CASE STUDY: THE VETERINARY PRACTICE

Background.

Simon Harrison has run a successful veterinary practice for many years from a large Victorian semi-detached house in a smart suburb of a large English town, about 30 miles from London. The practice caters for small animals. There are two qualified vets in Simon and his son Joe, who joined the practice a few years ago, and is now a partner. There is a senior veterinary nurse Ros, and two trainee nurses Rukia and Kath, plus Simon’s wife Anna, who, as a qualified nurse herself, plays an active role part-time. All the nursing staff have to act as receptionists too at times. There are two consulting rooms, one operating theatre /X-ray room, a drugs storeroom, a reception /office area, and a small waiting room. One problem at the current location is that vehicle parking by clients is very difficult in the busy, congested street.

Simon is nearing retirement age but does not want to fully retire yet and would like to become part-time, with his son playing a larger role and the practice taking on a younger, more recently qualified vet. Joe is keen to do this but, as we will see below, has more ambitious plans, and if Simon were to agree, there are a number of aspects and activities of the practice that could be altered and improved at the same time.

Even though veterinary services can be very expensive, the demand for them in the area is growing quite rapidly, as more people have pets and more people take out insurance for their pets. So the scale of the practice could be increased, with a move to larger purpose-built premises, in a cheaper area of the town. The practice could then have more modern facilities and eg two operating theatres instead of one, but this would require additional vets, nurses and receptionists. It could also have proper parking space for clients. Areas that also need attention are the