Priory Lodge Vets to expand

Priory Lodge Vets in Kent is looking to expand after more than a year of employee ownership.

Priory Lodge Vets has recently appointed a new vet and continues to recruit in client care.

The business chose to become part of Kent based Pennard Vets, the largest practice in the world to be transferred into employee ownership in 2021.

In addition to being part of a bigger group and becoming employee owned, Priory Lodge Vets benefits from Pennard Vet’s B-Corp status.

It can also use the group’s 24-hour emergency hospital, Sevenoaks Emergency Vets, for all out of hours cases and overnight hospitalisations.

Dr Abby Pye, practice principal at Priory Lodge Vets, said: “Since joining Pennard Vets last year, and with our newfound employee-owned status, there have been numerous benefits for our team. A four-day week for vets and registered nurses, earlier finishes and an extra week holiday have all enhanced our wellbeing and work life balance, without compromising on our service to clients.

“Our industry is suffering with staff shortages across the board, but we can offer lots of tangible and attractive benefits that appeal to new team members and our existing, dedicated team. With a health cash care plan, health insurance and more flexibility in the working week, we genuinely stand out from other veterinary practices that are recruiting.”

Dr Dirk Brink, from Priory Lodge Vets, added: “It’s been a busy 12-months treating a wide range of cases, ranging from dogs and cats who have consumed weird and wonderful foreign objects to dogs presenting with cannabis poisoning, alongside all the routine treatments and services we offer.

“We are managing a whole host of complicated medical cases every week and continue to offer chemotherapy treatments to our cancer patients. I specialise in orthopaedic surgery and we’ve had numerous orthopaedic cases referred to us from other branches of Pennard Vets – we are now accommodating up to two major orthopaedic procedures a week.”