Out of Hours Veterinary Surgeon

About the Role

Pennard Vets is seeking an Out of Hours Veterinary Surgeon to join its dedicated emergency service at its purpose-built hospital in Sevenoaks. This is a hands-on OOH role with genuine clinical autonomy, supported by experienced nursing colleagues, excellent facilities and strong continuity of care.

You will manage emergency and critical care cases overnight and during weekend shifts, making confident clinical decisions as part of the wider out-of-hours team. The rota is set at 9 shifts in every 28 days.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide out-of-hours emergency and urgent veterinary care.
• Assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of medical and surgical cases.
• Manage hospitalised patients and oversee ongoing treatment plans.
• Work closely with RVNs and Animal Care Assistants to deliver high-quality patient care.
• Ensure thorough case handovers to the daytime clinical team.
• Provide clear communication and support to clients during emergency situations.

Requirements

• Experienced Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon.
• Confident working independently and making clinical decisions.
• Enjoys emergency and critical care work.
• Able to remain calm and decisive under pressure.
• Comfortable managing a varied caseload, including exotics where required.
• Effective communication with clients and colleagues.
• Collaborative approach within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

• Salary of £70,000 DOE.
• Predictable rota of 9 shifts across 4 weeks.
• Dedicated out-of-hours clinical team.
• Unlimited CPD, subject to approval.
• Support for certificate study.
• RCVS and VDS fees paid.
• Structured handovers between day and night teams.
• Advanced hospital facilities and equipment.
• Employee ownership within the practice.

About the Practice

Pennard Vets is an independent, employee-owned veterinary practice providing first opinion, emergency and advanced veterinary care from its purpose-built hospital in Sevenoaks. The practice combines clinical freedom with strong team support, enabling vets to deliver high standards of patient care.

The hospital includes three operating theatres, separate dog, cat and exotics wards, CT, digital X-ray and ultrasound imaging, digital cytology and an in-house laboratory. It also has access to on-site RCVS-recognised specialists through South East Veterinary Referrals.