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Winners of the 2018 Petplan awards announced
Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland, Kent (pictured) won the Veterinary Practice of the Year Award.

Awards honour nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff

The winners of the 2018 Petplan veterinary awards, which celebrate the nation’s most outstanding vets, have been announced.

Now in their 19th year, the awards also honour the nurses, practices, practice managers and support staff who go the extra mile to keep pets healthy and give owners peace of mind.

Head of partnerships James Barnes from Petplan said: “This year we received an outstanding number of nominations, seeing over 22,000 entries from pet owners and the veterinary community. The quality of entries was exceptionally high and our judges had a very tough decision choosing the winners in each category.”

He added: “We had a brilliant evening celebrating the outstanding talent of our deserving winners and would like to congratulate them on such a fantastic achievement!”

Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year

Helen McHugh of Holmefield Veterinary Clinic in Selby, North Yorkshire, scooped the Veterinary Practice Manager of the Year Award.  Judges praised for Helen for her strong commitment to her patients and customers, whilst always maintaining a lead-by-example approach to motivate the team.

Vet Nurse of the Year

Anna Ashworth of Dalehead Veterinary Group in Settle, North Yorkshire took home the Vet Nurse of the Year Award for her proactivity towards her own personal development. Judges said that Anna stood out due to her education in large animal welfare and that she was a great example of how an RVN can make an impact both in practice and in the rural community.

Veterinary Practice of the Year

Sandhole Veterinary Centre in Snodland, Kent, won the Veterinary Practice of the Year Award. The practice was praised for its outstanding care for both animals and staff, demonstrating a great level of community engagement. Judges also praised the team for spending a weekend delivering free care at an animal rescue centre.

Vet of the Year

Martin Brice of Emerson’s Green Vet Surgery in Bristol, Avon, was crowned Vet of the Year for his leadership style, compassion to clients and the community.  Judges said that Martin continually motivates staff members to improve and progress their career.

Image (C) Petplan

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.