Veterinary Referral Clinician - Surgery

Inspiring Vet Care; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Welcome bonus up to £5,000

Relocation allowance up to £5,000

6.6 weeks' annual leave

Birthday day off

Private medical insurance

CPD allowance and five days' paid CPD

BVA membership

VDS cover

RCVS registration fees

Vetlexicon access

Research funding opportunities

£1,250 annual Care Fund allowance

5% employee and 3% employer pension

Healthcare Cash Plan

Cycle to Work

Green Cars salary sacrifice

Job summary

inspiring vet care’s Plymouth Vets centre is seeking an experienced Orthopaedic Referral Veterinary Surgeon to deliver advanced surgical care within a referral setting. You will manage complex orthopaedic cases alongside the hospital's soft tissue referrals and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to maintain high clinical standards.

You’ll contribute to the growth of the referral service, mentor colleagues, and participate in ongoing professional development with access to modern

Qualifications

• Veterinary degree with RCVS registration and a relevant postgraduate surgical certificate.
• Proven experience managing complex orthopaedic cases with an interest or experience in soft tissue surgery welcomed.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with referring vets and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage referred orthopaedic surgical cases from initial assessment through surgery and postoperative care.
• Contribute to the hospital's wider surgical referral service, including soft tissue cases.
• Build and maintain relationships with referring veterinary practices to ensure excellent communication and continuity of patient care.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the hospital to support clinical development and the growth of the surgical referral service.

Skills

Orthopaedic surgical expertise

Excellent communication

Collaborative team player

Education

Veterinary degree with RCVS registration

Postgraduate surgical certificate

Job description

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Orthopaedic Veterinary Surgeon to join our established referral team at Plymouth Vets, based at our purpose-built Veterinary Centre Hospital in Plymouth. Our modern hospital provides an excellent environment for both first opinion and referral services, combining advanced diagnostic capabilities with dedicated surgical facilities. Located just one mile north of the Devon Expressway (A38), the hospital has been designed to support high-quality clinical care and collaboration across veterinary disciplines. The facilities include a veterinary CT scanner, dedicated wards for dogs, cats, rabbits and exotic patients, and multiple surgical and procedural spaces centered around a spacious preparation area. With an established surgical referral service managing both orthopaedic and soft tissue cases, this is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing hospital, contribute to the continued development of our referral offering and deliver excellent patient care.

Practice Highlights

• Modern, purpose-built veterinary hospital offering first opinion and referral services.
• Advanced diagnostic facilities, including Plymouth's first veterinary CT scanner.
• Established surgical referral service managing orthopaedic and soft tissue cases.
• Dedicated surgical facilities, multiple procedural spaces and species-specific inpatient wards.

How You’ll Make a Difference

As an Orthopaedic Referral Veterinary Surgeon, you will deliver advanced surgical care within a referral setting, managing complex orthopaedic cases alongside the hospital's wider soft tissue surgical referral caseload.

You’ll work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary hospital team to deliver outstanding patient and client care, while also supporting the development of colleagues through mentoring, supervision and knowledge sharing.

You’ll contribute positively to the efficient running of the surgical referral service and play an active role in maintaining high clinical standards and supporting its continued growth.

Working Pattern

• Full-time: 40 hours per week across 4 days.
• Part-time: 3 days per week.
• Permanent position.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage internally and externally referred orthopaedic surgical cases, from initial assessment and diagnosis through to surgical intervention and postoperative care.
• Contribute to the hospital's wider surgical referral service, including soft tissue cases appropriate to your experience and expertise.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with referring veterinary practices, ensuring excellent communication and continuity of patient care.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the hospital, contributing to clinical development, knowledge sharing and the continued growth of the surgical referral service.

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

You are an experienced veterinary surgeon with strong orthopaedic surgical expertise and a passion for delivering high-quality referral-level care. You'll bring:

• A veterinary degree with RCVS registration and a relevant postgraduate surgical certificate, supported by experience managing surgical referral cases.
• Proven experience managing complex orthopaedic cases, with an interest or experience in soft tissue surgery also welcomed.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with referring vets, clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• A collaborative approach, with enthusiasm for supporting colleagues and contributing to the development of the wider clinical team.
• A commitment to evidence-based practice, clinical governance and continuous improvement.

How We’ll Support You

At inspiring vet care, we're committed to supporting you in delivering advanced clinical care while continuing to grow professionally. When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• The opportunity to work within an established surgical referral service, managing a varied and rewarding caseload.
• Access to modern diagnostic imaging, including CT, alongside dedicated surgical and inpatient facilities.
• The opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and development of orthopaedic and soft tissue referral services.
• Funded learning and development, including access to IVC Academy training centres and specialist programmes.
• A collaborative, values-led culture focused on care, learning and continuous improvement.

What We Offer Our Team

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional development, wellbeing and work-life balance.

Role-Specific Benefits

• Welcome bonus of up to £5,000.
• Relocation allowance of up to £5,000.
• 6.6 weeks' annual leave.
• Additional day off for your birthday.
• Private medical insurance.
• Enhanced family-friendly policies.
• Up to £1800 CPD allowance with five days' paid CPD leave (pro rata).
• Certificate support and professional development opportunities.
• BVA membership.
• VDS cover.
• RCVS registration fees.
• Access to Vetlexicon.
• Opportunities to apply for research funding.
• £1,250 annual Care Fund allowance.
• Pension contributions of 5% employee and 3% employer.

Additional Benefits

• Healthcare Cash Plan.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme.
• Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you.
• Discounted staff pet care.
• Access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers.

We're committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world‑class learning resources.

Whether you're looking to take the next step in your surgical career or an opportunity to contribute to the continued development of an established referral service, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.