April 2023 Covid-19 Update
We are no longer requiring completion of our Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form.
However, because we see elderly or clinically vulnerable clients, we are asking that anybody with signs of a Covid infection inform us so that we can take appropriate precautions.
March 2022 Covid-19 Update
With the current Covid restrictions having changed significantly since they were first implemented we have been giving thought to how we work going forward.
Our aim has always to be to provide a high standard of veterinary care to our patients whilst maintaining the safety and the health of all parties. We visit multiple clients all over our area each day and many of these can be elderly or still considered clinically vulnerable.
Whilst the Government has removed Covid restrictions and are quite relaxed regarding contact we still need to safeguard our clients and ourselves.
With this in mind we, at Mark The Home Vet, feel that our current working practices and the completion of our Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form have worked well so far and we will continue to implement these.
We will continue to apply the following requirements to our home visits, without which appointments will need to be postponed or cancelled:
Completion of our online Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form
Limiting the number of people in the same room during a consultation to just two people with either Mark or Rebecca
We will continue to wear a face covering when inside your home and we will request that clients wear face coverings, unless medically exempt.
We will continue to consult outside where possible and where it is appropriate to the patient. We will not insist on face coverings when consulting outside unless we need assistance to hold your pet for examination or a procedure at any time during the consultation.
Please rest assured that we are working hard to keep our clients, patients and ourselves safe.
We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Mark, Rebecca and Shelley
19th July 2021 Covid 19 Update
With the current lockdown rules set to end on Monday 19th July 2021 we have been giving thought to our working practices going forward.
Our aim continues to be to provide a high standard of veterinary care to our patients whilst maintaining the safety and the health of everybody involved. Mark sees several clients all over our County each day and many of these can be elderly or clinically vulnerable.
With this in mind we, at Mark The Home Vet, feel that our current working practices and the completion of our Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form have worked well so far and we will continue to implement these.
We will continue to apply the following requirements to our home visits, without which appointments will need to be postponed or cancelled:
Completion of our online Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form
Limiting the number of people in the same room during a consultation to just two people with either Mark or Rebecca
We will continue to wear a face covering when inside your home and we will insist on the wearing of face coverings from all clients, unless medically exempt.
We will continue to consult outside where possible and where it is appropriate to the patient. We will not insist on face coverings when consulting outside unless you are required to hold your pet for examination or procedure at any time during the consultation.
Please rest assured that we are working hard to keep our clients, patients and ourselves safe.
We are all looking forward to the end of the last 18 months of lockdown and hope that you will all respect and understand our decision to continue with the above practices.
We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Mark, Rebecca and Shelley
May 2021 Covid-19 Update
We are now entering a period where we all hope to see the potential easing of current lockdown rules.
With this in mind we feel that our current working practices and the completion of our Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form have worked well so far and we will continue to implement these.
We will continue to apply the following requirements to our home visits, without which appointments will need to be postponed or cancelled:
Completion of our online Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form
If you are a new client we must have received the previous veterinary history for your pet before the appointment
Limiting the number of people in the same room during a consultation to just one person with Mark or Rebecca
We will continue to require the wearing of face coverings
With the possibility of some drier days in the coming months we will continue to consult outside where possible and where it is appropriate to the patient.
Please rest assured that we are working hard to keep clients, patients and ourselves safe.
We would like to thank all of our clients, both old and new, for your continued love and support throughout the last 18 months. We feel privileged to have been able to continue caring for your pets and providing our high level of service during these strange times.
We look forward to seeing you and your fantastic pets again soon.
Mark and Rebecca
December 2020 Covid-19 Update
As I am sure most of you will be aware, a significant portion of our working area is now restricted under Tier 4 rules.
Our current working practices and the completion of our Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form have worked well so far and we will continue to implement these.
Over the next few weeks we will likely reduce to seeing urgent cases only and delay non-urgent appointments. We will only postpone appointments where patient health will not be compromised. This will allow us to see how the new Tier 4 restrictions are working and their implications on both animal health and human health.
We do have some requirements without which appointments will be postponed or cancelled:
● Completion of our online Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form
● If you are a new client we must have received the previous veterinary history for your pet before the appointment
● Limiting the number of people in the same room to just one person with Mark or Rebecca
● Wearing of face coverings
Please rest assured that we are working to keep clients, patients and ourselves safe.
Mark and Rebecca
Happy New Year
November 2020 Covid-19 Update
How will the introduction of new Covid-19 Lockdown restrictions affect Mark The Home Vet clients?
Our aim continues to be to provide a high standard of veterinary care to our patients whilst maintaining the safety and the health of everybody involved.
To help achieve this we will be introducing a few changes:
We will carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment prior to each visit. You may receive a phone call in advance of your appointment to discuss this.
Where the weather and patient are appropriate we will continue to consult in outside spaces.
If we have to consult indoors then we will limit the consultation to having only one client present with the patient.
When indoors we will wear a mask and require clients to do so. If you are exempt from wearing a mask then we require another member of your household or bubble to wear a mask and be present for the consultation. When outdoors we will require masks to be worn if we need your assistance with holding or to carry out a procedure.
We also ask that you:
Ring us in advance to discuss any particular Covid-19 concerns.
Ring us if they are under additional Covid-19 restrictions, isolation, quarantine or track and trace restrictions.
Ring us if you or any member of your household or bubble are showing any clinical signs of Covid-19.
We will triage and assess each appointment to make sure that we are remaining within the Government and our regulatory bodies requirements. This may mean that non-urgent appointments are delayed until restrictions are lifted in December. We may carry out some consultations via video links if necessary.
Vaccinations that are due in November may be delayed until December, however, if the vaccination is already overdue then we will assess the timings and may be able to visit during November.
If you have any questions or concerns then please get in touch:
Call: 01780 678876
Email: hello@markthehomevet.com
Take care, stay safe,
Mark and Rebecca
September 2020 LATEST Covid-19 Update
We would like say a big ‘Thank You’ all our current clients and their fantastic pets for their continued support and understanding during the stange times that we find ourselves in.
We would also like to say a big ‘Welcome’ to all our new clients and their pets. We have been registering as many new clients as we can each day and trying our best to get to see each and every one of you as soon as we can.
In order to make sure that we are able to continue to provide our high level of service we are temporarily setting up a pre-registration list for new clients that would like to join Mark The Home Vet. Once we are able to process your registration and are able to offer you an appointment we will get in touch with you. At the moment there is about a 2 week wait for an appointment for new clients.
We expect this to be only a temporary change and that we will go back to our normal online registration process within the next fortnight.
We lost our beloved English Springer Spaniel Grace during lockdown and we understand how hard it is when making end of life decisions; these decisions are even harder to make given the current restrictions faced by all veterinary practices. If you are in need of a home visit for a euthanasia appointment then please complete the pre-registration form and we will discuss with you how quickly we can get an appointment for you.
Once again, ‘Thank You’ and ‘Welcome’ and please bear with us at the moment.
Mark and Rebecca
August 2020 LATEST Covid-19 Update
We are now getting used to our new way of working and it seems that we are managing well within the latest guidelines.
We are now able to do home visits with some adaptations to maintain safety for everybody in the current Covid-19 situation:
Most visits are being done outside in garden spaces, this is working well for most dogs and rabbits.
Cats that don’t have enclosed outdoor spaces are being seen within the home.
If we need to enter a closed space, or have to be within close proximity to an owner we require that we both wear a face covering.
If anybody in a household is showing signs of Covid-19 infection or self-isolating, either due to shielding or due to possible exposure then please contact us at the earliest opportunity.
Thank you to all our clients and patients for their continued understanding and support during these unprecedented times,
Continue to take care and stay safe,
Mark and Rebecca
20th April 2020 LATEST Covid-19 Update
So what has changed in the last 4 weeks of lockdown? Basically very little; Mark continues to suffer from the rare lung condition Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and the COVID-19 pandemic is showing little sign of being under control. Importantly, despite the NHS warriors fighting the brave fight on the frontline in our hospitals we are still seeing hundreds of COVID-19 deaths each day.
There have been several revisions to the guidelines from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA). UK Government lockdown rules are currently unchanged and we can reasonably expect little to change over the next few weeks.
We, and by that I mean ALL of us, have a social responsibility to ourselves, our families, our fellow neighbours and to the countrymen and women whom we have never met. We must all do what we must to stay home, protect the NHS and to save lives. Whilst doing this we also have a responsibility to look after our pets to the best of our ability.
Rebecca and I have spent many hours considering social distancing, the advice given to Veterinary Surgeons, to the Government advice and how we can best balance these considerations and the needs of our four-legged family members. Our veterinary regulatory and advice bodies (RCVS, BVA) have left decisions regarding the treatment of animals firmly at the doorstep of individual Veterinary Surgeons; they have also reiterated that public health should be prioritised over animal health. Because there has been no strict guidance, individual veterinary practices are able to interpret the guidelines how they see fit and this may mean that there are differences in the services offered by different practices.
Rebecca and I have decided that Mark The Home Vet will work within the following guidelines:
We will protect public health and maintain social distancing.
Requests for consultations will be triaged and assessed by Mark or Rebecca to decide which cases are suitable for video/telephone calls (often called telemedicine). Video consultations can be booked via our website: https://markthehomevet.com/video-consults.
There will be cases where video conferencing is not appropriate and options will be discussed. These options may include you taking your pet to a veterinary hospital as an emergency case.
Vaccinations:
Rabbits will be vaccinated and when the new combined Myxo/RHD1/RHD2 is available we will start using this.
Puppies will be able to start their initial set of vaccinations once they are at least 8 weeks old. This will give them protection against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis.
Young adult dogs needing their first annual booster will be vaccinated.
Annual vaccinations for dogs will be carried out only if they are getting close to being 3 months overdue or are already overdue.
Kittens will be vaccinated only when they are nearing the age when they will be going outdoors.
Annual vaccinations for cats will only be given to cats that go outdoors and are close to being 3 months overdue or are already overdue.
Rabbit and dog vaccinations will be done in garden/outside space or garages if the weather is inclement
Cat vaccinations will be done in a garage or the nearest indoor room to your door to avoid us entering your living spaces and reduce exposing us to potential virus contamination.
Social distancing will be observed.
We will continue to post medications as before. Please allow a few extra days when requesting repeat prescriptions; this allows us to reduce the number of wholesaler deliveries, reduce the number of visits we must make to the Post Office and to allow for delays in the postal service. Where possible please use this form on our website to request repeat medications: https://markthehomevet.com/order-medication
We will continue to make home visits for euthanasia appointments. These will be done in garden/outside space or in a garage if the weather is not obliging. We will require a drive to park on (or street parking directly outside your house) and side access to a rear garden without entering your house.
Whilst these difficult decisions may not please everybody, Rebecca and I feel it is very important that Mark The Home Vet continues to balance the support we can give to your pets, our patients, to our clients and their families health and to protect the NHS, our own health and our families health.
Stay Safe,
Mark and Rebecca
16th March 2020 URGENT Covid-19 Update!
After careful consideration both Mark and Rebecca have, in the current Covid-19 situation decided to make some changes at Mark The Home Vet. These changes are in response to Mark’s current health situation and the updated advice from the Government.
Mark is currently undergoing investigations and treatment for lung issues and for this reason is immunosuppressed at present; his health, as with many others who are at risk in this current climate is paramount. Many of our clients are above 70 and are also considered to be in the group of immunosuppressed, compromised or vulnerable people. We must not add further risk to Mark or our clients and we therefore, need to limit our home consultations.
However, just as Mark’s health is important to us, so is your pet’s and in light of the current Covid-19 situation we have made some changes to the way we offer you Veterinary Care.
We will be offering consults in your own home with Mark via video calling on a smartphone or laptop. These consults will be £38 and a BACS payment or payment over the phone will be taken before your consultation time, you will then receive a link to click on to enter the call. Mark will be able to speak with you about your pet, see your pet, look at the affected area, watch them walk etc and even post medications to you if necessary.
To arrange a consultation with Mark you can either ring 01780 678 876, email us on hello@markthehomevet.com or book online at https://markthehomevet.com/book-online. If you don’t have access to a smartphone or laptop then please do still ring on 01780 678 876 and we will try to facilitate an appropriate alternative option.
Annual Health Checks, Vaccinations and Acupuncture with Mark will be postponed until further notice, we will review this as and when the situation changes. Some acupuncture patients may be suitable to transition to our new therapeutic laser treatments, Mark and Rebecca will liaise directly with you about this.
We are still here at the end of the phone or email and each case will be dealt with on an individual basis so please do contact us if your pets are unwell.
Home visits for pet euthanasia will still be possible with a few additional requirements in place. Please contact us for more information.
Thank you for your understanding and we hope that you all stay safe,
Love and Light
Mark and Rebecca