How can you be sure that your animal will be treated to the highest standards at a veterinary practice? Read more about our Practice Standards Scheme awards and their focus on behaviours in practice and outcomes for your animal.
In addition to existing accreditations, practices can demonstrate the specific areas of practice in which they excel through achieving one of our 16 optional Practice Standards Scheme awards.
These awards can help animal owners identify where each practice excels and the skills and services it offers, allowing owners to make a choice based on their needs and preferences.
With the awards, there is more emphasis on the factors which impact the standards of the service offered by veterinary practice. We want to highlight the huge variety of excellence in a way the general public can understand and offer a pathway for improvement for those practices who aspire for excellence in certain areas.
The awards demonstrate where practices provide services above and beyond the stringent standards of accreditation.
How does it work?
In addition to the existing accreditations such as Core Standards, General Practice or Veterinary Hospital, practices are able to apply to be assessed for optional Awards.
Practices are able to achieve Awards in:
| Small animal |
Equine |
Farm animal |
| Team and professional responsibility |
Team and professional responsibility |
Team and professional responsibility |
| Client service |
Client service |
Client service |
| Patient consultation service |
Ambulatory service |
Advisory/consultation service |
| In-patient service |
In-patient service |
In-patient service |
| Diagnostic service |
Diagnostic service |
Diagnostic service |
| Emergency and critical care service |
|
|
Practices can be designated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ within each Award much like the Ofsted accreditation, and re-assessed every 4 years to ensure they are meeting the requirement of the Award(s) on top of their rigorous accreditation assessment.
Awards are advertised across the UK - look out for the logos or use our Find a Vet service.
Small Animal Awards
Award 1: Team and Professional Responsibility
Awarding cohesive and responsible teams
The Team and Professional Responsibility Award allows practices to demonstrate that they have systems in place to make sure that the welfare and safety of staff is paramount and that their knowledge and training is kept up-to-date. Furthermore, it also recognises the practice staff’s dedication to taking responsibility for areas that impact on the level of service offered to clients and patients, such as clinical governance, practice hygiene, record-keeping and prescription and medicines services.
Award 2: Client Service
Awarding excellence in customer experience
The Client Service Award is given to practices who demonstrate high levels of care for their clients. This award comprises only one module, Client Experience, encompassing practical and behavioural steps that practices can take to improve Client Service.
Award 3: Patient consultation Service
Recognising consultation excellence
The Patient Consultation Service Award recognises how the quality of the practice is reflected in the first-opinion services it offers to clients and patients. For example, it recognises further qualifications and training, maintenance of practice hygiene and ensuring high standards of nursing care.
Award 4: Diagnostic Service
Recognising excellent diagnostic services
The Diagnostic Service Award recognises the practice’s services in terms of the use diagnostic of techniques, such as radiography and ultrasound, and the training and safety measures in place for these.
It also includes a module on Laboratory and Clinical Pathology which assesses the practice in terms of its use of laboratory technology to allow diagnostic tests to be carried out and reported promptly. This will help the practice support or rule out potential diagnoses in a number of clinical areas, which underpins the effective and efficient treatment of the animal.
Award 5: In-patient Service
Awarding excellence in the services provided to hospitalised patients
This award allows practices to demonstrate excellence in the service they provide to patients staying within the practice. So, for instance, it assesses factors such as facilities, nursing care for hospitalised animals and maintaining an aseptic surgical environment.
The role of veterinary nurses is also highlighted in this award, in recognition of the vital role they play in caring for hospitalised patients.
Award 6: Emergency and Critical Care Service
Recognising excellence in urgent care
Practices gaining the Emergency and Critical Care Service Award have demonstrated that they excel in caring for animals when in need of urgent care.
In order to gain this award practice team members will need to have been specifically trained in emergency care, nursing and recognising pain, and be regularly attending to patients 24 hours a day. Practices must have access to resources and equipment for emergency diagnostics and treatment, and provide a range of pain relief.
Equine Awards
Award 1: Team and Professional Responsibility
Rewarding cohesive and responsible teams
The Team and Professional Responsibility Award allows practices to demonstrate they have systems in place to make sure that the welfare and safety of staff is paramount, and that their knowledge and training is kept up-to-date.
Furthermore, it recognises the practice staff’s dedication to taking responsibility for areas that impact on the level of service offered to clients and patients, such as clinical governance, practice hygiene, record-keeping and prescription and medicines services.
Award 2: Client Service
Awarding excellence in customer experience
The Client Service Award is given to practices who demonstrate high levels of care for their clients. This award comprises only one module, Client Experience, encompassing practical and behavioural steps that practices can take to improve Client Service.
Award 3: Ambulatory Service
Recognising excellence in service provided away from the practice premises
The Ambulatory Service Award recognises how the quality of the practice is reflected in the ambulatory services it offers to clients and patients. For example, it recognises further qualifications and training, recognising and treating pain appropriately and maintaining hygiene and safety in practice vehicles.
Award 4: Diagnostic Service
Recognising excellent diagnostic services
The Diagnostic Service Award recognises the practice’s services in terms of the use diagnostic of techniques, such as radiography and ultrasound, and the training and safety measures in place for these.
It also includes a module on Laboratory and Clinical Pathology which assesses the practice in terms of its use of laboratory technology to allow diagnostic tests to be carried out and reported promptly. This will help the practice support or rule out potential diagnoses in a number of clinical areas, which underpins the effective and efficient treatment of the animal.
Award 5: In-patient Service
Awarding excellence in the services provided for hospitalised patients
This award allows practices to demonstrate excellence in the service they provide to patients staying within the practice. So, for example, it assesses factors such as facilities, out-of-hours service provision and maintaining an aseptic surgical environment.
Farm Animal Awards
Award 1: Team and Professional Responsibility
Awarding cohesive and responsible teams
The Team and Professional Responsibility Award allows practices to demonstrate that they have systems in place to make sure that the welfare and safety of staff is paramount and that their knowledge and training is kept up-to-date.
Furthermore, it also recognises the practice staff’s dedication to taking responsibility for areas that impact on the level of service offered to clients and patients, such as clinical governance, practice hygiene, record keeping and prescription and medicines services.
Award 2: Client Service
Awarding excellence in customer experience
The Client Service Award is given to practices who demonstrate high levels of care for their clients. This award comprises only one module, Client Experience, encompassing practical and behavioural steps that practices can take to improve Client Service.
Award 3: Advisory/Consultancy Service
Recognising excellence in the consultation service provided to clients
The Advisory/Consultation Service Award recognises how the quality of the practice is reflected in the services it offers to farmers. For example, it recognises areas such as further qualifications and training, advice on biosecurity, using protocols for the diagnosis of common conditions, safe surgery on the farm and using medicines appropriately.
Award 4: Diagnostic Service
Recognising excellent diagnostic services
The Diagnostic Service Award recognises the practice’s services in terms of the use diagnostic of techniques, such as radiography and ultrasound, and the training and safety measures in place for these.
It also includes a module on Laboratory and Clinical Pathology which assesses the practice in terms of its use of laboratory technology to allow diagnostic tests to be carried out and reported promptly. This will help the practice support or rule out potential diagnoses in a number of clinical areas, which underpins the effective and efficient treatment of the animal.
Award 5: In-patient Service
Awarding excellent care for in-patients
This award recognises those farm practices which provide in-patient services for their animals. So, for example, it assesses factors such as facilities and maintaining an aseptic surgical environment.