From Wednesday 15th September onwards, we will be partnering with Vets Now to improve the services we offer to our Out of Hours emergencies. This change is only affecting the small animal department, so it’s our cats, dogs and small furry friends.There are no changes to Equine Out of Hours so patients needing emergency treatment out of hours please continue to contact equine emergency team as before.
Oakham Veterinary Hospital does not have a dedicated night vet, therefore our emergencies out of hours are looked after by our day team. These vets have just worked a full day and usually are also scheduled to work the following day. However, if they have a busy night they are understandably often sent home early the following day. The increasing demand for our services following the growth in pet ownership in the last 18 months and the national shortage of vets have both put a strain on our ability to provide the high standard day and night service which we aim to achieve. Partnering with an emergency service that provides specialist care is, we feel, a positive step.
Vets Now has an established, dedicated night team, fully equipped to take care of all your pets' emergency needs whatever the hour. They have bases in both Peterborough and Nottingham and, whilst we appreciate that an extended journey isn't ideal, we have carefully considered the options and believe the welfare of our patients is best achieved with the enhanced night services on offer.
Please rest assured that the pets already in the hospital will still have high-quality 24 hour care that you have come to expect. Our dedicated night nurses will continue to monitor these patients throughout the night and have the support of a vet on call. You will be given a direct telephone number to allow you to contact our night nurse if your pet is staying with us. This number will also be provided to you, should you have concerns following a procedure or operation that your pet received during the day.
In an emergency or if you’re needing urgent advice, the main number to Vets Now will allow you to discuss your concerns with a member of their team. In many instances, we find telephone advice can be sufficient without an emergency consult being required. If your pet is seen at Vets Now, our night nurse will forward case history to their team and if hospitalisation is necessary your pet can return to us on the next working day, where they will remain with us as an inpatient until they are fit enough to go home.
Thankfully most of our pets rarely need access to emergency care out of hours. If, however, you do need veterinary support out of hours please be assured that we have every confidence that the Vets Now team will provide the same high quality of care and treatment you are accustomed to.
Vets Now Out of Hours Service times are:
Monday to Friday 7pm until 8am
Saturday 5pm until 8am
Sunday 12pm until 8am
In an emergency when you call our number 01572 722646, during the above hours you will be automatically diverted to Vets Now in Peterborough.
Any calls or visits to us prior to these times that are an emergency will be treated at Oakham and hospitalised there if necessary.
If you would like to save the number for an emergency: Vets Now (Peterborough) 01733 512192
Any questions or feedback could you email small.animal@oakhamvethospital.co.uk
Catriona Laird MRCVS and Chris Booth MRCVS Clinical Directors