Veterinary Surgeon

Job Description

Introduction

Our Client’s practice is a long-established small animal hospital in East Lancashire, providing high-quality first-opinion veterinary care from a main hospital in Colne alongside consulting branches in Barnoldswick and Burnley. Established in 1911, the practice has a friendly, supportive, and highly experienced team that values both clinical excellence and staff wellbeing. The small animal team manages a varied and busy caseload, offering excellent opportunities for professional development across multiple disciplines, with particular scope for vets interested in surgery or orthopaedics.

Working Hours / Rota

This is a full-time Veterinary Surgeon role working a 40-hour week on a continuous eight-week rota. The rota includes one in eight weekends and one weeknight on-call every two weeks, with generous time off in lieu to support a healthy work-life balance. On-call duties are well supported by a dedicated night RVN team, including ECC certificate holders, who manage overnight calls and inpatient care. Flexible or part-time working arrangements are also considered to suit individual lifestyle needs.

Role Description

The Veterinary Surgeon will provide first-opinion consultations, perform routine and advanced surgical procedures, and oversee inpatient care, with some sole-charge responsibilities. This role is well suited to candidates who have completed VetGDP and developed confidence in routine consultations and surgery. The caseload is varied and engaging, supporting ongoing professional growth, skill development, and clinical progression within a supportive environment.

Team Size

You will be working within a friendly, collaborative, and well-established team that includes certificate holders in medicine, dentistry, ECC, anaesthesia, feline medicine, physiotherapy, and nursing. The practice is also a training site for veterinary students and a registered nurse training facility, creating a strong culture of teaching, mentorship, and shared learning.

Practice Details

The main hospital offers multiple consulting rooms, a dedicated bereavement room, separate canine and feline inpatient wards, and extensive in-house laboratory facilities. Advanced diagnostic and surgical capabilities allow the majority of complex cases to be managed internally. On-site accommodation is available, including a private flat with showering and television facilities, supporting overnight or on-call commitments.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic and motivated Veterinary Surgeon with solid experience in routine consultations, surgery, and inpatient care. They will enjoy working as part of a values-led, collaborative team and be committed to delivering the highest standards of clinical care and client communication. This role is ideal for someone seeking a varied caseload, opportunities for progression, and a supportive, wellbeing-focused working environment.

Medical Equipment

The practice is well equipped with digital x-ray, ultrasound, flexible and rigid endoscopy, two surgical theatres with multiparameter monitoring, a dental suite with dental x-ray, and an extensive in-house laboratory, enabling a wide range of diagnostic, medical, and surgical cases to be managed in-house.

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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