Important information for clients – Updated

 

Peak Vets surgery bannerAt Peak Vets, we are very conscious your pets are part of your family and our priority is, and always will be, to ensure they have access to the very best care no matter what time of day or night it is. 

Out-of-hours service provision

Since the practice opened in 2005, a vet and veterinary nurse have been on-call each night (but not residing in the practice). Currently, an additional member of the nursing team stays in the practice flat to check hospitalised patients. We will continue to provide this overnight and weekend service for patients admitted during our opening hours. 

True emergency cases require expert, continuous care and monitoring from vets and nurses trained in emergency and critical care work.  For the most seriously ill patients, this care should be available around the clock with no fluctuation in the level of service throughout the night. With advancement in critical care techniques, the ability of vets to care for critically ill patients, and the expectations of them, it is increasingly the case that a dedicated out-of-hours team is required to fulfil this provision.

Using day staff to provide night time cover is no longer adequate or acceptable when an alternative service that can offer improved patient care is available. 

For these reasons (and only for the hours we are closed) we will partner with Vets Now, a dedicated pet emergency service which provides expert pet emergency care. 

Vets now logo
They provide the equivalent of a pet A&E service, based at more than 560 locations nationwide, with their vets and nurses responding to half a million pet emergencies annually. 

Further details about the new procedure, including location information for Vets Now can be found here.

We have also put together some FAQs which you will find at the bottom of the page.

Extended opening hours

We’re really pleased to announce that our already extensive opening hours (8 am to 9 pm Monday to Friday) will be extended further at weekends with effect from Saturday 5th September 2020.  The new weekend hours are:

–   Saturday: 9.00am to 4.00pm
–   Sunday: 9.30am to 1.00pm

Practice maintenance works

We are having to renew the flooring that extends throughout the operating and kennelling areas of the practice.  The new resin floor being installed should last us for many years to come. 

Work started on Monday 17th August and should be completed over a 2-week period.  We have alternative workspace at the practice during this period to enable us to see cases, but we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience these works may cause. 

Wishing you and your pets the very best of health during these challenging times and thank you for your continued understanding and co-operation.

The Peak Vets Team

 

 

Out-of-hours service provision FAQs


Why have you made this decision?
True emergency cases require expert, continuous care and monitoring from vets and nurses trained in emergency and critical care work. For the most seriously ill patients, this care should be available around the clock with no fluctuation in the level of service throughout the night. With advancement in critical care techniques, the ability of vets to care for critically ill patients, and the expectations of them, it is increasingly the case that a dedicated out-of-hours team is required to fulfil this provision.

Using day staff to provide night-time cover is no longer adequate or acceptable when an alternative service that can offer improved patient care is available.

Is this decision about cost-cutting?
No. The decision is purely about doing the right thing for you and your pets. It has not been an easy decision for us, all the staff at Peak Vets care about you and your pets like they are our own.  But due to advancement in critical care and expectations placed upon our vets and nurses, we can’t provide the level of care and monitoring acutely ill pets deserve outside of normal hours. Consequently, we have freed up resource to extend our weekend opening hours (Saturday 09:00-16:00 and Sunday 09:30-13:00) to reduce your need to access this service for all but those true emergencies.  We continue to have considerably longer opening hours than any other practice in the Sheffield city region.

What can’t you do that the new service can?
We have traditionally used day staff to provide night-time cover, but with the advancement in critical care techniques and monitoring requirements of the acutely ill, this solution is no longer suitable when a full service is available elsewhere. We simply do not have the capacity to care and observe critically ill patients continuously through the night-time. To ensure your pets have the best possible care at all times, we have partnered with a dedicated out of hours provider which is well-established and has the necessary expertise to care for critically ill patients outside of normal hours.

We use you because we know and trust you, why would you send us elsewhere?
It means a lot to us that you feel you can trust us to look after your loved ones and we hope we can continue to do so.  While it hasn’t been an easy decision for us, we believe the new service will deliver a better level of care outside of our core hours that we can deliver and your pets deserve the best possible care whatever the time of day or night.

What if my pet was admitted during the day?
Since the practice opened in 2005, a vet and veterinary nurse have been on-call each night (but not residing in the practice). Currently, an additional member of the nursing team stays in the practice flat to check hospitalised patients. We will continue to provide this overnight and weekend service for patients admitted during our opening hours. Nothing will alter with regards to this in-house service.

But I trust Peak to look after me and my pet, how can I trust someone else with my pet outside of normal hours?
We are really pleased that you trust us to look after you and your pets, but veterinary care has moved on dramatically and we just can’t provide the level of service and expertise that we’d like outside our normal opening hours. This is why we have partnered with a specialist out of hours vet service who we believe are best suited to looking after you and your pets when we can’t.

Is this a corporate decision?
Not at all, I promise you. This is about quality of care whatever the time of day or night. With advancement in critical care techniques, the ability of vets to care for critically ill patients, and the expectations of them, it is increasingly the case that a dedicated out-of-hours team is required to fulfil this provision. Using day staff to provide night-time cover is no longer adequate or acceptable when an alternative service that can offer improved patient care is available.