Experienced Small Animal General Practitioner - up to £120,000

Experienced Small Animal General Practitioner

General Practice associated with Colchester Referral & ECC Hospital
Colchester, North Essex
Salary: £80,000 – £120,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Full-time or part-time considered | No on-call | No out-of-hours

We are looking for a highly experienced General Practitioner who takes real pride in being an excellent all-rounder.

This is a first-opinion role, based solely at our general practice inside Pets at Home. It is not a referral post, and it is not a Clinical Director role. We are looking for a confident, efficient clinician who loves the diversity and excitement of general practice (consultations, vaccinations, general surgery, medicine, imaging and dentistry) and who enjoys teaching and mentoring our younger vets of the future.

We value this kind of vet as much as we value our most experienced referral clinicians. High-quality general practice is the foundation of what we do.

The Role

You will work in our busy, well-equipped first-opinion practice, delivering a high standard of everyday veterinary care. You will be based only at this site, with the nearby multidisciplinary Referral and Emergency & Critical Care Hospital as a resource rather than your workplace.
When a case sits outside your domain or needs out of hour care, you will have close support from an extensive team of Advanced Practitioners and residency-trained clinicians just a short distance away. 

That means you can remain a true generalist, while still giving your patients access to advanced diagnostics, surgery and 24/7 inpatient care when needed.
This role is ideal for a vet who wants to stay clinical, keep a broad caseload, and avoid the heavy non-clinical and management load often attached to a Clinical Director position.

Who We’re Looking For

You will be:

• A highly confident, competent and efficient Small Animal GP.
• Strong across routine consultations, surgery, medicine, imaging and dentistry.
• Someone who genuinely enjoys teaching and mentoring less experienced vets.
• Comfortable making decisions, working at pace, and holding a high clinical standard.
• Proud of being an all-rounder, not looking to specialise away from first-opinion practice.

Why This Role Stands Out

Salary of £80,000 – £120,000, depending on experience
No on-call and no out-of-hours
Flexible working, including part-time
A rota designed to give better blocks of time off, including the option of 6 or 7 consecutive days off in one week every 4 weeks
1 in 4 weekends
A primarily clinical role, without a management-heavy workload
Sponsorship of Certificate/ Certificates of your choice
Close support from Advanced Practitioners and residency-trained vets at the nearby Referral Hospital for more complex cases
The chance to mentor younger colleagues in a stable, collaborative team
Regular in-house CPD, skill-sharing and a culture that invests in people
North Essex location with strong transport links, including short commute to London or Stansted Airport.

Our View of General Practice

We do not see first-opinion work as a lesser version of referral work. We see it as a distinct and essential discipline. An experienced GP who can consult well, operate efficiently, manage medical cases confidently and teach others is one of the most valuable people in the group.
If that is the kind of vet you are, we would be delighted to hear from you.
To apply or for a confidential discussion, please send your CV and a short covering note to jf.nell@vets4pets.com.