Connaught House Vets– a 12 vet practice in Wolverhampton – has joined the XLVets community of independent practices. The practice was one of the first in the country to gain Hospital status in 1977 and it provides racecourse veterinary services to four racecourses, including the world-renowned Aintree. With the veterinary sector facing significant change, Connaught House now becomes the newest practice to recognise the benefits of cooperation between independent practices. XLVets welcomed Daleside Veterinary Group in July and is set to announce another new member in the next few weeks.

Connaught House has a long and illustrious heritage in the profession, having been established in 1953. It has two branches for small animals including exotics, in addition to its hospital and an equine clinic. It also handles its own out of hours cases to provide owners with dedicated care from a familiar and high-quality team of professionals.

Senior Partner, Sue Taylor said, “We recognise the benefits of being part of a group of like-minded practices and believe that membership of XLVets will offer additional opportunities for our practice. Clinical excellence and strong commitment to the welfare of our patients has always been very core to what we do at Connaught House and we believe that these values are consistent with those throughout the XLVet community. We look forward to enjoying the benefits of the buying, clinical and business management services provided by XLVets and we also recognise the value of meeting our peers to share knowledge and experience and look forward to making a positive contribution.”

XLVets CEO, Andrew Curwen commented, “Connaught House Vets has been ahead of the curve many times, recognising the value of hospital status and the practice standards scheme very early on. It’s one of the reasons it’s thriving more than 65 years after it opened its doors. We are delighted that they have recognised the value that comes from being part of our community and once again are making a move that is all about excellence.”

He notes that while selling to a corporate may promise significant financial gains in the short term, an increasing number of practice owners are seeing the wider picture, “Practice owners are telling us that they believe that independent practices are hugely important to the profession. They ensure that it is veterinary surgeons who are making the critical decisions; free to focus on their people and their patients. Securing the long-term future matters – there will always be scope to progress into practice ownership while independent practices exist and it means there is a clear rationale for encouraging and supporting team members on their own leadership journey.”

He continued, “It’s rewarding to celebrate exciting practices like Connaught House Vets joining our community and playing their part in driving continuous improvement in practice through collaboration. I’m especially pleased to see the energy and positivity that embodies XLVets reach a wider audience and we invite independent practice owners who would like to know more, to have a chat over coffee in complete confidence or come along to one of our national meetings and experience what it’s like to be part of our community for the day.”