Page 5 - RVC Clinical Connections - Summer 2025

Evolving practice

FROM ACORNS MIGHTY THINGS GROW

Clinical Connections interviewed practice provision – not only with regard to more specialist-led services out of Camden
Katharine Nelson, RVC’s Director of the patients and clients but also for the staff and possibly also Acorn House; the
General Practice, which spans the and students working there. specialist element could be telemedicine-
Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital based, with the GP vet providing the in-
and Acorn House Veterinary Hospital. You have come to the RVC at a very person care.
Katharine started at Acorn House after exciting time of its history, what is most
graduating from Cambridge and was exciting for you? What would you say to any vet
previously Clinical Director and Practice considering moving across to the RVC
Principal at the Bedford hospital. The increasing emphasis on general to take a new step in their career?
practice for vet students has been driven
What are the most significant changes by accreditation changes, and it will affect I would say that this could be exactly what
you observed across the sector in the 21 all UK vet schools, but the RVC has really they are looking for! Moving to the RVC
years you were at Acorn House? embraced it and is using it as a catalyst for provides opportunities to impact the next
significant evolution. generation of vets and to be involved in
Key changes include a move away from This will transform not just our teaching research without losing access to the
mixed practice and traditional partnership provision and the general practice services challenges and opportunities that vets are
models of ownership, and the development offered to the community but also the career already exposed to in commercial practice.
of referral practice outside of the university pathways for general practice vets. We have
vet schools. Increased pressure on the opportunity to lead in that area.
vet recruitment and retention, and the
development of dedicated out-of-hours Could you give a summary of your
services led to an improvement in working role and how this is likely to evolve as
conditions for vets, but also a rise in costs the general practitioner component of
and reduction in convenience for clients. veterinary training increases?
During the pandemic we had to adapt
to constantly changing criteria around My role is to provide leadership and
permitted care and client/staff interactions. strategic direction to the general practice
It was a privilege to lead Acorn through all of sites owned by the RVC. A lot of that is
these changes. about collaboration across the sites and
ensuring collectively that we are offering the
right experience to students and clients.
I will be looking at how best we can use
our general practice sites to support new
career pathways for GP vets, deliver the
best teaching experience for veterinary
students, and offer something different to Katharine Nelson
our clients.
As well as being an experienced vet, you
How do clinicians at the Beaumont did an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour
Sainsbury Animal Hospital and the and have been a Consultant in Animal
Queen Mother Hospital for Animals Behaviour. Do you get the chance to be
collaborate now – and how might this involved with that aspect of work here?
progress in the future?
I think I can have the most impact in this
The RVC Exotics service is based at the area by embedding behavioural medicine
Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital, with into our general practice sites and client/
both referral and general practices services pet/student experience on a more general
operating side by side. level. The aim is for behaviour cases to
Katharine, when based at Acorn House For our cat and dog services, Beaumont have the same status in general practice
patients that require specialist care are as medical and surgical cases – we should
What attracted you to the role at the referred to the Queen Mother Hospital. expect to provide preventative advice and
RVC? Specialist clinicians at the QMHA are behavioural first aid/uncomplicated care as
always available to provide advice to our a minimum, with good routes for referral if
Thinking about the way that general practice GP vets and we also have some long- additional expertise is needed.
had evolved over the preceding 20 years, I standing research clinics (for geriatric cats
was ready to move on from managing these and for dogs with mitral valve disease) at the For small animal referrals, please call:
changes as they applied to one practice Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital. 01707 666399
and to influence a broader range of general I'd like to explore the possibility of offering Email:
qmhreception@rvc.ac.uk

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