Veterinary Surgeon
Location: Harlow & Epping, Essex
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week – 4-day compressed or 5-day options available
Practice: Forest Vets
Salary: £66,000–£70,000 per annum DOE
Looking for more than a traditional GP role? Join Forest Vets and work across our established Epping hospital and brand-new Harlow hospital, where you'll have the opportunity to manage complex cases, work with advanced diagnostics, perform surgery every week and collaborate with an experienced team of certificate holders. This is primary care with genuine hospital-level clinical depth.
Why join us?
- Guaranteed surgery time every week, with around 6 surgical cases per day at Epping and growing surgical caseloads at Harlow
- Work in a busy hospital environment managing genuine emergencies including RTAs, GDVs, haem abdomen, blocked bladders, foreign body ingestions, cystotomies and paralysis
- Access to advanced CT, imaging and endoscopy, alongside two theatres at both Harlow and Epping
- Join a highly experienced clinical team with certificate holders in medicine, surgery, cardiology, dermatology and diagnostic imaging
- Work alongside three medicine certificate holders and two imaging certificate holders, with a strong culture of case discussion and clinical collaboration
- Manage your own cases from investigation through to treatment, with most cases worked up in-house
- Dedicated inpatient shift once a week, typically caring for 10–12 hospitalised patients with dedicated nursing support
- Choose between a four-day compressed week or five-day working pattern
- Opportunity to help shape and grow the clinical offering at the brand-new Harlow hospital
- No OOH, with the current weekend rota reducing as the team continues to grow
The Practice & Team
Forest Vets is a busy, clinically progressive practice across Essex, with this role offering the opportunity to work between our established Epping hospital and our brand-new purpose-built Harlow hospital.
Epping is a busy hospital supporting both its own clients and local practices, meaning the team sees a genuine emergency caseload alongside primary care. Cases referred into the hospital include RTAs, GDVs, haemabdomens, blocked bladders, foreign body ingestions, cystotomies and paralysis. The clinical team enjoys the variety and complexity this brings, with a strong focus on working cases up properly rather than automatically referring them elsewhere.
Harlow is our exciting new hospital site and represents a significant investment in the future of Forest Vets. It has five consultation rooms, two theatres, a dedicated dental area and advanced diagnostic facilities including CT, X-ray, imaging and endoscopy. There is also a dedicated cat-only consultation and waiting area, separate dog and cat wards, a six-station preparation room, isolation facilities and an in-house laboratory. The Harlow caseload is continuing to grow, meaning there is genuine scope for you to help shape how busy and clinically ambitious the site becomes.
As a Veterinary Surgeon, you'll receive at least one dedicated surgery day each week. At Epping, this currently averages around six surgical cases per day, while the Harlow surgical caseload continues to develop alongside the new hospital. You'll be expected to be confident with routine soft tissue surgery, with the opportunity to build your surgical experience as the hospital grows.
The role also includes a weekly inpatient shift, where you'll typically manage around 10–12 hospitalised patients with dedicated nursing support. This gives you the opportunity to follow cases beyond the consultation room and develop your skills in ongoing patient management.
You'll be joining a particularly strong clinical team. Across Forest Vets, there are currently certificate holders in medicine, small animal surgery, cardiology, dermatology and diagnostic imaging, including three medicine certificate holders and two imaging certificate holders. This creates an excellent environment for clinical discussion and development. The team has a genuinely collaborative approach to cases, and you'll have plenty of opportunity to discuss challenging patients with colleagues who enjoy getting stuck into a difficult case.
The practice currently refers spinal cases externally and will soon also refer ophthalmology cases while the practice's current ophthalmology certificate holder moves on. Otherwise, there is a strong appetite to work cases up within the practice wherever possible.
We're looking for an experienced Veterinary Surgeon who is comfortable in a hospital environment and can confidently manage their own cases. Around five years' experience would be a guide, although this will depend on the individual's previous exposure and level of clinical confidence. Previous hospital experience is essential, as is confidence with basic soft tissue surgery, ECC presentations, hospitalised patients and sole-charge decision making.
You'll also need to be empathetic. This is a busy hospital environment and you'll encounter some genuinely difficult and sensitive cases. We're looking for someone who cares deeply about their patients and clients but who also has the resilience to remain calm, compassionate and clinically focused when cases become challenging.
For those looking for flexibility, there are two working patterns available. You can choose a four-day compressed week, working three 11-hour days from 8am–7pm plus one shorter day from 8am–4.30pm, giving you one additional day off each week. Alternatively, you can work five 8-hour days, with a mixture of 8am–4.30pm and 11am–7pm shifts. Lunch breaks are one hour on longer days and 30 minutes on five-day patterns, with admin time built into the working day.
What we're looking for
- RCVS-registered Veterinary Surgeon
Ideally around 5 years' UK experience, depending on previous clinical exposure
Previous hospital experience is essential
Confident with routine soft tissue surgery
Comfortable managing genuine emergency and critical cases
Confident managing hospitalised patients independently
Comfortable making clinical decisions in sole charge
Strong clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills
Previous referral experience would be advantageous
An empathetic and compassionate approach to clients dealing with difficult or sensitive cases
Resilient, calm and able to thrive in a busy, fast-paced hospital environment
A collaborative approach and enthusiasm for discussing cases with colleagues
- Someone who wants to develop their clinical skills and contribute to the continued growth of the Harlow hospital
Benefits:
- 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays and birthday off (pro-rata for part-time)
- No out-of-hours (OOH)
- RCVS and VDS fees paid
- External CPD funded
- Extensive free online Linnaeus CPD program
- Career progression opportunities
- Staff discount schemes
- Enhanced sickness pay
- Enhanced equal family leave
- Wellness program including:
- Employee assistance program
- Eyecare voucher scheme
- Free annual flu jab
- Cycle to work scheme
- Recruitment referral reward scheme.
Forest Vets is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, the largest family-owned veterinary company in the world. Being privately owned, we can truly be driven by our purpose, to create a better world, and think long-term as opposed to being focused solely on short-term profits.
At Linnaeus, A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS starts with a better world for our people. Our Associates are over 6000 strong and empowered to speak up, step up and deliver quality services. You’ll have access to a huge network of specialists, worldwide development opportunities and an easily accessible, comprehensive wellbeing package that prioritises your physical and mental health, allowing you to focus on what you do best – care for pets.
We are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse, we care about you and want you to be authentic, with everything you need to perform at your best. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to achieve our purpose.
If you would like to apply for the role or for an informal chat to discuss it further, please get in touch with Joanne in the recruitment team [email protected]
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Salary Value: £66000 - £70000 per annum;
Salary Description: depending on experience;
