ECC Veterinary Surgeon – Weekend

About the Role

You’ll be joining Vets Now Tunbridge Wells, a busy emergency and critical care clinic with an interesting and varied caseload. This weekend-only position is perfect whether you’re looking to gain more ECC experience alongside another role or build your emergency medicine credentials. The clinic offers genuine flexibility—you’ll choose between night shifts (Option 1) or day shifts (Option 2), with opportunities to mix both if that suits you better.

The team here is passionate about emergency and critical care, and you’ll work alongside experienced colleagues who actively support professional development. With a 2:4 rota structure, you’ll have predictable scheduling that respects your other commitments while keeping you clinically engaged.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide emergency and critical care to a varied small animal caseload
• Work within a 2:4 weekend rota on either night shifts (Saturdays 19:00–09:00, Sundays 19:00–09:00) or day shifts (Saturdays 12:00–19:30, Sundays 08:30–19:30)
• Manage a fair share of bank holiday shifts as part of the rota
• Collaborate with the experienced ECC team to deliver high-standard emergency medicine
• Take ownership of your own clinical decision-making and case management

Requirements

• Qualified veterinary surgeon (MRCVS or RCVS registered)
• Interest in or experience with emergency and critical care
• Ability to work flexibly within the weekend rota structure
• All experience levels welcome—newly qualified vets can access the AdvantEdge programme (1 week hands-on practical training plus 20 hours case-based e-learning)

Benefits

• Salary: Up to £45 per hour depending on experience
• Leave: 7 weeks pro rata annual leave, plus your birthday as a paid day off
• Professional Development: £1,500 CPD allowance plus 35 paid hours pro rata; ECC certificate support (financial and paid study leave); access to Edge programmes (Cutting Edge and AdvantEdge)
• Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance, enhanced sick pay, membership of employee wellbeing programme
• Family Support: Enhanced maternity policy including 6 months full pay; paternity and adoption pay schemes
• Membership & Cover: RCVS fees, VECCS membership, VDS cover included
• Pension: UK Standard Pension (5% employee / 3% employer contribution)
• Additional Perks: Up to 50% discounted staff pet care; Vets Now For You reward gateway (discounts and cashback with 100s of retailers); paid volunteering days; death in service cover (2x annual salary)

About the Practice

Vets Now Tunbridge Wells is part of the Vets Now emergency and critical care network, part of Vets Now Group Ltd. The clinic operates as a dedicated emergency service, staffed by a highly skilled team committed to providing care when patients need it most. The practice focuses on ECC cases and works with clients during their pet’s most urgent moments.

Vets Now is a Disability Confident Employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including those from diverse and minority groups. The organisation is committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.