Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Established over 60 years ago, Rutland House in St. Helens, Merseyside, was one of the UK's first veterinary hospitals. We've grown significantly over the years, expanding our services to include an integrated referral centre and a network of 10 branch surgeries, along with a dedicated, long-standing team of 160. We are looking for a vet with some experience to join our supportive, friendly team, and can offer you a varied and interesting caseload that will allow you to develop your skills and career.

Our RCVS-accredited Tier 3 Hospital is fully equipped with digital X-ray, ultrasound, various scopes, dental radiography, CO2 laser, laparoscopy, 64-slice CT scanner and a 1.5T MRI scanner. We have the expertise to handle a wide range of cases, from complex medicine work-ups to spinal surgery; there is very little we can’t do in-house.  There is so much experience to learn from within our team, both at a first-opinion and referral level, with certificate holders in advanced veterinary practice, small animal surgery, medicine, and radiology. We also have advanced practitioners in orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, dermatology, medicine, oncology and zoo and wildlife medicine, as well as a specialist in zoo and wildlife.

“I love working as part of a big team where everyone is great at supporting each other and working together. There is always someone who is there to chat through cases or to go to for some extra knowledge when needed. There is a real family feel where we genuinely care about each other. There will always be someone who can make you smile. It is also really satisfying to know I have the support and facilities to provide brilliant care to my patients and offer them the best possible.” Charlotte MRCVS

''I originally joined Rutland House in 2008 and have grown so much during my time there. The support from the referral team  has helped shape my career.  After a period working for another company, I have returned, and it is true to say that the grass is not always greener.' David, MRCVS

"I started at Rutland House Vets one year after graduating and was so amazing with the support I received. I found my confidence and skills growing at a great pace due to the experienced vets, nurses and ACA's taking the time, whenever I asked, to show and teach me new things. I wouldn't be the confident vet I am today without such a brilliant and supportive team." Emilia Harrison-Paul, MRCVS

This is a 50/50 split role between the hospital and one of the branches, with an equal share of the operating and consulting duties. We will always encourage you to follow your interests and have the caseload needed if you want to take on a certificate. Support is always available here, whether you want to chat through a tricky case or need someone to scrub in and assist. We actively promote case continuity and will always encourage our vets to bring their patients from the branches to the hospital to perform any non-routine surgeries requiring post-op hospitalisation. If there’s a surgery you’re not confident with, we can arrange for the mentorship of one of our experienced vets. You will also spend one full week, approximately every two months, as the inpatient-only vet at the hospital.

We can be really flexible with the rota, so whether you’re looking for full or part-time hours, we would love to chat about the options available. Our full-time rota is a 4-day week, with 3 x 8.30-6.30 shifts and 1 x late shift (10-9), with just 1:8 weekends. There are no additional Saturdays, so you can enjoy 7 completely free weekends. We have a dedicated night team, so there are no routine OOHs or inpatient on-call for our day vets; we do, however, ask that everyone helps with sickness and holiday cover,  and every vet works one bank holiday.

We’re a really sociable team and regularly organise activities both in and outside of work. We recently ran a well-being day with meditation sessions for the team, and we have had film nights, pumpkin carving competitions, and gone bowling. Outside work, the team gets together in big and small groups, including running clubs, cycling, climbing, or heading on a dog walk or to the pub. We always hold our Christmas party in January; this means the whole team is usually free to join us for a night of food, fun and dancing.

Our location is great; we have the excitement and culture of city life, with Liverpool and Manchester just 30 minutes away, and north Wales and south Cumbria are easily reached within an hour, giving you access to beautiful beaches, lakes, countryside and mountains. We are also just 30 minutes from two international airports. 

We offer:

• A salary of £40,000 - £70,000, depending on experience
• 6.6 weeks holiday, including bank holidays
• Generous CPD budget, with certificates supported and funded
• Professional fees paid for RCVS, VDS, and BSAVA or BVA
• Accommodation available
• Lots of social events
• Visas sponsored
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme and Health Shield cash plan, including offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel, entertainment and much more
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave, and surrogacy pay
• Company sick pay
• Cycle to work scheme

If you want to learn more about us, please call us for an informal chat or apply now!