Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

About the Role

You’ll be joining Bramble and Bear as their fifth vet at an exciting moment—the practice is launching a brand-new Hospital and Rehab Centre this autumn. This is a 4-day week role (Monday–Thursday, 8:30–18:30) with a manageable 1-in-4 weekend rota and one weeknight on-call per rotation. The weekend shift is Saturday mornings only (9–12), reserved for non-routine or urgent cases. Thanks to the practice’s free daytime consultation model, out-of-hours work is typically light—usually just one or two advice calls per week—and you’ll be able to take calls from home unless inpatients need attention. Once the dedicated night team launches with the hospital, on-call requirements will be removed entirely.

Your days will be a mix of consultations and operating theatre time, giving you plenty of opportunity to develop your surgical skills. The caseload is genuinely varied, and the team actively supports vets in pursuing special interests and professional qualifications. You’ll work alongside Hannah and Matt, experienced vets who are working towards their ECC certificates themselves, plus a warm, collaborative team that includes a Head RVN with feline nursing certification, three qualified RVNs, and a student veterinary nurse.

Located in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands on a working farm (with a farm shop and café next door), the practice sits in an idyllic setting perfect for walking and cycling. Stoke-on-Trent is one of the UK’s greenest cities, with excellent transport links to Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham—all within an hour—and Alton Towers is just 20 minutes away.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality small animal veterinary care across a varied caseload, including routine consultations and surgical procedures
• Perform routine surgical procedures confidently, with support available as you build confidence in more complex cases
• Contribute to the practice’s Fear-Free accredited approach to patient care
• Participate in the shared out-of-hours rota (1-in-4 weekends and one weeknight per rotation) with Saturday morning clinic cover
• Collaborate with the nursing team and wider practice in delivering compassionate, transparent care at fixed-cost rates
• Engage with the practice’s commitment to free consultations and affordable, high-standard treatment
• Support the practice’s growth and adapt to new services as the Hospital and Rehab Centre opens

Requirements

• RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon
• Experience and confidence in routine small animal surgical procedures
• Full UK driving licence (essential for the location and potential farm calls)
• Willingness to engage with out-of-hours commitment on the stated rota
• Supportive attitude towards a Fear-Free, low-stress, client-centred approach
• Commitment to continuing professional development and pursuing areas of interest

Benefits

• Salary: £40,000–£80,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Time off: 5.6 weeks’ holiday per annum, including bank holidays
• Professional development: Uncapped CPD budget with full support and funding for certificate courses (ECC, surgery, dentistry, etc.)
• Professional memberships: All RCVS, VDS, and BVA/BSAVA fees paid
• Health insurance: Bupa private healthcare cover
• Team culture: Regular social events (pub trips, outdoor activities, annual Christmas party) and a supportive, tight-knit team environment
• Work setting: State-of-the-art equipment and facilities; soon-to-include two fully equipped theatres, dedicated dental suite, DR X-ray, Doppler ultrasound, and endoscopy
• On-call flexibility: Home-based on-call with no night shifts once the dedicated emergency team launches (autumn 2026)

About the Practice

Bramble and Bear was founded three years ago by Dr Matt Bayliss MRCVS and Dr Hannah Brooks MRCVS, both experienced vets who wanted to create a forward-thinking practice that combines the best aspects of their careers with innovative ideas previously impossible to implement. The practice began as a mobile surgical unit from Hannah’s car, evolved into a fully equipped mobile unit within three months, and opened its first hub in the Staffordshire Moorlands in September 2023. Today, it’s a thriving, independently owned practice built on transparency, affordability, and exceptional patient care—with Fear-Free accreditation at its heart.

The team includes Hannah (with interests in internal medicine, ECC, and cardiology), Matt (soft-tissue surgery, BOAS, hiatal hernias), a new graduate vet (joined 2024), a final-year graduate vet (joining summer 2026), an orthopaedic specialist visiting regularly, and a nursing team led by Head RVN Anna (with recent feline nursing certification). The practice is an accredited veterinary nursing training provider. The new Hospital and Rehab Centre, launching autumn 2026, will feature two fully equipped operating theatres, a dedicated dental suite, separate Fear-Free cat and dog wards, imaging capabilities (DR X-ray, Doppler ultrasound, endoscopy), a hydrotherapy pool with underwater treadmill, and dedicated physiotherapy space—enabling in-house treatment for most cases and allowing round-the-clock free consultations.