Coronavirus - Hansons Vets

28th September 2021

We are pleased to let you know that from this morning we are allowing clients back into the practice for consultations with their pets. If you feel more comfortable continuing to wait outside please let us know.

We will be operating a one way system through the practice, and will call to invite clients in one at a time. Please continue to call to let us know when you have arrived.

We ask people to wear a mask in the practice and use the hand gel provided at doorways when entering.

Medication and food collections will continue to be done as a handover at the front door.

Thank you for all of your patience over the last 18months and we are looking forward to seeing you all again

2nd November 2020

The British Veterinary Association has now confirmed that during lockdown we will be offering reduced services and we will therefore increase the number of telephone/remote consultations performed. All situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis so please still contact the practice about any potential appointments and we will discuss the most appropriate option with you.

All currently booked appointments and surgeries are being reviewed and we will contact any that need to be delayed ASAP.

We are still receiving daily food and medication deliveries so there is no need to panic order, but please do give us at least 48hours notice to allow for us to sort for you. If you are able to email us(reception@hansonsvets.co.uk) to order food and medication this will keep the phone lines free for urgent cases.

Finally, we are disappointed to have to ask everyone to please not be rude to our staff. We are extremely busy so waiting times may be longer than usual, and we do understand everyone is very stressed but the team are all working as hard as possible to ensure your pets receive the same quality of care that you are used to over these difficult times. Thank you to the majority of you who continue to be considerate and polite when speaking to us.

Opening hours continue as normal(Mon-Fri 8.30-7, Saturday 9-12)

NEW OPENING HOURS

Following recent restrictions we have decided to reduce our opening hours.

Starting Monday 1st June the hours will be as follows:
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday 9am-12pm

During these hours we continue to be open for:
-providing emergency and urgent care
-the fulfilment of urgent prescriptions
-the supply of pet food

Please call us if you have any queries.
Stay safe!

Please read the below updates on changes to our protocols.

Corona Update(20/4/2020)

Due to the ongoing lockdown period we are updating our policy on more routine appointments in line with current British Veterinary Association guidlines.

Although we CAN now see the follows cases the question remains whether we SHOULD. Government advice is clear- to only travel when necessary. Please consider before calling for a routine appointment whether it is currently necessary for your pet to be seen within the next few weeks. Please do not be offended if we recommend delaying seeing your pet.

Vaccinations: Primary vaccines(unvaccinated animals, particularly puppies and kittens) and year 1 boosters should be seen where possible to be vaccinated on time. Where you have a vaccinated adult animal current advice is to delay by up to 3 months after they were due- for many pets this will mean delaying until after current lockdown restrictions have been lifted(we hope). If seen within 3 months of being due restarting a vaccination course will not be necessary. If you are concerned that there is a reason they need to be seen sooner rather than delaying please contact us to discuss.

Routine procedures: we are still advising to delay where possible-this includes neutering and routine dental work. However, if you are concerned your circumstances justify being seen sooner please contact the practice.

As it is not possible to have a blanket policy for all pets each case must be individually assessed for the most appropriate way to proceed, therefore please bear with us when contacting for an appointment. With reduced staff numbers there may be a wait both on the phonelines and when coming to the practice.

We continue to be open 9-4 weekdays but are still operating a zero contact appointment system for all cases. Please ensure you phone the practice before coming to the door for any reason.

Corona Update(23/3/2020)

In light of the most recent government advice to go into ‘lockdown’ we need to make further changes to our protocols with immediate effect.

This is the latest statement from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association: “Current advice is that veterinary practices must reduce face-to-face contact immediately, switching to providing emergency care only, fulfilment of urgent prescriptions and maintaining the food supply chain.”

Please remember this is for the health of both our staff and you and your families.

We are stopping all routine healthcare appointments. Vaccinations, health checks, nail clips etc are cancelled, if you have an appointment we will be contacting you ASAP. The only routine appointment we will continue to undertake is 1st and 2nd vaccinations where puppies/kittens would be high risk if the vaccinations are not received.

We are stopping all routine operations. All operations will be reviewed on a case by case basis, however neutering and routine dental work will no longer be undertaken except in special circumstances. There is a chance that veterinary oxygen supplies will be diverted to the NHS, and therefore we cannot continue to perform general anaesthetics unless justified for your animal’s welfare.
We are stopping any members of the public entering the practice. In order to continue treating your pets for illness and injury we are stopping all face-to face contact with clients. We now operate a system where you drop your pet off at the door, and we will examine your pet without you in the building. We will discuss your concerns over the phone, formulate a treatment plan and then return your pet to you at the door with any medications required. Unfortunately there will be no exceptions made with this.

We are reducing follow up appointments. We may opt to review how your pet is doing over the phone or by email rather than with an appointment. Taking photos/videos of your pet for us to review could help reduce the need for you to visit the practice.

Please give us advanced warning if you need to order any medications or food. We do not have any issue with our supply however delivery times are slower than usual, and we are running on a reduced staff. If possible please order food and medications by email(reception@hansonsvets.co.uk). When collecting orders please call when you are in your car and we will hand them over to you at the door ASAP.

We understand that these measures are unprecedented, but these are unprecedented times. We are hoping with everyone’s understanding and cooperation we will be able to continue to provide healthcare for your pets in need through this difficult time.

23/3/2020

CORONA UPDATE

PLEASE CALL BEFORE ENTERING THE PRACTICE FOR ANY REASON

Following recent guidance by the British Veterinary Association we have decided it is necessary to further reduce the face-to-face contact our staff have with clients.

At Hanson’s we strongly believe in the importance of routine, preventative healthcare and as such will continue to provide and encourage that service for as long as appropriate. In order to do so, on top of the previously outlined protocols we are now implementing the following:

-Pet drop off at the door for all routine appointments (vaccinations, health checks etc), and then waiting in your car whilst they are seen. A member of staff will call and discuss any queries before handing them back over at the door when ready.

-Hand over of all ordered medications at the door. Please call when you arrive and payment will be taken over the phone, then medications collected at the door.

For appointments for illness and injury we will still see one healthy client with their pet, unless you would rather drop off at the door. Again, clients must wait in the car and not the waiting room until we are ready. Hands must be washed on arrival and keep your distance during the consults where possible.

We are disappointed to have to take these measures, but feel they are critical for our staff’s wellbeing- without a healthy team we will not be able to continue to treat your pets when needed

16/3/2020

Dear Clients,

We wanted to reassure you that at this challenging time we are focused on 2 things: the health and welfare of our clients and staff; and continuing to offer the best care possible for your sick and injured pets.

Following the government advice last night, as you would expect we have put in place sensible measures to reduce contact between staff and clients during the current CoronaVirus outbreak.

We are writing to share with you the specific actions we are taking as follows:

Any staff who are feeling unwell or showing symptoms will not be working
Equally any client who is showing symptoms of COVID-19, or who is in self isolation due to contact with a potential case, should not attend the practice. We are happy to treat your pets, but they should be brought in by a friend or family member and we must be informed when making the appointment.
We have split the staff into 2 teams in an attempt to reduce the risk that the practice will have to close entirely. Please bear with us as this does mean we will be more stretched and may mean that you will not be able to see your preferred team member on every visit.
We want to reduce the number of people coming in contact in reception and therefore request that on arrival for a consultation you call the practice to say you are here. We would kindly ask you to wait in your vehicle rather than reception, and a member of staff will call you to advise when we are ready for you to enter the practice.
We are asking that only 1 person brings a pet in for consultations; unfortunately this has to include children.
Everyone who enters the practice is required to wash their hands on arrival using the sink in reception
Alternatively, we are offering a pet drop off followed by phone consultation for clients who do not want to enter the building, however this is not mandatory at this time.

We regret that the current situation dictates that these measures are now necessary to ensure that we can continue operating through this health crisis. We have also had to make the difficult decision that Claire will start her maternity leave earlier than expected with immediate effect. We wish her well over the coming months.

We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, we hope all our clients remain happy and healthy in this difficult time.