Tag Archives: vet

Vet bills

Posted on by

As regular readers of my blog will know, I have long been concerned by the issues of overcharging and poor communication by vets. Too many practices, in my opinion, seem to prioritise profits over patients and a culture of turnover-related bonuses for vets leads to ever increasing bills. And it’s not just the bills themselves that are cause for concern, it’s also the way in which potential charges are explained to owners. I recently had an email from an owner whose cat had suffered a broken leg and whose subsequent treatment at her local emergency vets really illustrated how poorly some clients are treated by their vets.

The issue in this case wasn’t so much the astronomical bill (£1100) as the complete lack of transparency over the costs of the treatment and a seeming indifference to the circumstances of the owners for whom such a bill was clearly unaffordable. According to the owner, the vet had flatly refused to provide an estimate before the surgery to repair the leg claiming that it ‘wasn’t possible’. So the poor owner was faced not only with the trauma of their little cat suffering a serious injury, but also the stress of not having any idea what the treatment would cost followed by a very unpleasant shock when the bill finally appeared.

Obviously I’ve only heard the owner’s side of things in this case and there may be other issues involved that I’m not aware of, but even so, it’s hard not to be shocked by this apparently callous and money-orientated approach. It’s also in direct contravention of the professional guidance provided by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which states that all vets are obliged to provide estimates on request before any surgical procedure.

Cases like this continue to amaze me, even though I’ve heard so many stories like this, and it’s hard not tot feel a sense of shame at being part of a profession that includes members who are prepared to treat clients in this way. I hope that things are changing and that the Royal College will be tough on cases like this as without firm enforcement of the rules, the behaviour of the small minority of vets who treat their clients as licenses to print money will never change.

Vet’s Klinic – a few days to go…

Posted on by
1

With just 6 days to go until our grand open day this Sunday, Vet’s Klinic is very nearly finished and ready – and we are all getting very, very excited!

It’s been a hectic last couple of weeks as the builders have been working around the clock to get everything finished, and our IT developers glued to their keyboards as they put the finishing touches to our amazing website system. Although everything is looking good now, it;s been a really stressful time as we’ve had all sorts of problems and challenges to face, ranging from the glass not fitting to ‘computer says no’ errors on the website! However, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team we’ve sorted out all but a few last issues and everything is finally looking good for our official launch at the weekend.

As well as the builders and developers being hard at work, we’ve also welcomed our teamof wonderful vets and nurses to the premises this week. Ed, Jenny and Adrian the vets, Becks, Claire, Stacey and Katie the nurses and Sarah and Melinda the auxiliary nurses have been busy sorting out all the final details and getting everything ready for our first clients next week.

Away from all the work at the practice, we’ve also been launching the practice to Swindon’s pet owners with a series of radio and press adverts, and letting everyone know about the practice – and our fantastic launch offer where we are giving away 200 free pet vaccinations to the first clients to register and book through our website, www.vetsklinic.co.uk. If you’re in Swindon or nearby, don’t miss out on this amazing offer – just visit the website, sign up and book your pets in.

Plans for the open day on Sunday 19th are also coming on well, so we really look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the day!

Vet’s Klinic – almost there!

Posted on by
2

It’s been an exciting – but stressful – few days at the Vet’s Klinic building site as the construction program nears the end. It is looking amazing and we all can’t wait to get started and fill it with pets and people!

The biggest excitement of the week was yesterday when the glass wall was installed between the prep room and waiting room. This is one of the key parts of the whole design and will allow our waiting clients to see the staff in action and be reassured that we are taking the very best care of their pets. It is a major installation – 10 panes of glass 12mm thick and 3.5 metres high, with each one weighing 120kg – and it was all going well up to the last pane. Unfortunately at this point it became clear that the glass was very slightly too big for the opening, and despite lots of squeezing and fiddling by the installers, by the end of the day the last pane was still obstinately refusing to fit. As a result the manufacturers are going to have to make a replacement sheet and get it installed as soon as possible – time is now getting very tight ahead of our planned opening in a couple of weeks time!

It’s all pretty stressful at the moment but I’m sure it will all be worth it in the end when Vet’s Klinic is finally open and offering an amazing and unique service to Swindon’s pet owners!

Vet’s Klinic update

Posted on by
8

It’s been a very busy few weeks at Vet’s Klinic, with the building work now past the half way stage and the ground-breaking website system starting to come together. It’s not been without issues though, including arguments with electricians, heated debates over the number of cupboards required and the position of the reception desk, and brain-aching sessions with the web developers as we try to make sure that the system does everything our clients will expect when we launch.

My life has been taken over with this project over the last few months but despite all the stress and hard work, I’m still incredibly excited by it and can’t wait to open the doors and set the website live and start making my vet revolution dream a reality.

In the building, most of the major works are now done and the first finishing touches are starting to be applied – rooms are being painted, floors installed and light fittings put in place. It is finally starting to look more like a veterinary practice than a building site – which is a good job as we’re hoping to be opening the doors in the next 6 weeks! The next big milestones are the installation of the great curved glass wall in the waiting room, and then the arrival of all of our clinical equipment at the end of the month.

Online, I have spent weeks working through the processes and potential problems with our long-suffering web developers, but I’m sure that it will be worth all the hard work in the long run as the features we are building are going to offer pet owners so much more than any other practice system. Not only will pet owners be able to book and pay for appointments online, they will be able to view their pet’s medical records online, which can include photos and even video clips – so vets will be able to record short video clips in consultations explaining complex diagnoses or care at home instructions and the owner will be able to login at home and watch these at refresh their mind on what the vet said.

The only disappointing thing that I’ve had to deal with since we announced our plans for Vet’s Klinic has been a hostile and negative response from some in the veterinary profession. Some vets are up in arms because I have suggested that not all vets operate in an open and transparent manner, particularly where pricing is concerned – and that I have dared to talk about value for money, which is not something many vets want to discuss. To me, this just reinforces my views about the need for change in the profession if we are to offer a truly positive and modern service to our customers and their pets. Although it isn’t very nice to be on the receiving end of some pretty unpleasant comments in veterinary forums, my focus has always been on doing this for pet owners rather than vets so I don’t mind provided the feedback from pet owners continues to be as overwhelming positive as it has been so far. Vet’s Klinic is all about pet owners and pets, not vets!

Vet’s Klinic – my veterinary revolution!

Posted on by
1

Ever since I qualified as a vet back in 1996 I’ve been becoming increasingly frustrated by the way in which some aspects of the veterinary profession work, particularly when it comes to how some practices look after their clients. There are practices, albeit a small minority, that seem to be more focussed on profit and the careers of their vets than offering the very best services to clients and their pets, which for me should be the number one priority. In recent years, the issue of alleged overcharging has become a very significant for pet owners, and this has only added to my frustration – and desire to do something positive to change things.

So, after all these years of feeling that things could be done better, I’ve finally decided to put my money where my mouth is and open my own practice! Vet’s Klinic, which is opening in Swindon this August, is going to be a truly revolutionary practice which I believe will offer pets and their owners something exciting and new.

The practice, which is currently midway through construction, will feature ground-breaking innovations which aim to deliver a whole new veterinary experience through the use of modern technology. As well as a state-of-the-art premises, I am also building an entirely new web-based practice management system that will enable pet owners to view their pet’s medical records, book and pay for appointments, and even watch live video broadcasts from the Klinic via our internet TV channel. Inside the building, a curved glass wall will allow waiting owners the chance to see the vets and nurses at work in the prep room, and by using i-Pads instead of fixed computers, we will be able to take photos and videos in every consultation, which owners will be able to view and share at home. Real time updates on inpatients, with photos and videos showing their progress throughout the day will help reassure owners at home when their pets are staying with us for operations.

As well as all this revolutionary online technology, Vet’s Klinic will also offer real value for money. Using our variable pricing online booking system owners will be able to select times and dates that suit them and take advantage of lower costs in periods when the Klinic is less busy – so just like with an airline or hotel, you’ll be able to book early and save.

You can see the practice under construction and my introduction to Vet’s Klinic in this video…

It’s a grand project that I’m really proud of and I hope that it really is going to be the start of a revolution in the veterinary world – a revolution with pets and their owners at its heart. I’ll be updating you all regularly as construction comes on ahead of our launch in August, and you can see more on the Vet’s Klinic website at www.vetsklinic.co.uk.