Small animal vet - Lareg hospital practice in Colne Lancashire

Location Colne
Discipline: Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon
Contact name: Louise Evans

Contact email: louise@brightleaf.co.uk
Job ref: 8600
Published: about 4 hours ago
If you are an enthusiastic veterinary surgeon searching for the next step in your career and hoping to find working hours that genuinely suit your lifestyle, this practice could be the perfect fit. They are looking for experienced vets to join a friendly, supportive and long-established team, where collaboration, wellbeing and professional growth are core values.
Their main is hospital based in Colne and additional consulting branches in Barnoldswick and Burnley. Established over 100 years ago they are proud to provide high-quality first opinion care in the beautiful surroundings of East Lancashire. The small animal team manages a varied and interesting caseload, offering excellent opportunities for an experienced vet to further develop and expand in-house services, particularly for those with an interest in surgery or orthopaedics. With such a broad caseload, there is enormous potential to progress in the areas that excite you most.
The team is known for being warm, supportive and well established. Staff wellbeing is extremely important and they hold regular wellbeing meetings while actively exploring new ways to help colleagues feel valued and included. Social activities are a big part of the culture too—many take part in charity events, local community initiatives 
The full-time rota is based on a 40-hour week, including a 1-in-8 on-call weekend and one weeknight on call every two weeks. Clients greatly appreciate their in-house out-of-hours service, and they work hard to ensure this responsibility is manageable, offering generous time off after on-call duties. Overnight support is significantly strengthened by a team of night RVNs, who remain on site through the night, take calls and provide high-quality inpatient care. This allows the on-call vet to focus on clinical work without the added burden of managing the phone. On-site accommodation is available for those choosing to stay at the practice during their on-call shift.
The rota follows an eight-week cycle, making it easy to plan your personal life well in advance. Calls are handled by an out-of-hours answering service, and three dedicated night RVNs—two of whom hold ECC certificates—take responsibility for the phones overnight. While they are unable to support a newly qualified vet at this time, they welcome applications from those who have completed their VetGDP and have gained confidence with routine consultations and surgery. Full-time vets working on the out-of-hours rota enjoy a healthy mix of three-, four- and five-day weeks, with only two five-day weeks in every eight. Many of the vets choose to take additional days off, and they are very open to discussing flexible working arrangements.
Working here means joining a practice where knowledge is shared freely, and where your professional development is genuinely encouraged. The team includes certificate holders in medicine, dentistry and emergency and critical care, and the nursing team also boasts certificates in several specialties, including ECC, anaesthesia, feline medicine, dentistry and physiotherapy. The main Colne hospital is equipped to an excellent standard, with digital radiography, ultrasound, flexible and rigid endoscopy, two surgical theatres with multiparameter monitoring, a dental suite with dental X-ray, separate canine and feline wards, a designated bereavement room and an extensive in-house laboratory. They also work closely with visiting specialists in ultrasonography and cardiology, enabling them to manage the majority of cases in-house. The practice is a training facility for both veterinary nurses and UCLan students, and they have mental health first aiders and wellbeing champions supporting staff across the practice.
They offer a competitive salary ranging from £40,000 to £65,000 depending on experience. The benefits package includes 6.6 weeks of annual leave including bank holidays, with the option to buy additional holidays for those who love to travel. Colleagues have access to an Employee Assistance Programme, one paid volunteering day per year, a corporate gym membership scheme and the Cycle to Work initiative. Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave are also provided, alongside optional private medical insurance via payroll deduction. They treat colleague pets as part of the family and offer treatments at cost. CPD is strongly supported, with a generous budget, five paid CPD days each year and funding available for certificates. RCVS membership, VDS cover and two additional professional subscriptions are included. Wellbeing champions organise regular events
If you are looking for a workplace where your skills are appreciated, your development is encouraged and your wellbeing is prioritized then contact below
To learn more about this exciting opportunity or wish to apply, please don't hesitate to contact Louise@brightleaf.co.uk or give us a call at 01422 433900. We are dedicated to assisting talented Small Animal Veterinary Surgeons and nurses like you in finding the ideal job.

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