Isle of Wight pet owners have been hit by news that a popular Newport Veterinary is to close indefinitely from this week.
The Mobile Vet has yet to give a reason for the closure, which will come into force on Friday (October 7).
Scroll down for the latest update on the story…
Meanwhile, members of the Newport team have been asked not to comment on the matter, although a holding statement has been issued to clients via parent company IVC Evidensia.
It says:
“We are saddened to announce that The Mobile Vet in Newport will temporarily close on (Friday) and will remain closed until further notice.
“We will provide an update on this situation via our practice website.
“We understand your need to seek alternative veterinary care during this time.
“In line with our data protection policy we will keep a record of your pet’s clinical history.
“Should your new veterinary provider require a copy of your pet’s clinical records please contact us via [email protected]
“If you have a future appointment booked at The Mobile Vet, a team member will be contacting you shortly to discuss.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting The Mobile Vet.
“Should you have any questions before our closure, please do not hesitate to contact us.”
Nicola Flux-Edmonds, a Mobile Vet customer, said the news came totally out of the blue.
She asserts that the closure is solely the result of the service being one vet down, and has started a petition to stop the closure.
Nicola explains:
“This will leave hundreds of pets without surgery and the remaining vets scrambling to cover.
“This has to be stopped. They are a huge corporation and can make efforts to find a night vet for 24 hour cover — they are just taking the easy way out!”
UPDATE 2pm
A spokesperson for The Mobile Vet said its hoped the closure is temporary while solutions are sought::
“We have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close The Mobile Vet on the Isle of Wight, following the withdrawal of out of hours services by a third party, whilst we work hard to find a solution for the practice to reopen.
“We are currently unable to fulfill the requirement of our professional body, the RCVS, to provide an out of hours service to pet owners through the night and on weekends, leaving animals potentially vulnerable.
“We are continuing our efforts to collaborate with another practice or group of practices on the Isle of Wight to cover our out of hours care, and aim to reopen our practice normally as soon as we are able.
“All our clinical staff are being temporarily redeployed to other practices while we work to find a solution, and no staff are being made redundant.
“There are a number of challenges facing veterinary services on the Isle of Wight, and we are trying hard to work together with other vets on the island to reach a solution for pets and their owners.
“The huge increase in pet ownership in the UK, including the Isle of Wight, has put unprecedented pressure on vets and vet nurses, and there is a global shortage of qualified veterinary professionals.
“This has put huge strain on veterinary practices on the island, along with our team who have been working hard to provide excellent care for local animals.”
In addition, they further elaborated on the cause of the closure, stating that the out of hours service for the Mobile Vet was outsourced to a third party provider on the Island.
In June, this provider made the decision to withdraw this service with one week’s notice.
Like many small practices, The Mobile Vet is not resourced in a way which can provide its own out of hours care.
The spokesperson added:
“We have been in discussion with all other 15 Island practices for many months, exploring opportunities to collaborate and find collective solutions to a challenge that is not limited to The Mobile Vet.
“So far we have not been able to secure a suitable service, however, dialogue between us continues.
“Many vet practices across the UK are also consolidating due to staffing shortages, and temporarily closing branches in order to cope with the unprecedented pressure.
“The veterinary profession has to put animal welfare first, and service providers will generally only consider consolidation or temporary closures as a last resort.”
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