Join a 12-vet RCVS-accredited hospital where a 4-day week, fixed rostering, and minimal on-call mean you actually get your evenings back. Ideal for surgically-minded vets who want variety without the chaos.
One weeknight on-call every two weeks and one weekend on-call every two months. Two vets share weeknight shifts with rotation. On-call from home or practice room available. RVC handles phone cover from 11:00 pm onwards, so on-call is inpatient only from that time.
Acorn House is seeking an experienced veterinary surgeon with a strong surgical bias to join their 12-vet team in Bedford. This is a full-time permanent position with a refreshingly human approach to rota design: you'll work a 4-day week with one fixed day off and just one Saturday shift per month (8:00–16:30). Your week includes consulting, operating, and a late shift, with a support shift every two weeks.
The role is perfect for someone confident with the full range of first-opinion surgical procedures, including emergency work like GDVs, and with an interest in more advanced soft tissue work such as BOAS and anal sacculectomies. You'll have access to excellent facilities: laparoscopic and orthopaedic kits, gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, a dental suite with digital radiography, ultrasound, three operating theatres, and dedicated dog, cat, and exotic wards.
On-call is genuinely minimal: just one weeknight every two weeks and one weekend on-call every two months. The practice runs its own out-of-hours service with a dedicated ECC RVN on-site for 24-hour inpatient care. The on-call vet can take calls from home (or use a practice room if preferred), and from 11:00 pm the RVC handles phones so you're on inpatient cover only. A buddy system means two vets share weeknight shifts, making swaps straightforward. Bedford itself is a lovely market town with countryside, river walks, and excellent transport links to London and the Midlands.
Acorn House Veterinary Hospital is a 12-vet RCVS-accredited small animal facility in Bedford. Since 2018, it has been owned by the Royal Veterinary College and operates as a flagship teaching practice modelling high-quality first-opinion care to veterinary students. The practice holds ISFM Gold Standard Cat Friendly Clinic status, Dogs Trust Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation, and RWAF Gold Rabbit Friendly Practice status. It is also an RCVS-approved Graduate Development and Veterinary Nurse Training Practice with Bronze Investors in the Environment accreditation.
The team is led by Rosie, the Practice Principal, who joined as a new graduate in 1998 and holds a PGCert in Veterinary Education. The 12-vet clinical team includes Advanced Practitioners in Zoological Medicine, Small Animal Medicine, and Diagnostic Imaging, alongside vets pursuing certificates in Small Animal Medicine, Exotics, and Feline Medicine. The nursing team is led by a Head Nurse with an RCVS diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (surgical) and an ECC certificate, supported by certificate holders in anaesthesia, exotics, feline nursing, and veterinary education. Regular practice meetings, in-house CPD, and team-building activities foster a collaborative culture.
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