Covid 19 Latest Update A quick update on the current situation and a few reminders. Firstly, please be aware that our telephone lines are far busier than normal as we are having to conduct consultations and take payments by telephone. So please do not tie up our phones with routine enquiries. If you have an enquiry please email the surgery at reception@chessingtonvets.co.uk . Please understand that the current advice from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is that we should not carry out routine procedures at this time to reduce the need for you to leave your house. This includes, but is not limited to, procedures such as, nail clipping (unless needed due to an ingrown or torn nail causing pain), annual booster vaccinations for cats and dogs, dental procedures unless necessitated by fractured teeth or dental abscess. If the delay with booster vaccinations means you end up having to restart a vaccination course then please be reassured that any additional vaccination that may become necessary due to this delay will be carried out free of charge when the time comes. We are still administering booster vaccinations and kennel cough vaccinations where pets have a confirmed booking into kennels within the next few weeks and also for dogs belonging to keyworkers who are dependent on doggy day-care. We are still vaccinating some rabbits due to their particular risks of not being vaccinated. If you are in any doubt as to whether your pet should be seen please DO NOT TELEPHONE the surgery UNLESS it is an emergency. Instead please email the surgery on reception@chessingtonvets.co.uk . Remember you can also order repeat medication and food on our website at https://www.chessingtonvets.co.uk/prescription-request . The surgery teams are working long days with half the compliment of staff normally present making taking a break difficult. So, we are closing the surgery for an hour between 1.30pm and 2.30pm each day so that staff can have a well-deserved break and eat lunch! Please, avoid contacting the surgery during this time unless you have a pet with an acute emergency. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Remember stay indoors and stay safe .

We cannot underline the seriousness of the current Covid 19 situation enough and echo the Government's advice for people to distance themselves as much as possible. Non-essential contact with others is, to put it bluntly, stupid and irresponsible in the current circumstances. In anticipation of more stringent controls by the government, starting from the morning of Monday 23/03/2020 we have instituted additional measures to help protect our clients and staff from Covid 19. We have introduced a contact free, closed door policy, and clients will not be permitted to enter the premises themselves except in extraordinary circumstances. The surgery is still operating, but the doors are being kept locked, you are requested to telephone from outside the building to let us know you have arrived. We will be working in reduced numbers so you may not see anybody sitting at the reception desk, as staff will possibly working away from the reception area. For pets requiring treatment, they will be collected at the door and you requested to remain outside or in your vehicle whilst your pet is examined, and any required treatment given. The veterinary surgeon will discuss any issues with you by telephone. You will also need to make payment for treatment over the telephone, as we will not be accepting cash at this time, and your pet together with any ongoing medication required will be handed back to you at the door. Consent forms for procedures, where required, will be issued by email in advance where possible. We request that you complete these and email them back to us once signed, we will not require a paper copy from you. If you are unable to print and sign the document, you may simply reply to our email giving your consent and answering any questions on the form. If you have ordered pet food or medication from us, then again telephone when you arrive, and payment will be taken over the phone. The medication or food will then be left by the door so that you can collect it without direct contact with staff. To avoid several people waiting outside together, we are spreading appointments apart as far as possible and if anybody else is waiting please ensure you remain a safe distance apart as advised by the government. Obviously, there will be greater strain on our telephone lines so wherever possible please use our online appointment booking system for appointments and our online order form to order repeat medication or pet food. All these measures will be more time consuming, there may well be delays at times. We appreciate this will be frustrating and inconvenient, but please understand that this must be done in order that we can continue to provide treatment for the welfare of your pets. From Tuesday 24/03/2020 the practice staff will be operating in two separate teams on a rota with each team alternating working four days on and four days off. This is so that if a member of one team becomes unwell that team can isolate whilst the other team continues to work. This may mean that it will not always be possible for your pet to be examined by your preferred member of staff, however the teams will remain in contact with each other by telephone and video link so that any concerns can be discussed between them. In the coming days we hope to be introducing video consultations so that you can speak to the vet or nurse from your home by video link and your pet assessed remotely. This will enable us to give you further advice on treatment and decide if your pet needs to come to the surgery for a physical examination or not. Further details will follow once this is finally setup. Finally, again we urge you to be sensible and stay safe not just for yourselves but also your loved ones as well as others.

We are sure that you will have concerns regarding how your pets will continue to receive appropriate veterinary treatment in light of the progressing crisis ...Click Image To Read Post