Make a difference every day with PDSA
About Us
Join us to help keep even more people and pets together when times are tough. For over a century, PDSA have provided vital veterinary care for the pets of people in financial hardship.
We’re now on a journey to expand our reach to support even more people and their beloved pets. To achieve this ambitious goal, we need passionate and driven individuals who are ready to embrace change and help shape a future-focused PDSA. Together, we'll build a stronger organisation to ensure our services help those who need us most for the next hundred years.
If you're ready to make a real difference and be part of a team that's creating positive change, we want you to join us. Let's build a brighter future for pets and their owners, together.
About you
We’re looking for an experienced Out of Hours Veterinary Surgeon to join our friendly team at Cardiff. This isn’t a typical OOH role, if you enjoy emergency and critical care work but want a predictable rota, a manageable caseload and a supportive team around you, this could be a great fit.
Your wellbeing and work–life balance will be a priority. You’ll be part of a strong, experienced team with clear, safe ways of working, regular breaks built into your shift and the guidance, support and equipment you need to do your job well while protecting yourself, colleagues and clients. You’ll enjoy a pragmatic, quality-focused approach to care that’s driven by the pet’s needs, not by sales, commission or income targets.
You’ll focus on emergency cases only, no booked routine appointments, giving you exposure to a wide range of clinical challenges across clients from both charitable and private practices. You’ll bring strong clinical confidence, good judgement and a calm, welfare-focused approach to decision-making, even under pressure. You’ll also be motivated to support and develop Veterinary Students who may work alongside you on some shifts, helping them grow their skills in a real-world emergency setting.
This role will suit a Vet Surgeon with a particular interest in emergency and critical care who wants to stay and grow with the service as it develops. In return for your skills and commitment, you’ll join a supportive, collaborative team, finish on time, and have the space to balance life outside of work while still making a meaningful difference to pets and owners when they need us most.
Work pattern & rota
We recognise the importance of work–life balance and have a rota designed to support it:
* 7 on (12.5 hours per shift) and 14 off
About the hospital
Cardiff is a highly collaborative, effective hospital, a great place for teamwork, case discussion and shared learning. Our teams have varied clinical interests, giving you access to a wide pool of knowledge and experience when discussing cases and treatment plans.
Our Pet Hospitals are modern and well-equipped and include separate dog and cat kennelling facilities, in-house radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy, piped gases and extensive orthopaedic equipment.
Rewards, support and benefits
We’re really passionate about being a great place to work, somewhere people feel proud of what they do, connected to a meaningful purpose, and able to make a genuine difference every day. Our teams are collaborative and supportive, and we encourage everyone to bring their ideas, individuality and passion for pets to work with them.
As well as a rewarding role and a positive, people-focused culture, we also offer a wide range of benefits, including:
* Flexible working options to support your work–life balance and individual circumstances.
* CPD allowance of 5 days, £1000 per year for development. Payment of your full RCVS fees, so you’re never out of pocket. *Where applicable
* Extensive internal CPD programmes plus discounts for BSAVA Congress and London Vet Show.
* 25 days’ holiday plus Bank Holidays, with option to buy or sell an extra five days.
* Three paid special days off: Volunteering Day, Celebration Day and Wellbeing Day annually.
* Generous pension options, with PDSA contributions starting at 5% and rising to 10%.
* Life assurance providing four times your annual salary for added peace of mind.
* AXA Health Employee Assistance Programme, 24/7 wellbeing support and private medical cover included.
* Retail, holiday and lifestyle discounts available through our staff Fetch benefits platform.
* Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave to support you and your family.
* 15% discount on PDSA Pet Insurance plus access to staff veterinary services.
To apply for this role, click Apply Now at the top of the page, create a candidate account and complete our simple application form.
PDSA is committed to embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion within our teams that reflect the communities we serve. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies and opportunities for flexible working arrangements to support team members from different backgrounds.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss via email or telephone reasonable adjustments that you may require throughout the recruitment process.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, adults at risk and all our colleagues and expect everyone who works for us to also share this commitment and to treat people with courtesy and respect.
To support this commitment, our recruitment & selection processes are robust and rigorous. All appointments will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background checks.