Estcourt House Vets is proud to announce that it has been officially accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

An accredited practice will have volunteered to undergo rigorous inspection by a Royal College qualified inspector. All aspects of the practice must meet with the College’s high standards. Areas subject to inspection include provisions made for clients to receive 24-hour emergency cover.

Estcourt House Vets cover their own out-of-hours emergencies, so if you need a vet in the middle of the night, it will be one of our own, with access to your pets clinical history.

All accredited practices will keep open lines of communication between themselves and their clients, keeping a client informed of every aspect of their pets’ care, from estimating costs to ensuring each pet owner fully understands and gives informed consent for any procedures. Also, the practice is one that will welcome feedback and react appropriately.

Every accredited practice will have access to laboratory facilities for diagnostic tests. Estcourt House Vets has it's own in-house laboratory with microscope and blood sampling facilities. We also have a good relationship with several external laboratories, for the more complicated tests, which are sometimes required.

Members of staff are of utmost importance to an accredited practice and it should be demonstrated that their practice has an ongoing commitment to continued training and education.

There are many legal and health and safety requirements covering the practice premises, equipment, clients and employees – all of these requirements must be met and maintained and the standards communicated effectively to all members of staff. It goes without saying that the inspectors ensure that the premises are kept clean and well maintained.

The Royal College inspector carries out an official inspection every four years and in the interim period, the practice must certify that it will continue to meet the high standards set. A practice may also be subject to spot checks at any time as another way of monitoring that the standards are maintained.