VetCare@Home

In January 2018 we started introducing VetCare@Home to pet owners, bringing disruptive innovation to the vet industry. As pet owners will know, taking a pet to the vet can be a stressful experience for both owner and pet – firstly there’s getting the pet there, then finding somewhere to park, then sitting with other animals in the waiting room – and that’s all before the visit to the vet and the actual examination begins. That’s why I came up with the concept of ‘Vet Care @ Home’. I could see the demand for home visits for routine appointments and could see many vet practices weren’t set up for this. I believe animals should be routinely seen in their home environment and only referred to a practice when treatment in the home is not suitable. Home visits also make life much easier for owners too – especially those with mobility or transport difficulties. VetCare@Home won The Derby Telegraph’s ‘Start-up Business of the Year’ award in 2018. We are developing standard protocols for every condition, so vets have a clear set of standards to work to and clients will always get the same level of treatment whatever vet they see. We’re also developing easy-to-understand client guides for all common conditions, so pet owners clearly understand the options available to them at an early stage. We’re developing a franchise model where vets will have a standard vehicle, equipment and marketing support available to them, giving them the opportunity to work where they want and the hours they want. The vets have their offices in high street pharmacies which allows safe storage of medicines as well as good marketing to customers who use the pharmacies, who may be elderly and struggle to get out of the house, or young parent with families. We’re dedicated to improving the veterinary experience for pets and their families. If a pet can’t be treated at home, they are referred to the nearest vet with the appropriate specialism. Normally vet practices try to work up cases in-house even if they don’t always have specialismin that area. We differ by providing an excellent first opinion service in the home, with referral to potentially the best vet to treat or further evaluate that condition if necessary, like the General Practitioner/Hospital relationship in the human world. One of the main reason’s vets get stressed in general practice is lack of experience in dealing with more complex cases or unreasonable demands for treatment put on them by owners. This model of vet care sends cases to the most appropriate vet for that condition who would not get fazed by dealing with these cases. We try and make the business as paperless as possible and use technology extensively to improve the client and patient experience. We are one of the only vet practices in the UK that don’t charge for written prescriptions, giving clients the choice to buy medication online for a pharmacy of their choice. The reviews we have on Facebook are all 5* excellent.