Exciting exotics vet opportunities - SW London

Written By Matthew Fiddes

Due to relocation across the Atlantic and the call of a zoo residency, we are now looking for a vet (or two) with some clinical experience to join our fab exotic pet team. Perhaps you have a good grounding in small animal practice and are looking to focus more on exotics? Great! We can help support you in-house plus fund the RCVS CertAVP(ZM). An advanced practitioner or specialist would also be incredibly happy here with our exotics drive and caseload. Full-time and part-time positions considered.

Our strong points

  • Fully independent, so great clinical freedom. We are London’s only specialist-led exotics private practice.

  • Join a truly permanent exotics team. No need to worry about your cases being left in the hands of small animal vets when you’re away. You are joining our 2 vet team (RCVS Specialist Matthew and Brooklynn who has been with the practice in various guises for 8 years).

  • We have been building our client base since 1994, so we have a great varied caseload. This role would be about 80% exotics, 20% cat & dog. Exotics comprise of mainly exotic pets, with equal share of avian, reptile and small mammal plus some amphibian and ornamental fish. We are equally happy to support you in small animal if that’s an area of less confidence.

  • Mixture of first opinion and referral. We typically see several referrals daily, with significant potential to expand.

  • Support from exotics experienced nursing and client care team, including a specialist exotics RVN.

  • Usual toys (DR x-ray, colour doppler ultrasound with range of 5 probes for all sizes, rigid endoscopy, capnography, Vetronic ventilator, Vetscan biochem analyser, IM3 CT scanner bought and soon to be installed)

  • Extensive, designated hospitalisation facilities for the range of species we see.

  • We provide our own in-patient care, but OOH is by a designated provider. We have a rota to provide telephone advice to our emergency clinic, but this isn’t arduous - usually 1 or 2 calls a month.

  • Excellent potential for clinical research and CPD provision (if that’s your thing!)

  • Nice area - leafy, suburban south west London. Best of both worlds - easy access to central London, but far enough out to not feel too hectic.

  • Small, fun, friendly ‘local’ practice offering referral level medicine to a wide (London and home counties) client and referral base.

The important bits

·       Salary £45-65k for the full time role dependent on experience and further qualifications.

·       4 day working week full time (but again we are happy to discuss part time roles too).

·       1 in 2 Saturday mornings with subsequent in-patient checks (Sat pm, Sun am & pm) for the full time role. Further day off in week in-lieu for a weekend worked. Aim would be to reduce to 1 in 3 if we can find a further part -time vet.

·       No OOH, although shared provision of occasional telephone advice to OOH provider (not onerous - usually 1 or 2 calls a month).

·       28 days holidays (including bank holidays – patient checks on bank holidays equally shared with time off in lieu). Pro-rata part time.

·       VDS fees paid. RCVS registration / AP fees covered pro-rata.

·       CPD funded, including certificate support.

Any questions and applications to Matthew Fiddes MRCVS to cjhallvets@talktalk.net. Very happy to have an informal chat to discuss the roles.

Matthew Fiddes