It is a universally acknowledged fact that 100 years ago, millions of women won the right to vote.
What is not so well known, perhaps, is the same passage of time has passed since men were also granted suffrage.
Prior to the 1918 Representation of the People Act, democracy was restricted to wealthy males. After its introduction, suddenly, and for the first time, a generation of working class British men – some still embroiled in the First World War – were able to have a say on who they wanted to see in power.
Now, I am no politician, nor a member of your esteemed profession, but if I could vote in VN council elections or express my view via the ongoing consultation, I would.
Make a difference
Democracy was restricted to wealthy males until 1918, when a generation of working class men – some of whom served in the First World War – were able to vote. “British soldiers in action” by Champagnepapi22 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
People fought tooth and nail – some even gave their lives – to enable every man and woman to vote. Compared to that, putting a cross on a ballot paper seems ridiculously easy, and surely worth a few minutes of anyone’s time?
As incoming RCVS VN council chairman Racheal Marshall says in the August edition of VN Times, this is your profession and you can play a vital part in shaping it.
Life is about looking forward with hope, not backwards with regret. Your voice can make a difference to your future life and career – and to those people yet to come. Why not make it the best version possible?
That is, after all, what those brave people did for us many years ago. The simplest of human rights seemed like an impossible, unobtainable goal, but they never gave in and, in so doing, altered the course of history.
Positive change can occur, if only we have the courage to take the first step.
The announcement of a corporate veterinary group’s collaboration with the new Keele University/Harper Adams veterinary school struck a few chords, and seemingly opened a figurative can of worms that (like their literal parasitic counterparts) just doesn’t sit well in my gut.
A few points to consider here, the first of which I have written about before, although not about this particular arrival on the vet school scene.
More vet schools needed?
Do we need more vet schools? The short answer, in my opinion, is no. The employment crisis in the veterinary industry as it stands is multi-faceted – pluck a reason out of the air and it almost certainly has some impact on why practices are begging for vets:
compassion fatigue
poor working conditions
work-life balance
salary
lack of long-term prospects
Brexit
client pressure
under-supported young vets
I could talk about any one of these reasons at length (and have done), but, for the purposes of discussing the above gem of veterinary news, I will focus on the last point: support for new graduates or young vets.
Some practices are excellent at providing a nurturing environment for young vets, but many are not and often not through any fault other than lack of staff.
This lack of support leads to high stress levels, young vets becoming fed up and looking elsewhere for a different career that provides them with the mental stimulation they desire, but with better support, hours and pay to go with it – thus the vicious cycle of extremely talented young people leaving the profession after a few years begins.
Problem solver?
Will opening more vet schools help the staffing problem? No. It is a short-sighted, temporary solution to fill a gap nobody seems to be able to plug. But the more graduates that accept jobs from practices who ideally wanted an experienced vet and can’t source one, the worse the retention problem will become. It is unfair on both parties to take on a new grad if a practice does not have the resources to sufficiently train and help them through their first few years.
To solve the retention problem, the profession needs to improve working conditions and encourage vets to stay, not just find more avenues to farm out new grads to try and bridge the gap.
Are corporates good for the profession?
I could (and probably will) discuss corporates at great length, but there is no clear answer for them being good for the profession. Having been stung with the sore end of the corporate tail once before, I’m inclined to say no, but that would be based on my experience of one particular practice. Conversely, I have colleagues who work for corporate practices that seem to be very well run and provide a great environment for learning.
My opinion is not fact and, to keep it short and sweet, is summarised below:
The idea behind corporate practices is often well meaning, but does not always work when put into practice. For example, the graduate schemes sound great, but only work if they are implemented correctly on an individual practice level.
Some corporates are extortionately priced compared to independents – there is a fine line between charging appropriately and taking the biscuit. This is likely exaggerated because many independents have been selling themselves short for years; however, it is not okay to triple prices in a week when an independent practice is taken over. All it does is feed the myth that vets are only in it for the money.
Long-established corporately owned practices seem to have better client satisfaction than practices newly acquired under a corporate brand as the shock of takeover, staff changes and price increases are long gone.
Corporates aim to provide better working hours (a four-day week, for example) and flexible working patterns, but, again, this varies on an individual basis.
The hand of many partners in independent practice has been forced as the profession continues to change. Young people do not have the disposable cash to buy into partnerships, as was the tradition. Corporates have taken advantage of this by buying out those wishing to retire without any new blood coming through.
Corporate practices can vary wildly even within the same group – much of it comes down to the individual practice, as with independents. As much as corporates offer many benefits with their nice shiny contracts, many independents match or better these. Likewise, an independent or corporate practice can be an equally catastrophic place to work in if managed badly at the practice level.
Now, to the elephant in the room…
Should a corporate group be running a vet school hospital?
Is a corporate running a vet school hospital any different from the outsourced rotation format of the other newest veterinary schools – Nottingham and Surrey – whereby they have no on-site university clinic, but rotations are undertaken in nearby hospitals?
The concern with new veterinary schools popping up and proposing this sort of final-year teaching is the associated practices are then less available to provide EMS placements for local students. The purpose-built corporate hospital that is to be partnered with the new veterinary school avoids this particular hurdle in part, at least (there’s no mention of an equine hospital or farm clinic), but is it still a good idea?
Remaining impartial
It comes down to whether the corporate presence is going to be ingrained into the teaching. Will the graduate scheme offered by the group be heavily recommended? Would the business structure and branded drugs be taught to the students?
At university, we were always told to learn drugs not brand names to remain impartial. Would that impartiality be maintained appropriately in a hospital that uses own-branded drugs and whose bigwig advisory boards dictate which products should and shouldn’t be offered?
Encouraging research into all available treatment and diagnostic options is a key aspect of learning and practising evidence-based medicine on rotations.
Familiarity breeds
Even if no direct corporate emphasis exists, surely the undercurrent is going to sway the students into applying for jobs in sister practices under a graduate scheme.
As a new grad, you are bewildered by everything and getting a heads-up on even the smallest of obstacles can make a huge different to your day in the first few weeks. Therefore, simple things, such as the practice management system used in every practice the group owns, may be enough to sway the decision between accepting one of two jobs, simply because using a system you’ve gotten used to on rotations will make your life that bit easier during day-to-day practice.
Conclusion
It remains to been seen if a corporate partnership with the new vet school will be a success for the students under their care and the profession as a whole, and I’ll withhold judgement for now.
However, with predictions corporate takeover will saturate at 70% of practices in the profession, it is undeniable the veterinary landscape is moving further adrift from its once independent roots as the corporate giants continue to tighten their grip.
Public voting on shortlisted entries begins on 02 October, 2018
Whether much-loved pets, grazing livestock or weird and wonderful wildlife, little gives many people more pleasure than seeing animals out and about in the great outdoors.
So, we’ve decided on the theme of “Out and About” for the VN Times 2019 calendar, and can’t wait to see your photos of all creatures great and small at large in Mother Nature.
Maybe a dog is having the time of its life on a sunny beach walk, or a cat is frolicking in your back garden? Perhaps you’ve encountered a deer in a country park, or spotted a lion striking an unusual pose while on a trip to the safari park? Or perhaps something in a field of cows and sheep has caught your eye? Whatever the scenario, we want entries for the next VN Times calendar competition, and if it’s a good enough photo it may be used to illustrate a month, or even the front cover.
Please supply the best quality and largest image you can. Avoid downsampling images for emailing purposes, choosing “Actual Size” if prompted. Most smartphones and digital cameras will take a reasonable quality photo. A minimum file size of about 1.6MB should be sufficient. Anything smaller may mean the image will be unusable.
It’s surprising how much we rely on the internet and associated technologies. In fact, you don’t quite realise how much it helps until you find yourself without it.
I experienced a weird widespread internet fault. I’m not sure if it was localised to to my geographical area, but, for a few hours, neither my mobile data would work on my phone or the internet on the practice computers (although I’m not sure if they were just being their usual painstakingly slow dinosaur selves) – even the clients were commenting there seemed to be a data blackout.
Regardless, it made my consulting morning surprisingly more challenging.
First appointment
Repeat aglepristone injection for mismating
I go to check the protocol as I know the timings are different to when given for pyometra. The BSAVA app crashes four times on opening before I accept defeat and find a bound copy of the formulary.
I then realise things are listed by drug name rather than brand name and draw a blank. I try to open the NOAH website on the consult room PC, but this inevitably crashes the internet browser. Of course it does.
Suddenly the name aglepristone is dragged from the depths of my brain and I leaf through the formulary once more. That wastes nearly the whole appointment time before I even manage to find the drug, draw it up and give it.
The computer freezes while trying to print consent forms. Luckily it’s a fairly straightforward admit for fluids/treatment and the client knows the drill. I hand over to the ops vet and leave her to work out doses.
Third appointment
A transfer from the out-of-hours provider
After skim reading the long history (that consists mainly of numerous phone calls back and forward as to whether the owner could get the collapsed dog in the car), I finally get to the point and call the client in.
The dog is bouncing and back to normal, apart from a stonker of a heart murmur. Cardiology is not my strong point and after a lengthy discussion about starting medication, and much faff flicking through the compendium trying to remember various side effects, I manage to convince them to trial medication.
Fourth appointment
Vaccination
Yay, no formulary needed.
Fifth appointment
Medicine check
One client thinks her dog has gained weight since being prescribed a particular medication. I highly doubt this is the cause of weight gain, but say I will quickly (or not so) check the data sheet.
I reach for the NOAH Compendium (when I manage to locate a paper copy) rather than the formulary, because I can’t for the life of me spell the active ingredient. On skim reading the page, can’t find anything about weight gain or appetite, but it’s not as clear cut as the lovely “clinical particulars” or “contra-indications and adverse reactions” tabs on the website. I close the book.
The client seems to be in a rush, but wants to discuss lowering the dose (are you serious? Could you have not said that while I had the page open?). I flick through and eventually find the page again, and work out the dose as they’re practically running out of the door.
Sixth appointment
Pregnant bitch
The owner asks about worming and once again I leaf through the compendium to find the protocol, only to realise we don’t have that formulation in stock.
Of course I’ve shut the book – but, before I find the right page again, one of the fantastic receptionists has materialised a bottle from somewhere and is flashing the data sheet in front of me for reference.
Seventh appointment
As she had no internet, Jordan turned to the NOAH’s Compendium for guidance, with varying results.
Dog bitten by a ferret
Small wound, possibly infected, but the dog is very wriggly. I prescribe Amoxyclav – one of the few things I instinctively know the dose of – and meloxicam (definitely no books required to work out that dose).
Eighth appointment
Puppy diarrhoea
Can you give young puppies probiotic paste? Back to the book…
It’s not listed in the compendium, and the box doesn’t indicate a minimum age – normally I would check the product website… Sigh. I search for the other vet to ask what feels like the 100th stupid question today. So it went on…
No time to lose
The point is, I didn’t realise quite how much using the internet on my phone sped up my consults. A 10-second search on an app turns into a couple of minutes leafing through a book for a drug dose. When your consults are only 10 minutes, that extra couple of minutes in each one adds up and very quickly I found myself getting behind, and, therefore, more stressed.
I can’t retain numerous drug doses in my head – or at least don’t trust myself to rely on memory for many of them except the most common ones – so maybe this dependence on technology is more of an issue for new grads than more experienced vets who seem to be an encyclopaedia of drug doses.
I was thankful this hadn’t happened on a large animal day – as someone with a terrible sense of direction, I would definitely have been stuck in the middle of nowhere with no Google Maps to get me home.
It is a renowned fact among the veterinary profession that the number of brachycephalic breeds in rehoming centres is soaring.
As veterinary nurses it needs to be our role to educate owners-to-be on which breed of dog is the most suitable for their circumstances. This allows owners to make informed decisions when opting to either purchase a puppy or rehome a dog.
Statistics
In September 2017, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home published a press release featuring the story of Piccalilli the French bulldog, which also contained information on how the rehoming centre was experiencing an increase in the number of brachycephalic breeds needing homes. In 2017, it took in 29 French bulldogs for rehoming, whereas in 2014 only 8 were taken in.
The Kennel Club (KC) also published data stating the amount of registrations for French bulldogs has also increased greatly. In 2007, 692 French bulldogs were registered. Whereas, by 2016, 21,470 were registered – that’s 20,778 more French bulldogs in the space of nine years.
All in all, the breed has seen an “astronomical” 2,964% increase in the past 10 years, The KC said.
Why is this happening?
Pugs, French bulldogs and bulldogs – collectively known as “brachycephalic” breeds – are widely deemed as “fashionable” due to the number of celebrities who own and flaunt them on social media platforms.
The influence from celebrities and the media, such as TV adverts, are having a strong impact on the public’s demand and want for these breeds. They are being bred uncontrollably to emphasise the large bulging eyes, tight skin folds and extremely short snouts causing their distinctive “snorting” noise. These features on the pug and French bulldog are all considered as cute by members of the public, and demand is high for them – and where there is demand, there will always be supply.
Unrecognised health issues
The reason why we are seeing the increase of brachycephalic breeds in rehoming centres is due to the health problems owners are unaware of, and the lack of funding to afford the veterinary bills to manage or correct them.
When these dogs are bred irresponsibly (for example, to exaggerate the “flat face” look), they can incur a whole lot of health risks. The most common is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which occurs in all brachycephalic breeds to a greater or lesser extent.
Other health problems in these breeds include:
entropion
luxating patella
hip dysplasia
skin disease
uroliths
intervertebral disc disease
Owners are not being made aware substantially of these health risks and the seriousness of them – most of the disorders listed require either surgical correction/repair or life-long medication, which, in turn, costs a fair amount of money.
What can VNs do?
I believe nurse clinics are one of the most important aspects of our job.
In clinics, we are given the opportunity to build up a rapport with clients and, consequently, a trust relationship with them. Often – as opposed to vet consultations – we can spend more time with our clients in a more relaxed setting. These are a great opportunity to educate clients and use tools to demonstrate our knowledge as VNs.
Done incorrectly, the prospect of pre-purchase consultations with nurses could come across to clients as “lecture-like” or monotonous, but they don’t need to be like this. Instead, they could be based on a puppy party structure, but for pre-puppy or dog owners.
Clarification for clients
To begin, prepare a questionnaire for them to fill out in advance, taking details of their home circumstances, then bring together a group of three or four clients to discuss different breeds and their suitability.
Informational leaflets can be designed for prospective owners, explaining how to choose a healthily bred puppy and what to ask breeders; and fact sheets could include details of breed health pre-dispositions, how much food and exercise certain breeds require, as well as information on training and puppy classes. A “pre-parent pack” could be put together containing this information.
If we can educate owners on health problems – not just brachycephalic breeds – it could deter clients from purchasing breeds inappropriate for them or their lifestyles, and provide accurate information on how to purchase responsibly. This could contribute to breaking the “supply and demand” cycle of irresponsibly bred dogs.
The competition is only open to practising RVNs, SVNs and veterinary nursing assistants who subscribe to VN Times, who work in veterinary practices and are residents of the United Kingdom aged 16 years or over. Veterinary surgeons are unable to enter. All entrants will be checked against our Vetfile database and the RCVS register for eligibility.
Employees of pharmaceutical companies and veterinary companies that provide a service to veterinary practices are not eligible to enter. Any such entries will be invalid.
Entries must be received by midnight on Sunday September 16, 2018. Entries will be shortlisted and readers of VN Times will vote to determine the top 12 and one overall winner. The winners will be notified by email or telephone by Monday November 5, 2018.
We will accept a maximum of three photographs per person but please note that when it comes to short-listing only one of those entries will be able to go through to the final choice.
Photographs must be in keeping with the theme “Out and About”, (i.e. animals outside) and must be accompanied by a brief description of the subject with a maximum of 100 words.
Please supply the best quality and largest image you can. Avoid downsampling images for emailing purposes.
High resolution digital entries must be emailed to outandabout@vbd.co.uk – most smartphones and digital cameras will take a reasonable quality photo. If emailing from a smartphone, choose the “Actual Size” option if asked about reducing message size. A minimum file size of around 1.6MB should be sufficient.
Veterinary Business Development Ltd accepts no responsibility for incomplete or delayed entries.
Each entry should include the animal’s name (if known), your name, telephone number, your qualification(s), practice name and practice address.
By entering the competition you are giving Veterinary Business Development Ltd permission to publish the photograph and details in the VN Times 2019 wall calendar and for the free use of the image elsewhere by Veterinary Business Development Ltd.
By entering the competition you are giving Veterinary Business Development Ltd consent to retain your data for six months.
All photographs must be the entrant’s own work. If you are submitting a photograph of your animal taken by someone else, please supply written permission from the owner that they are happy for you to enter it in the competition and for you to receive the prize if you are a winner.
Photos may only contain animals or people if you have the owner’s/person’s prior consent. Written consent will be required from a parent/guardian/carer if any person under the age of 18 or vulnerable adult is photographed.
First prize: £1,000 Amazon.co.uk voucher. Runners-up: 11 people will each receive a £50 Amazon.co.uk voucher. All 12 winning animals will feature in the VN Times 2019 wall calendar, with the first prize-winning entry appearing on the front cover.
There is no cash alternative to the prizes.
Veterinary Business Development Ltd accepts no liability for loss or misplacement of the prizes once in the winner’s possession.
The VN Times 2019 wall calendar will be mailed with the December 2018 issue of VN Times.
Life doesn’t come with a manual, more’s the pity. How much easier would it be if we were automatons, told exactly where to go and what to do? No big decisions to be made or uncertain futures to be faced.
But then, there wouldn’t be any adventures either. With no guidebook, we have to choose our own career (great choice, by the way) and chart our own course.
You can read all about people navigating their own futures in this edition; from the nurse set to become a social media star to the RVNs behind Kent’s newest veterinary nursing school.
Indeed, education is a wonderful gift that keeps on giving, long after we have left our school days behind. Noel Fitzpatrick, aka “The Supervet”, discusses this very notion, and how it could tackle the retention crisis.
Seize opportunities
As you will hopefully see from the July issue of VN Times, opportunities are all around you; whether you want a fresh start, to take on a new role or help others on their journey (see opposite page for an inspiring mentor-student story).
You have the freedom to choose your next move, whatever it may be.
The poet Erin Hanson wrote: “And you ask, ‘what if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, what if you fly?”
You’ve done it – five long years of hard work and study have paid off and you’ve graduated as a fully fledged vet. Welcome to the veterinary community.
And it is just that – a community of people who’ve all been there and had a first day as a vet. You’ll find that everyone (meaning more senior vets than you, which is basically any vet) is happy to offer what I consider “well-being” advice, such as “don’t be too hard on yourself, you will make mistakes” or “don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t know”.
Now, while this sort of advice is true, I don’t think it’s practically helpful for getting you through those first few weeks. No matter how much positive encouragement you receive from other vets, you will probably still be terrified for your first day/week/month.
Having been there only a year ago, I have some practical tips and tricks to help get you through the day during those first few weeks:
In-practice consultations
Make sure you know where things are kept in the consult room, so you don’t have to open every drawer in front of the client to find the syringes on your first consult.
Likewise, familiarise yourself with the drugs in the dispensary. At uni, you learn drug names, now you’re in practice you will have to learn the brands.
Make a note of the vaccination protocol used at the practice and the most common recommended flea/worm treatments (such as those on the pet health plan, if your practice has one).
Note down anything you may want to look up quickly, particularly premed doses. Depending on how your practice works, nurses may draw up premeds and have vets check before giving them, which can sometimes just be a waft in the vet’s direction for assertion – don’t panic and agree just because you don’t know what the dose is off the top of your head.
Keep a health plan or puppy/kitten package leaflet handy for when clients ask about them.
The stethoscope is one of the most useful tools for allowing yourself time to think without the client bombarding you with questions.
ALWAYS leave something essential outside of the consult room (a thermometer, fluroscein or tear test strips, for example). This gives you an excuse to leave the room have a flick through a book or ask another vet (don’t do it too many times in one consult).
If it’s something you want another vet to look at, most owners respond well to getting a second opinion. Alternatively, take photos “for comparison” then go and show another vet (be careful here – you need permission from the owners and check your practice policy regarding GDPR. You may be okay to use a work phone/camera, but not a personal one).
If you want to remove the animal from the owner – either to get another vet to look or for thinking space – ask if you can go and get a nurse to help restrain.
Being on-call/farm visits
Open things before your first equine/farm visit (gloves, lube, etc) to avoid awkwardly trying to rip open boxes while the farmer is waiting.
Save dropped pins on Google maps or your satnav for your main farms or big equine clients. Again, work within GDPR, which may only allow this on work phones.
Make a cheat sheet for the car detailing drug doses for the most common things you use on farm – to avoid the inevitable mind blank resulting in an inability to do simple mental maths while staring at the bottle of Pen and Strep with the farmer staring at you. I made one for a 300kg/500kg/750kg size horse for quick reference.
If you need to call a colleague for advice while on farm, make an excuse to go back to the car. I would go to examine the animal first with minimal kit (just a stethoscope, for example) then, if necessary, make a call when I had to go back for a thermometer or relevant meds.
Make a note of who to contact regarding out-of-hours, door codes and alarm codes – and make sure you have practice keys.
Be prepared to be tired. It doesn’t last forever, but working as a vet is very tiring to begin with – don’t make too many plans for week nights or weekends for the first couple of weeks to allow you to relax when you get home.
Have a pocket-sized notebook and pen at all times, and hold on to that pen for dear life. Pens have a habit of wandering in vet practices.
Take a look at one of my previous blogs on language (Fake it ’til you make it) for some handy phrases to help assert your ability when you don’t really have a clue what’s going on.
Have a couple of books handy for quick reference when you need a memory jog. I use 100 Top Consultations in Small Animal General Practice and Gerardo Poli’sThe Mini-Vet Guide for small animal, but I hear good things about the “Nerdbook” as well. For equine, I find the Handbook of Equine Emergencies great for quick reference on the go, along with the SaundersEquine Formulary.
Make lunch in advance to start with. It may be that you always get a lunch break, but sometimes things are manic, so ensure you have food to keep you going.
Take part in any work social activities and get to know your team – it will make the working day much more fun if you get on with those around you.
Book a holiday for three months time. You will need it.
Handy resources
Make use of the vast range of apps and websites out there. Here are some I found really helpful:
BSAVA app for the formulary (it’s quicker to search drugs than flicking through the paper formulary).
BEVA apps – which features drug doses, certain procedures and joint blocks.
NOAH Compendium – there isn’t an app (at the moment), but the mobile version of the website works well. Open the NOAH website on your computer before a consulting session starts – practice computers are notoriously slow and I guarantee it will freeze when you’re desperately trying to do a quick search for doses while the client is waiting.
Vet Calculator for various calculations, particularly the heart rate counter.
While the word “survive” carries negative connotations about veterinary practice (and I have previously discussed how this sort of language can be harmful), I do think you feel like you’re firefighting in those first few weeks.
There’s no doubt it is a steep learning curve, but I’m confident you’ll come out the other side and thrive on the challenges of being a new grad.
Good luck and enjoy finally being able to say you’re a vet.
Change can be scary. But it can also be exhilarating, liberating and exciting – and it happens all the time.
By the time you read this, for example, Harry and Meghan will have made one of the biggest changes possible by embarking on married life (read how some homeless hounds marked the occasion on page 1 of June’s edition of VN Times).
Closer to home, plans to open the UK’s ninth vet school in 2020 have been given the green light (page 1) and it is anticipated the collaboration between Keele and Harper Adams Universities will foster strong relationships between vets, RVNs and animal care professionals from the start.
Dare to dream
Effecting change or undertaking a challenge takes strength and bravery – from creating a district VN conference (page 2) to volunteering abroad (page 2). Yet daring to dream pays off, as you will see in the pages that follow. For my part, becoming VN Times editor is a big change, but a dream come true, and I am honoured to be penning (or rather, typing) this foreword.
I have long admired the profession and am constantly inspired by, and in awe of, your dedication and commitment – not only to animals you care for, but owners, colleagues and people outside the veterinary sphere, who you help in so many ways on a daily basis.
Danny Kaye once said: “Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it.” I invite you to use this magazine as your own canvas to share your news, views and ideas.
Wonderful things occur in the profession every day – from fund-raisers and scientific breakthroughs, to personal achievements and team victories, and I, for one, cannot wait to hear all about them.
So, as we step into the future together, I urge you to be proud of who you are and what you do, and embrace change. Exciting times are ahead, and who knows? Perhaps the best is yet to come…
For the acquired business – and those involved in it (whether employees or sellers with a continuing role) – the period immediately following completion will inevitably result in change of some sort, and require a degree of adaptation.
Business as usual
If you are a seller with a continuing role, clear communication with employees, suppliers and customers to avoid undue worry and disruption to operations, along with reassurance it is “business as usual” (if your role permits that), will go a long way to ensuring a smooth transition.
For the buyer, managing reactions to that change in a positive manner in the period immediately following completion will be key to the long-term success of the acquisition or merger.
It’s often said the first 100 days following an acquisition or merger is the most critical period, during which time the confidence of staff should be won, customers contacted and reassured, and systems integrated.
Hands on or off?
Generally, if former management have a retained role in the business (even if only for a few months), the integration phase will, of course, be much easier.
Otherwise, a hands-off approach from a buyer, without a physical presence within the business for the first few months, could have a negative effect on the business, from which it could be difficult to recover.
Large consolidators will very likely have a well-tested integration plan, which can be rolled out, but others should carefully plan for integration in advance of completion.
Given concerns customers might have following a sale, some integration plans of consolidators will involve not informing customers of the sale until some later.
It can often be easier to allay fears of change when people realise the change occurred six months ago and they haven’t noticed any difference in service.
Secret to your success
In short – and this may sound cliché – but success comes down to the people in the business – particularly for a veterinary practice – and how they integrate in to the new model immediately post-completion could be what makes a transaction successful.
As a final thought, two top tips to keep in mind include:
Buyers: have a plan prepared in advance of completion for the integration.
Sellers with an ongoing role: enjoy your new position as either an employee or consultant without the burden of being a business owner. Otherwise, enjoy retirement.
