Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Are you looking for clinical freedom, real support and a 3.5-day week?

Bishop’s Stortford Vets, an independent, 16-vet small animal hospital in beautiful Hertfordshire, has been part of the community for over 120 years. We achieved RCVS-accredited status in 1985 and continually invest in the latest equipment and training to provide the highest standards of patient and client care.

Our friendly, close-knit team has many years of experience, enabling us to handle and manage the majority of cases in-house, including most soft-tissue surgeries and orthopaedics. We also have exciting plans ahead, with an extensive refurbishment on the way.

Our Team

We have a wide range of interests within the team. Neil is passionate about both orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and is always happy to help with unusual or tricky cases. Ruth has a small animal internal medicine certificate and enjoys cardiac ultrasound. Poppy has completed her surgery certificate and is also leading our drive to become more sustainable. Rachael holds an ECC certificate, bringing valuable expertise in emergency and critical care to the team. Suzie is currently working towards her surgery certificate, while Henry is pursuing a medicine certificate. Rosemary is interested in behaviour and is our go‑to person for these sometimes‑tricky cases. Freya is exploring a certificate in hospice and palliative care, and Sarah, Olly, Chloe, Kate, Ruth, Sam and Aphra complete our clinical team along with Lauren, our VetGDP advisor, who is supporting our new graduate, Georgia.

We have a superb nursing team of 29 RVNs, SVNs, and ACAs and an excellent admin team who keep everything running smoothly. We are also fortunate to have the expertise of our in‑house laboratory manager and a qualified Canine Hydrotherapist, enabling us to offer hydrotherapy onsite. On the rare occasion we need to refer, we benefit from having multiple referral hospitals within a 40‑minute drive of the practice.

The Kit

You’ll have access to everything you’d expect in a well‑equipped hospital:

• Digital x-ray
• Doppler and high‑spec ultrasound
• Dental suite with dental X-ray
• Flexible video‑endoscopy
• Laparoscopy (being introduced)
• Operating microscope & slit lamp
• ASIF kit
• Full in‑house lab
• Laser therapy & hydrotherapy

If there’s something you need, we’re open to investing in it. Our independence means we have the flexibility to make decisions based on clinical needs.

The Role

If you are a surgeon who has perhaps finished your Vet GDP but doesn’t want to lose support while you grow, this role could be exactly what you’re looking for. If there’s an area of veterinary medicine you’re already passionate about, or one you’re curious to explore, we’ve got the right mix of interesting cases, hands‑on support, and funding to help you take that next step, including starting a certificate if that’s where you’re headed.

You’ll be working alongside a great bunch of people in a practice where sharing knowledge and supporting each other is just part of daily life. Our partners are hands‑on clinicians, always available for a second opinion, to scrub in with you, or to talk through a tricky case. There is always someone to support you both clinically and practically.

Our daily schedule is designed with support in mind, with a minimum of three vets for consultations and two on ops each day, so you’re never without a second opinion (or a spare pair of hands). We also have an active clinical WhatsApp group for vets and hold regular in‑house CPD sessions, so there’s always something new to learn and someone to learn it with.

The Rota

Full‑time for this role is a 3.5‑day week.

For seven weeks out of nine, you’ll finish at 1 pm once a week — effectively giving you a 3.5‑day week. The remaining two weeks have a 5 pm early finish.

We provide our own out‑of‑hours care, which means:

• You follow your cases through
• You build confidence faster
• You’re never left without backup
• An RVN is on‑site 24/7 for inpatient care.

We’ve split the OOH weekends so nobody works a full weekend on call (equivalent to 1:9). This approach has significantly improved work‑life balance across the team.

There is accommodation available in a separate flat during on‑call if preferred.

What We’re Offering

• Salary of £42,000 to £82,000
• Certificates fully funded and encouraged
• Relocation package up to £3,000
• Five weeks’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Company pension
• Visa sponsorship available
• Option of sabbaticals
• Bring your dog to work

Location

Bishops Stortford is a pretty market town, with plenty of cafés, restaurants and great schools, all surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside. Many team members have dogs, so we have our own ‘doggie work team’ that joins in practice and on walks during breaks. The practice is also just across the road from the local leisure centre for those who want a swim or workout before or after work, plus a large park for lunchtime walks. We enjoy getting together as a team and are busy organising our summer BBQ.

The area offers many outdoor activities, such as cycling, walking, open‑water swimming, and fishing at nearby lakes, not to mention that we’re just over an hour from the Essex coast. There are excellent rail links, with a direct train service to London Liverpool Street that takes approximately 45 minutes, one to Cambridge that takes 30 minutes, and Stansted Airport is just 15 minutes away. So, keen travellers will find it easy to jet off for a weekend getaway.

Interested?

If you’re looking for a supportive, forward‑thinking hospital with a friendly team that will help you develop your skills and career, we’d love to hear from you.

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