Surgery News

March 2009

During the last 18 months since we removed the Derby Surgeries from our business we have continued to make improvements to our Belper Surgery.

The improvement which will probably be most obvious to our clients is that we have had air conditioning heat exchangers installed which means that the Surgery can now be maintained at a constant temperature both summer and winter. We have noticed the benefits over winter as the air circulation has eliminated hot and cold spots and the filtration system has improved the quality of the air. We are convinced the changes will be equally welcome if we have a hot summer!

It isn’t just the waiting and consulting rooms where the new system makes a real difference. Although the hospital was always nice and warm in winter it did get a little stuffy at times when we were full of patients, this problem has now been overcome and we are sure that it has made our patients more comfortable.

This climate control system also has the benefit of being very energy efficient and therefore being approved by the government as a ‘green’ initiative. So we are helping the planet as well as helping ourselves.

The other big change for us will probably not be noticeable to clients at all. This change is that we are in the process of becoming an accredited RCVS practice. This has meant an enormous amount of paperwork but very few practical changes as our standard of care has always been high. However, we decided that the paperwork was worth the effort if it reinforced to our clients that we are committed to constant, voluntary, reassessment and improvement.

There are 3 standards at which practices can become accredited. The basic level is Tier 1, or as it will soon be known Core Standards. The next level up is Tier 2 or General Practice, which is the one we have been inspected for and hope to be accepted for soon; in the Small Animal category. The third level is that for Veterinary Hospitals which we are not eligible to apply for. As you will understand we are aiming to be the best we can, our clients deserve nothing less.

If you would like to read about the standards we have to reach for Tier 2 accreditation you can find the details on http://www.rcvs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=93187&int1stParentNodeID=93186

Smaller changes have been undertaken to make sure we comply with the new laws concerning medicines which come into force on the 1st April 2009. We apologise for the fact that some imposed changes mean we are now less flexible in the supplying of drugs and have to ask you to request repeat prescriptions 24hrs in advance.

Having read evidence that full spectrum (otherwise known as Daylight) bulbs can have a positive effect on both people and animals we have changed most of our lighting to Daylight bulbs and tubes. It has been suggested that this lighting can also have a positive effect on healing rates but we have no evidence to support this idea. However, it is worth doing just in case!

We have also employed a new receptionist to help on Saturday mornings, which have become busier, so that we now have three staff on duty. Lucy is not new to the team as she has been our weekend ‘kennel girl’ for most of the past 14 years, a position which she continues to hold, but we never-the-less welcome her in her new role.

Looking to the future. Later this year both Roger Till and Katherine Reynolds intend to undertake courses in Veterinary Acupuncture. Roger’s course is in July and Katherine’s in October and November. Acupuncture in animals can be used for pain relief, to treat stress and may be useful in certain forms of epilepsy. More here.