Veterinary clinic making life better for pets and owners alike

Business profile: Thameswood Veterinary Clinics

Business Type - Veterinary practice

Established - 1986

Location - 62-64 Purton Road, Swindon SN2 2LZ

Telephone number - 01793 526780

Website - thameswoodvets.co.uk

 

The way Thameswood Veterinary Clinics goes about its vital work is readily and succinctly summed up by Practice Manager Giovanna Hartley:

"The company tag line is 'making life better' and this applies not only to the pets but the families they live with, our staff, our business, our community and our profession. "The ethos of our organisation is really important. Our clinics have an open culture, enabling all of the 38 staff to have an active role in the business.

"Having practiced 'no fear' principles from the start ensures that all pets and wildlife are treated gently and with minimum restraint throughout their stay with us.

"Our clinics have calming diffusers in all the rooms and calming fermones sprayed on all blankets and fleeces. Optimised heating and lighting in their beds with gentle music and nurses who are constantly caring for them .

"As a first opinion family practice we understand the importance and sometimes the difficulties that come with owning pets whether its chronic illness , accidents, finances or behaviour and have appropriate members of staff who can help."

Work is firmly centred around providing as much care in-house as possible - Thameswood is adept in a wealth of disciplines as diverse as dermatology, dentistry, cardiology, orthopaedics and stem cell therapy.

This approach helps the organisation to achieve another of its major aims - to know and care for pets and their owners throughout the animals' lives.

"We started off as just myself, my husband and, I think, a receptionist, and now there are 38 of us.

"We have a great team. Our main clinical team have been with us for between 10 and 24 years. We have been a teaching practice for nurses and student vets for the last 28 years. Nurses come to us on a two-year apprenticeship scheme in conjunction with Abbeydale college in order to gain their diploma in Veterinary Nursing and be registered with the RCVS.

"We enjoy the ability to support people throughout their pet's life. The first client, Mrs Stone, still comes to us, and many of our clients have been with us through generations, and we are now caring for their grandchilden's pets!"

In spite of having been founded the best part of four decades ago, the business constantly looks towards innovation and encourages CPD at all levels with internal and external lectures and courses.

One of the best examples is the ISFM awarded gold cat clinic, minimising stress and advancing medicine and surgery for cats..

When a pet comes to the end of its life, compassion for animal and owner alike is key at Thameswood, and clients can choose to have their pet euthanised in the familiar surroundings of home or a tranquil garden room created by the practice for this sole purpose.

 

A long history in Swindon

Thameswood Veterinary Clinics was founded in 1986 by the husband and wife team who remain at its heart to this day.

Principal Vet Nicholas Hartley studied for his profession at Cambridge, and Practice Manager Giovanna's background is in biology and management.

They both have connections to the region, and chose Swindon as the location of their business in the knowledge that it was the fastest-growing town in Europe.

Giovanna said: "We changed the way small animal practice was carried out in Swindon. We were the first entirely small animal practice in Swindon when we started and were able to introduce new management principles that had not really been applied in veterinary practices at the time."

All are welcome to visit the website and find out more about the clinics' work.