We know how important it is for you to be kept up to date with your pet’s progress and so we have developed a system to help you keep in touch. Each week one of our highly trained nurses is designated to head the team looking after referral cases. We call this nurse the Link Nurse and she will be either one of our qualified listed Veterinary Nurses or one of the more experienced nurses who is reaching the end of their training and has been working with us for some time.
You will meet the link nurse before you leave your pet with us. She will make sure that you know who she is and give you a card giving contact information for her. She will also make sure that she has all your contact details and knows when and how best to contact you. Please ask the receptionist if you have not been introduced to the link nurse before you are ready to leave.
The link nurse will ring you when there is information to relay and will leave information at your contact number if she cannot make direct contact with you. A call from the link nurse does not mean there is a problem – she is just trying to keep you informed with your pets progress.
If you have concerns, please feel free to call her on 0191 250 3993
The link nurse is in attendance at the Hospital from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and she will ring you with an update each morning and evening. If you have any queries please feel free to phone at any time. The kennel nurse will be available to answer your questions outside the link nurse’s working hours.
The “kennels nurses” work around the clock to make sure that your pet receives all the care he/she needs during their hospital stay.
We have introduced this system as the referral surgeons spend their time either consulting or in the operating theatre and are not always available to come to the phone when you ring. We want you to have easy access to all the information that you might need and the link nurse can help us achieve this.
After your pet goes home
The link nurse will make sure that you have all the information that you need to look after your pet when he/she comes home. She will make sure that you have any drugs necessary to treat your pet and that you know how to use them; what feeding and exercise your pet needs and when you should come back for a re-examination or see your own vet. The referral surgeon will write to your vet to keep them informed of treatment plans, etc. The link nurse will make sure that your vet has any information that they need before they receive this letter.
If you have any concerns about your pet after he/she has gone home, please contact us. The link nurse of the week will be able to help you.