Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Henley House Veterinary Clinic; Uckfield, Heathfield; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks leave

Birthday off

Royal London pension

Private medical cover

Clinical development

Independent autonomy

Job summary

Henley House Vet Clinic, a proudly independent 6-vet small animal practice in East Sussex with a second branch in Heathfield, is seeking a Veterinary Surgeon with some small animal experience to join mainly at Uckfield.

The role offers a varied first-opinion caseload, support to develop clinical interests, and a collaborative team. The rota supports work-life balance with a 4-day week and no Sundays.

Qualifications

• Veterinary Surgeon with experience in small animal practice
• Interest in internal medicine and diagnostic imaging encouraged
• Enjoys working in a supportive, independent team

Responsibilities

• Join a close-knit team at Uckfield with occasional Heathfield cover
• Develop clinical interests and contribute to surgical services
• Collaborate with nurses and support staff to deliver patient care

Skills

Small animal practice

Team collaboration

Independent practice

Job description

Looking for the clinical freedom of independent practice, with the time, facilities and support to do your best work?

Henley House Vet Clinic is a proudly independent 6-vet small animal practice based in Uckfield, East Sussex, with a second branch in Heathfield.

We firmly believe that exceptional veterinary care starts with creating an exceptional place to work. We work hard to ensure our vets, RVNs and support teams enjoy not only excellent facilities and equipment, but also a genuine work-life balance and a culture built on kindness, collaboration and mutual respect.

We’re now looking for a Veterinary Surgeon with some experience in small animal practice to join our close-knit team, based predominantly at our Uckfield clinic with occasional cover at Heathfield.

If you enjoy working cases up properly, value being part of a supportive team and share our commitment to doing what’s right for our patients, clients and each other, we’d love to hear from you.

About Henley House

Our veterinary team brings together a wealth of experience across small animal general practice, emergency care and surgery, with clinical interests including soft tissue surgery, ophthalmology and orthopaedics. That experience is backed by a fantastic nursing and support team, creating an environment where there’s always someone to discuss a case with, share ideas or lend a hand when the day gets busy.

And when people enjoy coming to work, it shows. As one of our vets puts it:

“I have worked in many practices before taking a permanent position at Henley House, and it really is a great place to work! Friendly, positive, supportive team, and a really good work-life balance. Working for a well-run independent practice is fantastic as you are appreciated more, have more autonomy and great job satisfaction.” Abi MRCVS

Since Chris took ownership in 2006, Henley House has continued to grow and evolve while retaining the friendly, personal feel of an independent practice. We’ve expanded into Heathfield and continued to invest in our facilities, equipment and team.

Facilities and future plans

Our Grade II listed Uckfield clinic has been extensively developed, including a purpose-built extension with two operating theatres, separate cat and dog wards, a full in-house IDEXX laboratory and a spacious staff room. Our facilities also include DR and dental radiography, endoscopy, K-Laser therapy and high-quality ultrasound at both clinics.

We continue to invest in the practice to give our team what they need to deliver excellent patient care. We’ve also future-proofed our Uckfield clinic with space for a CT scanner, which we hope will form part of the next stage of our development.

Being independent means decisions are made within the practice. If there’s equipment, training or an idea that could help us provide even better care, we’re always happy to have the conversation.

The role

This is a varied first-opinion role for someone who enjoys the breadth of general practice and wants the freedom to continue developing their own clinical interests.

We’ve recently welcomed a new graduate to the team, so this could also be a great opportunity for someone who enjoys sharing their knowledge and supporting a less experienced colleague. There’s no expectation for you to take on a formal mentoring role, but if it’s something you enjoy, there’s plenty of opportunity to get involved.

Our surgical services are continuing to develop too, with our newest Veterinary Surgeon, Henry, leading an expansion that includes TPLO and BOAS procedures, alongside additional soft tissue and orthopaedic support.

With surgery well supported, we’d particularly love to hear from someone with an interest in internal medicine and/or diagnostic imaging who could bring another dimension to the team. Whether you already have experience in these areas or would like to develop your skills further, we’d be keen to support you.

The rota

This is a full-time position based mainly at our Uckfield clinic, with occasional cover at our single-vet branch in Heathfield.

We know there’s more to life than work, which is why we’ve designed our rota to give our team time to enjoy life away from veterinary medicine. Our vets work:

• A 4-day week, 8.30am–7.00pm
• 1 in 5 (maximum) Saturday mornings, 8.30am–12.00pm
• No Sundays
• No routine out-of-hours
• Out-of-hours provided by Vets Now in Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne

What we offer

• Salary of £45,000 - £70,000, depending on experience
• Five weeks’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Your birthday off
• Royal London company pension after three months
• Bupa private medical cover after six months
• Support to develop your clinical interests
• Excellent facilities with continued investment planned
• The autonomy and flexibility of a genuinely independent practice

Life outside work

Uckfield offers a lovely balance between countryside living and easy access to the coast, city and beyond.

Ashdown Forest, the South Downs National Park and the famous Hundred Acre Wood are all on your doorstep, while Brighton, Lewes, Eastbourne and Gatwick Airport can be reached within around 45 minutes. London is just over an hour away.

We’re a sociable team too, whether that’s a countryside dog walk, a meal out, cinema trip or something a little more adventurous.

Could Henley House be your next move?

If you’re looking for an independent practice where you can enjoy the variety of being a GP vet, have experienced colleagues around you and still have the autonomy to practise in your own way, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and meet the team, have a look around and discover what your next chapter at Henley House could look like.