On the move vet provides house calls
A RUNCORN vets has launched a mobile surgery for pets and their owners to struggle to visit a practice.
The Laurels, owned by the Willows group, said the clinic will serve Runcorn, Warrington and Lymm.
A Willows spokeswoman said the Vet Van service has been compared to waiting for a parcel delivery to make life easier.
She said the vehicle has everything needed to provide routine care at home.
The van will visit a different postcode patch every Wednesday and Thursday, meaning each area will receive a visit once every three weeks.
Kate Williams, the vet leading the project, said: “We know a lot of people find it hard to bring their pets into the vets either because of transport or mobility issues.
“Some pets also have mobility issues of their own and a number find a visit to the vets quite stressful.
“It’s not always convenient for owners to drive their pets around and because most people work during the day we also see a lot of pressure on evening appointments.
“Whether it’s older clients relying on a relative to drive their pet to the vets, families who have to juggle the children and their pets, or owners who have multiple animals and struggle in the waiting room, the ser- ● vice aims to make it easier, affordable and more convenient for those people.”
She added: “We’ve always offered house visits but it can be expensive for routine procedures and not efficient.
“So the idea was to set up a service that makes rou- tine care at home an affordable option.
“The van is fully equipped for routine nonurgent care that you’d get in a first consultation at one of our vet surgeries.
“The work will be carried out in the owner’s house – it could be blood tests, boosters, weighing the pets, or a regular six month follow up for a pet with an ongoing issue.
“The van is connected to and has the back up of all the Willows Veterinary Group branches with links to client’s records.”