Hospital inspections are
carried out by the RCVS, phone 0207 222 2001.
For established
Veterinary Hospitals inspections are carried out every four years. For all new
Veterinary Hospitals the first main re-inspection is carried out after two
years, only then is the normal four year inspection cycle started.
For
new practices a “pre-trading” inspection can be carried out. This
inspection is carried out prior to the completion of work, so allowances will
be made for cabinetry not being installed etc. However the inspector must be
convinced, by your plans, equipment on site, invoices and delivery schedules
etc that the practice will meet veterinary hospital standards upon completion.
This pre-trading inspection will allow the practice to commence trading from
day one as a veterinary hospital (if successful). Obviously this has
implications as far as producing signage, stationery, letterheads etc. A second
inspection is then carried out within six months of the pre-trading inspection.
The practice must pass this inspection or all use of the name “Veterinary
Hospital” will have to cease immediately.
The RCVS gives hospitals
plenty of notice of the inspection and sends a form to be completed and
returned to them. The RCVS then allocates an inspector to carry out the
inspection. The veterinary hospital can request a different inspector, but the
RCVS has usually already taken care to make sure that the inspector is not
involved in a competitor practice.
The Inspector will then contact the
hospital directly to arrange a mutually convenient date for the inspection.
Usually allow half a day for the inspection. Different inspectors approach the
inspection in different ways, however it is common to do the paperwork first
and then to carry out the physical inspection. There is a considerable amount
of paperwork to be checked. It makes the inspector’s life a lot easier if
you have organised your paperwork in the same order as that required by the
RCVS. Cups of coffee and biscuits (preferably chocolate) help ease the
process.
The Inspector’s report is submitted to the RCVS Advisory
Committee. The Advisory Committee meets six times a year. It is the decision of
the Advisory Committee as to whether a Hospital is approved or not. Practices
may be passed as a Veterinary Hospital subject to certain conditions within set
time frames. Depending upon the requirements the Hospital may be required to
certify that the work has been undertaken (perhaps supporting this with
photographic evidence), or a re-inspection may be required.
On
confirmation of Veterinary Hospital status a certificate is issued by the RCVS.
The RCVS
introduced their three tier Practice Standards Scheme in January 2005. The
Veterinary Hospital standard has been incorporated into this scheme as Tier
Three.
Click here
to download a copy of the Standard and
here for a copy of the rules
of the scheme. Please note that although all efforts are made to ensure that
this copy is up to date, the definitive version of the Standard at any time is
the one to be found on the RCVS web site.
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