Accreditations
Veterinary Hospitals – What does this mean?
Not all Vets are the Same
 There are many things to consider when making your choice - personal recommendation, convenience of access etc. However it is important to remember that not all veterinary practices are the same. Veterinary Hospitals such as Wood Street Veterinary Hospital (WSVH) represent the highest standard of veterinary practice in the UK.
BVHA Inspection
All British Veterinary Hospitals Association Hospital members like WSVH, have voluntarily agreed to have an intensive examination and inspection of their practices every 4 years. This inspection is carried out by independent inspectors appointed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), our governing body. The inspection covers a whole range of issues relating to the care of patients - for example the continuing education of staff, the provision of anaesthetic monitoring and laboratory equipment, the quality of radiographic (X-ray) facilities and the quality of the case records. It also covers the physical aspects of the buildings - for example isolation facilities to prevent the spread of disease from infectious patients.
One of the most important aspects of a Veterinary Hospital is that they have members of staff on the premises 24-hours a day. These members of the veterinary team are specifically responsible for the care of any in-patients. In most veterinary practices there is noone constantly on the premises after the end of evening surgery or over weekends to look after any patients. We know how important it is that your pets are looked after diligently while they are away from home, and this means having staff on the premises caring for them 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. Many people are surprised to find that this is not the situation at all veterinary practices, but only veterinary hospitals have to provide this level of care.
 RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) Veterinary Hospital Status – What Does It Mean?
Wood Street Veterinary Hospital is proud to be an approved member of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, and to have achieved Tier 3 status. Only 10% of Practices within the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme have achieved this level. The RCVS is the regulatory body for the veterinary profession in the UK and launched the scheme on the 1st January 2005.
The Scheme was set up to:
· Establish a quality assurance framework to promote and maintain the highest standard of veterinary care.
· To make more information available about veterinary practices and so give clients a more informed choice. What Does Accreditation Mean?
Our branch surgeries Oakwood Veterinary Surgery in Radlett and Holders Hill Veterinary Surgery in Mill Hill are also inspected and have been accredited under a different categories, Oakwood being a Tier 2 and Holders Hill a Tier 1.
To be a Hospital under the scheme, a practice must –
Comply with Core standards
Including legal and health and safety requirements
AND
Meet all requirements of a general practice, including showing a commitment to client care, having access to laboratory facilities and fulfilling an obligation to promote staff training.
AND
Fulfil specific hospital requirements:
· Nursing staff must be present on the premises round the clock and a veterinary surgeon available 24-hours a day to attend to in-patients if required. This means that continual nursing and veterinary care for in-patients is available.
· Clinical standards must be maintained and improved by monitoring performance and the outcome of treatments.
· The availability and overall quality and range of equipment is checked e.g. there must be specific diagnostic equipment available such as ECG and Ultrasound.
· The standard of the premises and facilities is rigorously examined, with emphasis on cleanliness and sterility.
For more information regarding the Practice Standards Scheme please visit the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk
Veterinary Nurse Training
Wood Street Veterinary Hospital is a Training Practice (TP) for Veterinary Nurses. TPs are practices that have the requisite caseload, equipment and staffing resources deemed necessary by the RCVS to support the in-service training and assessment of Veterinary Nursing students.
To qualify as a TP, the practice has to have a high level of care and facilities laid down by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
The RCVS and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), a governmental body, dictate certain strict criteria that have to be met to become a registered Training Practice within the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) system. Once registered, the TPs are inspected by the RCVS twice a year to ensure standards are maintained.
The practice must also employ qualified members of staff who have trained further as NVQ assessors to oversee and train the Student Veterinary Nurses (SVN). Wood Street Veterinary Hospital has several qualified NVQ assessors.
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