruiting process. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is here to make the recruiting process simple and stress free.

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