Veterinary Consultants

I have extensive experience of first opinion companion animal practice in various roles, including practice owner and clinical director. I was veterinary adviser to the NGRC, the regulator of licensed greyhound racing in the UK, and oversaw the doping control programme. I was also commissioned to assess the evidence for The Bateson Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding. This highlighted the lack of robust evidence available to practitioners in the UK, and she decided to offer her help to Andrea in such a worthwhile venture as Veterinary Prescriber. Much of the information available in practice derives from promotional material and visits from reps - hardly unbiased. But Veterinary Prescriber is wholly independent, well qualified to assess the quality of data, and able to express it succinctly for ease of use and reference.

Brian graduated from Edinburgh Vet School in 1995 and worked in mixed practice before studying for an MBA at Nottingham Business School in 2000/1. He set up, developed and exited a cluster of veterinary practices in Suffolk between 2002 and 2009. Brian was The Petplan-UK Vet of the Year in 2008 and is Petplan Pet Insurance national media and PR vet. He completed a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology in 2009. Brian works in his own small animal veterinary practice 3 days a week. Over his 20 year career he has worked in over 250 veterinary practices as a clinician, consultant and confidence coach. Brian is a past President of the SPVS. He is honorary lecturer in entrepreneurship at Nottingham University, vice chair (business) at the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate studies and on the clinical advisory board for Pawsquad online veterinary services. In 2017 he raised £120,000 for Brooke Animal Hospital by running 10 marathons in 10 days.

Sarah has worked in many areas of first-opinion practice since graduating from Glasgow vet school in 2002. At the start of her veterinary career she worked for 6 years in mainly farm-animal practice in Cumbria. She then moved south and more recently studied the BSAVA postgraduate certificate in small animal practice, obtaining Advanced Practitioner status in 2016. She has a passion for evidence-based practice and attended a course at the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine (CEVM) at the University of Nottingham in 2016-17. As a committee member for the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc), she organises the Autumn meeting and is project leader for a primary-care study into diabetes mellitus in dogs. She has recently started a blog discussing non-clinical topics currently affecting vets, especially recruitment. When not vetting in its many forms, you can find Sarah in the kitchen or crafting.

Mattea graduated from the RVC in 2007 and has worked in private and charity small animal general practice. Mattea joined the Goddard Veterinary Group’s Mandeville Veterinary Hospital in 2013 as a Senior Veterinary Surgeon. She became part of the management team in 2016 and achieved an MBA in 2017. Mattea combines her clinical knowledge with management and leadership expertise in her role of Hospital Manager and Regional Head Vet. Mattea has always had an interest in the safety and effectiveness of medicines along with other pet products and sits on the group’s clinical governance committee. In 2020 she led her team through the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme earning, for the first time, dual accreditation of Small Animal Veterinary Hospital and Emergency Service Clinic. Mattea is a qualified coach and NLP practitioner. Pleasures include seeking out exciting new experiences that often involve travel and food.

Nick graduated from Bristol Vet School in 2001 and worked in mixed practice in Devon as an assistant before becoming a partner there. After the practice was sold to IVC Evidensia he transferred to IVC's head office to work in their IT Dept as an advisor.

In 2003 he joined SPVS Council and became responsible for IT Projects. That role led to him helping to found the Vet XML Consortium, which works to improve connectivity across the veterinary profession.

In 2021 he became President of SPVS. Currently he works as a consultant supporting practices with IT projects and works as a small-animal locum. Clinically he has an interest in consulting skills and dermatology.

Outside of the profession he is a father, husband, dancer and sailor.

Ian has been a RCVS and European specialist in Small Animal Surgery since 2011, having qualified from Bristol in 2000 and spent time in mixed practice, locuming/travelling, and small animal practice, before doing an internship (RVC) and residency (Cambridge). He set up the AVSTS Research Cooperative to try to help vets work together to publish bigger and more relevant studies, and works on the BSAVA Scientific Committee to help put science (systematic and meticulous observation, recording, sharing and reflection, aka evidence-based veterinary medicine) into the centre of veterinary life. He set up a practice with a friend on the Isle of Wight, Island VetCare Ltd, and does consultancy and educational work via Petsmiths Ltd. He has a young family and enjoys sailing around the Solent with them.

Stephanie Writer-Davies graduated from the University of Bristol in 1984, she spent 4 years in mixed practice before deciding that her main interests lay in the small animal field. She worked as an assistant in two practices in North London and Hertfordshire before starting her own practice in 1999, which she ran until 2018 when she left to pursue other interests within the profession. Stephanie maintains her connection with practice by working occasional locum shifts, but her current main role is with Colourful CPD, developing and delivering courses, particularly those aimed at veterinary nurses and focusing on consulting and communication skills. She is also an accredited NLP Practitioner. She is an active member of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), being elected to Council in 2010 and joining the Officer team in 2012, initially as Hon PRO and then Hon Editor, in which role she helped produce Practice Life, the magazine of SPVS & VPMA from 2013-2018. She is a past President of SPVS.