Are you looking to take your skills to the next level with a supportive team and amazing facilities? If so, read on...
All potential candidates should read through the following details of this job with care before making an application.
About us
Park House Veterinary Centre is an independent small animal practice in Stafford. We want everyone to enjoy coming to work and are committed to making our team happy. We’re a young and enthusiastic team that enjoys working up cases to a very high standard, so we continually invest in our team’s development and our facilities to support this. Our 9-vet team includes certificate holders in medicine, cardiology and two in surgery, enabling us to take referrals from local practices. We also benefit from a visiting CT and MRI scanner, enabling high-standard, non-invasive, advanced imaging and allowing us to keep all the exciting cases in-house.
“I have been working at Park House for over four years now, and I am very happy to be part of this great team. We have a lot of friendly, talented people who truly care about the job that they do and the people they work with. This helps us work together to deliver a high level of patient care and work up a wide variety of complex cases in-house, which has helped to increase my job satisfaction significantly. The benefits of being at a larger, progressive, independently owned practice, with lots of equipment available and open collaborative minds to share ideas with, compared to a sole-charge small branch surgery, cannot be underestimated. It was a big decision to move with my family to Stafford to join the practice, but it absolutely was the right decision, and I enjoy working with such a fantastic bunch of people.” Geoff MRCVS
Working at Park House Vets has helped me to achieve my initial career goals and set new aspirations for the future. Park House Vets is a constantly evolving practice where new ideas are strongly encouraged by the whole team. I returned from maternity leave in March 2023 and did not hesitate to return full-time, knowing the support from the whole team that I’d be coming back to. The opportunities that have arisen from Park House Vets have been incredible, from the varied caseload to the introduction of new techniques and procedures. The patients at Park House receive the utmost care from many different aspects of the practice, including every member of the team. Lauren RVN
Ben graduated from Cambridge in 1997 and worked in various practices before founding Park House Vets in 2001 with his wife Kath, an RVN, who took on the role of Practice Manager. We soon developed a reputation locally for providing outstanding care, and we needed to expand our team. Katie joined us in 2016, saying, “After maternity leave, I was looking for a practice with an interesting caseload to continue my love of medicine. Even in my first meeting, I had a really good feeling about the practice. It seemed really friendly whilst offering great care, and I knew this was the place to take on a partnership.”
Nick worked as the lead surgeon in a nearby referral practice and found that often, his most interesting cases came from Park House. Nick joined the team in 2017 to develop the surgical options we could offer in-house.
We moved into our newly refurbished, purpose-built premises in 2020. We now have excellent facilities in beautiful green surroundings, allowing us to work to a very high standard. We have a separate cat waiting room, a sunny cat ward, two state-of-the-art theatres equipped with cutting-edge technology that enables us to perform advanced surgical procedures, including orthopaedics and laparoscopy. Additionally, we have a separate imaging room featuring ultrasonography, echocardiography, endoscopy, rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy, and digital and dental radiography.
Our team
Ben enjoys all aspects of small animal practice, especially clinical pathology and performs a lot of the in-house cytology, enabling rapid results for our patients.
Nick is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in small animal surgery and is particularly interested in using CT-guided correction of limb and spinal deformities. Nick performs most of our orthopaedic procedures, including TPLO, fracture repairs, thoracic and spinal surgery.
Katie, an Advanced Practitioner in small animal medicine, loves investigating complex medical cases, particularly using imaging and laparoscopy to achieve a high level of non-invasive diagnostics. Katie is also our VetGDP Advisor.
Geoff joined the team in 2021, having previously worked with Katie. He is passionate about ultrasound and cardiology, in which he has achieved Advanced Practitioner status.
Kathryn is a superb soft tissue surgeon with certificates in Advanced Veterinary Practice and small animal surgery. She has just been awarded her Advanced Practitioner status.
Dawn qualified from the RVC in 1977 and spent most of her career in mixed practice. She now shares her time between us and Improve International, where she helps train other vets.
Jonah, who graduated in 2022, worked in a charity practice in Manchester before moving to Stafford. He enjoys many aspects of small animal medicine and surgery, especially ultrasonography and ophthalmology, as well as the variety that each day brings.
Peta was born and raised in New Zealand and graduated from Massey University in 2021. She began her career in Auckland before joining the Park House team. Peta enjoys all areas of veterinary medicine and surgery, especially the challenges of emergency cases.
Luke joined us as a new graduate in 2019 and is now moving on to explore an exciting new opportunity. Here’s what he had to say about his time with us:
“I’ve been with Park House Vets since graduating six years ago, which alone speaks for how much I’ve enjoyed working here. It’s a place that prides itself on providing the best possible care for patients, with a high level of in-house case workup. The team has experience across multiple fields and is always willing to offer advice and support when required. I’ve always enjoyed the clinical freedom and emphasis on case continuity for each vet.
Park House Vets has allowed me to explore my interests in both medicine and surgery. This is in part due to great equipment, along with training being available from skilled staff members to further your skills. If there’s additional kit or training you’re interested in, I’ve always found the Directors open to new ideas and investing in further equipment. I find the busy hustle and bustle atmosphere makes the working day pass in a blink of an eye, and I can genuinely say I’ve made friends for life here.”
As we wish Luke a fond farewell and every success in his next adventure, we’re now looking for a vet—ideally with some experience—to join our friendly, supportive team.
Career development and support
We already take a small number of referrals from surrounding practices for cardiology, medicine, surgery, and advanced imaging, including CT, MRI, and ultrasound. We’re always looking to expand and enhance our services while supporting our team’s professional growth. If you have a particular area of interest you’d like to develop, we’d love you to bring your enthusiasm and ideas.
Ongoing support and collaboration are important to us, and our senior vets are always happy to discuss cases and share their knowledge. If you’re looking to refine certain skills or explore a new clinical interest, we will work with you to develop and expand your knowledge. Career progression is actively encouraged, and we offer full support and a varied caseload for those wishing to pursue a certificate.
The rota
Our full-time vets work a 4-day week with an equal share of the shifts, which includes a 1st,2nd and 3rd operating shift with a mixture of ops and consults. This means everyone has time to practice and develop their surgical skills, as well as follow their cases through. We really do work well together and will always help each other out when we can, whether that’s an extra pair of hands in surgery, someone to chat through a case with, or so we can tap out of a tricky dental! We have admin time throughout the day, ensuring everyone gets a proper lunch break and is out the door on time.
Our on-call rota is just 1:6. The weekend includes your Saturday morning consult shift (8.30-12) and there are no additional Saturday mornings. We schedule the rota so that you'll have two long weekends in each 6-week block, with an early finish at 4 pm after your on-call shift, followed by the next day off. If there are no patients to deal with when you finish the Saturday morning consults, you can answer any calls from home. There is an RVN on call to attend to any call-outs with you and to assist with inpatient care. Additional backup can be provided for new graduates, with one of the senior vets available to help or chat through things.
Outside of work
We’re a sociable bunch who enjoy spending time together outside of work, whether it’s a night out, a pub quiz, dog walks in the local countryside, or cheering on Stafford RUFC, a club we’ve proudly sponsored for many years. Several team members are keen mountain bikers and make the most of Cannock Chase, which is right on our doorstep, with the Peak District also within easy reach. Recent outings have included bowling nights and taking on the Pretty Muddy Race for Life — and we’re even planning to tackle a Tough Mudder later this year!
Stafford is a lovely market town with plenty of bars and restaurants, a new shopping centre and a cinema. The central location and easy access to the motorway mean nowhere is ever too far away, and there are direct train links to London, Manchester, and Birmingham. For travel further afield, Manchester, Birmingham, and East Midlands Airports are all within an hour's drive.
We are offering:
* A salary of £35,000 for new graduates up to £75,000 for an advanced practitioner
* Five weeks' holiday, plus bank holidays
* CPD is actively encouraged, with certificates supported and funded
* Practice subscriptions to BSAVA, BVA, ISFM and VCOT
* Professional fees paid
* Comprehensive AXA private healthcare
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Cycle to work scheme
If you’d like to know more about us, please call us for an informal chat or apply now!