Vets On Demand

RE: Vets On Demand

Clive Ansell — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 13:00:59 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"][quote user="Clive Ansell"]I have done locums with 2 visiting vet services. I had a surgery for ops and hospitalisation and cases could be brought back and dealt with as needed, although it had the same limitations as most SA practices in that Vets-Now covered OOH and there was no on site 24/7 care. [/quote]So in essence this is not a visiting vet service but merely one that does more house visits than most?[/quote]

Although there was a surgery, no consultations were carried out there. Routine ops would be fetched and transported back to the owner later in the day. It was just a glorified vaccination, nails, anal glands and anti-parasitics service.

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"][quote user="Clive Ansell"]The second one had no surgery or premises, [/quote]So how did the practice receive requests for treatment - there must have been a base somewhere with a telephone or did the vet just carry a mobile; where/how were drugs etc stored and how did the wholesaler deliver them; where did you go to work in the morning - just drive away from your accommodation armed with a list; what did you do with cadavers in the event of a PTS/death - presumably take them to the local hospital practice??? All questions of genuine interest.[/quote]

Sorry, I didn't word that very well. It was run from an office in the vets home. There was an employed receptionist, but sometimes calls would go straight through to vets mobile. They had a basic stock of vaccines and meds, but again really just a home vaccination service. Had a body freezer too. No longer in existence, so wonder if fell foul of any regs etc?

A third visiting vet service I worked for was part of a large group of 8 practices, but was discontinued as not being financially viable, and not enough demand for it.

RE: Vets On Demand

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 10:17:15 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]I have done locums with 2 visiting vet services. I had a surgery for ops and hospitalisation and cases could be brought back and dealt with as needed, although it had the same limitations as most SA practices in that Vets-Now covered OOH and there was no on site 24/7 care. [/quote]So in essence this is not a visiting vet service but merely one that does more house visits than most?

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]The second one had no surgery or premises, [/quote]So how did the practice receive requests for treatment - there must have been a base somewhere with a telephone or did the vet just carry a mobile; where/how were drugs etc stored and how did the wholesaler deliver them; where did you go to work in the morning - just drive away from your accommodation armed with a list; what did you do with cadavers in the event of a PTS/death - presumably take them to the local hospital practice??? All questions of genuine interest.

RE: Vets On Demand

Clive Ansell — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:54:52 GMT

I have done locums with 2 visiting vet services. I had a surgery for ops and hospitalisation and cases could be brought back and dealt with as needed, although it had the same limitations as most SA practices in that Vets-Now covered OOH and there was no on site 24/7 care. The second one had no surgery or premises, but a good and amicable relationship with a large local hospital practice for any ops or admits. Both models seemed to work well.

In Holland where I did a locum back in the spring, far more is done by the way of home visits, even small procedures and dentals would be done in clients kitchens. I do draw the line at that, and think all cases requiring anaesthesia should be in a practice or hospital setting.

RE: Vets On Demand

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:33:32 GMT

There is no trend but there are small number of start-up or part-time vets who have mobile only practices and doing things that can only be done on a house visit. These are seen as cherry picking and by and large resented by mainstream practices who may then have pick up the pieces when there is a case involving hospitalisation/surgery maybe without a full history.

RE: Vets On Demand

George Cooper — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:13:06 GMT

providing a niche that clients are looking for, perhaps? Horses for courses, as ever?