Update on the arrangements for the care of our patients during the pandemic

The Coronavirus pandemic has meant that veterinary practices, along with everyone else, have had to think very seriously about how to safely look after our patients, our clients and our staff.

At the start of the lockdown we were only able to deal with urgent cases and many routine procedures were postponed. However, because of our understanding and expertise in disease control, we have developed safe and effective systems to reduce person to person contact, using telephone and video consultations where possible, and working in smaller teams. So we are now starting to re-introduce some of the services that have had to be delayed.

Appointments

If you have any need for our services, or just require advice, do not hesitate to ring us; we are always ready to help. You may find we take a little longer to answer because of the greater number of calls.

Except in an emergency, please do not arrive at the surgery unannounced because we can only deal with people we are expecting.

Surgery times

The new way of working means that it takes longer to deal with each pet, so fewer appointment times are available. To compensate for this we have extended our Saturday surgery at the new Oldbury centre in Birchfield Lane, so appointments are available morning, afternoon and early evening. We will also be adding an extra team to provide further appointments on weekdays.

Coming to the surgery

To reduce the chances of you meeting another member of the public we have arranged for only one client to visit us at a time and we ask you, where possible, to make payments over the phone. When you book your appointment we will explain the new procedure so you know what to expect.

It is likely that our new way of working will have to be in place for many months so we appreciate your understanding during this time. The well-being of our patients is still our priority and by making these changes we can continue the important veterinary care of your pets while protecting our more vulnerable clients from unnecessary risk.

At present there is no evidence that companion animals can be infected with the new coronavirus. However it is always a good idea to wash hands with soap and water after contact with your pets.