Lead Veterinary Surgeon Blythwood

Cinque Ports Vets; Bushey; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks holiday + bank holidays and b‑

No out-of-hours

RCVS and VDS fees paid

External CPD funded

Linnaeus CPD program

Career progression opportunities

Staff discount schemes

Wellness program

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Blythwood Vets seeks a Lead Veterinary Surgeon to lead a well-established, multi-site practice across Bushey and Hatch End. The role blends hands-on clinical work with leadership, mentoring and shaping the direction of the team, ensuring high standards and a supportive culture.

You’ll work with an experienced clinical and nursing team, maintaining excellence in patient care and service delivery, with opportunities to develop others and influence practice strategy.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years UK experience and leadership experience is desirable.
• Comfortable managing a varied first opinion caseload, including routine surgery and consultations.
• Excellent communication skills with clients and team members.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day clinical leadership and mentorship to the team.
• Support colleagues and develop others while maintaining high clinical standards.
• Lead and participate in decision-making across Bushey and Hatch End sites.

Skills

Leadership

Line management

Mentoring

Communication

Education

UK veterinary qualification

Job description

Lead Veterinary Surgeon
Location: Bushey, Hertfordshire
Hours: 40-hour (4-day) week | 1 in 3 Saturdays | 1 in 6 full weekends | No on-call
Practice: Blythwood Vets
Salary: £70000 - £80000 per annum (depending on experience)
Relocation: Up to £5,000 available (direct candidates only)

Lead with purpose. Shape the future of Blythwood Vets.

This is your opportunity to lead an established, respected team without stepping away from the clinical work you love.

Are you ready to take the next step in your veterinary career?

Blythwood Vets are looking for a Lead Veterinary Surgeon to help shape the future of our well-established, multi-site practice across Bushey and Hatch End. This is an exciting opportunity to combine hands-on clinical work with leadership, mentoring and the chance to influence the direction of a practice that has been serving its local community for over 40 years.

We're looking for someone who enjoys developing people just as much as delivering excellent patient care. You'll be supported by an experienced clinical and nursing team while working closely with the Directors to maintain high clinical standards, support colleagues and continue building the positive culture we're proud of.

Blythwood is the perfect place for someone who enjoys being on the clinical floor, discussing cases, celebrating great work, coaching colleagues and creating an environment where everyone enjoys coming to work.

Whether you're already an established Lead Vet or an experienced Veterinary Surgeon looking to take your first step into leadership, we'd love to hear from you.

Why lead Blythwood?

• A genuine opportunity to shape and influence the future of a long-established, respected practice.
• Lead and support a collaborative clinical team across our Bushey and Hatch End sites.
• A varied caseload with approximately 40% consultations and 60% surgery.
• A 4-day working week designed to support a healthy work-life balance.
• No on-call commitments.
• Protected support to develop your leadership skills alongside your clinical interests.
• Encouragement and funding towards further certificates and professional development, with current vets working towards Medicine and Dermatology certificates and access to an external peripatetic Orthopaedic Surgeon.
• Experienced Registered Veterinary Nurses who are highly skilled, proactive and play an integral role in patient care.
• Well-equipped practices including digital radiography, dental radiography and ultrasound with colour flow Doppler.
• A loyal, well-insured client base allowing you to work cases up thoroughly and build long-term relationships.

The Team & Practice

Blythwood Vets is a long-established, first opinion small animal practice with four closely located sites across Bushey, Hatch End, Stanmore and Northwood. Our main clinical hubs are based in Bushey and Hatch End, where you'll spend the majority of your time working alongside experienced veterinary surgeons, talented nurses and dedicated support teams.

We've been caring for pets in the local community for over 40 years and have built a fantastic reputation for providing high-quality, compassionate veterinary care. Many of our clients have been with us for years and place enormous trust in our team, allowing us to build meaningful relationships and follow cases through from diagnosis to recovery rather than practising conveyor-belt medicine.

We're proud to be an RCVS Practice Standards Scheme accredited practice and a Veterinary Nurse training practice. Clinical collaboration is a huge part of our culture, with complex cases regularly discussed as a team and everyone encouraged to share knowledge and ideas.

As Lead Veterinary Surgeon, you'll play an important role in supporting and developing the team. You'll provide day-to-day clinical leadership, mentor colleagues where needed and help create an environment where everyone feels supported to grow. Previous line management experience would be highly advantageous, although experienced vets with mentoring responsibilities looking to progress into leadership are encouraged to apply.

We're looking for someone who enjoys improving not only their own clinical knowledge but also the practice around them. Whether that's refining processes, supporting colleagues, championing new ideas or continually raising clinical standards, you'll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact.

While most of your work will be based at our multi-vet sites, occasional sole charge is required. We're therefore looking for someone who is confident making clinical decisions independently while always knowing the wider team is there for support when needed.

The practice also works closely with Cats Protection in Harrow, offering opportunities for those with a particular interest in feline medicine or supporting charitable organisations.

Most importantly, we're a team that genuinely enjoys working together. We work hard, support one another and celebrate our successes. Whether it's sharing homemade cakes, a well-stocked biscuit cupboard, team lunches, dinners or an evening at the local pub, we've built a friendly, welcoming culture where people enjoy coming to work.

Bushey itself offers the perfect balance between countryside charm and city convenience. With its leafy streets, rose garden, independent cafés, green open spaces and welcoming village atmosphere, it's easy to see why so many people choose to call it home.

Just a few minutes away, Watford offers excellent shopping, restaurants, entertainment and leisure facilities, while Watford Junction provides direct trains into central London in under 20 minutes. Whether you're looking to relocate for vibrant city life, beautiful countryside walks or somewhere to raise a family, Bushey offers the best of both worlds.

What we're looking for

• A vet with at least 5 years UK experience with the confidence to lead by example.
• Previous line management, mentoring or leadership experience is highly desirable.
• Comfortable managing a varied first opinion caseload, including routine surgery and consultations.
• Someone who inspires confidence, communicates openly and enjoys developing others.
• A proactive vet who uses their initiative and is passionate about continually improving both themselves and the practice.
• Excellent communication skills with a genuine passion for building lasting relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Comfortable working collaboratively as part of a team while also confident in occasional sole charge.
• A positive, approachable and enthusiastic individual who contributes to the supportive culture of the practice.

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.

Blythwood 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’llhave access toa huge networkof 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.

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