Delivering high levels of care, providing a supportive working environment and looking after the environment as well as pets saw Quarry Vets win Practice/Business of the Year Award at VetPartners Congress.
The Shrewsbury practice was hailed for “embodying all that VetPartners stands for” and their trophy is now taking pride of place in their reception.
Here’s what makes Quarry Vets so special….
THERE’S a recurring theme running through Quarry Vets’ client reviews, with pet owners consistently praising the team for its knowledge, professionalism, kindness and compassion and the high levels of care it delivers to their much-loved pets. These qualities have helped the practice build and maintain a loyal client base and achieve an amazing average Google review rating of 4.9.
The outstanding client feedback impressed the judges at this year’s VetPartners Awards, who chose Quarry Vets as their Business/Practice of the Year after considering its overall performance and team engagement.
When its clinical directors Neil Williams and Lindsey Jones stepped up to receive their trophy during VetPartners Congress in Manchester, our chief executive Jo Malone described their practice as “all-round awesome” and praised its team for embracing and reflecting VetPartners values.
“Quarry Vets’ consistently impressive performance is in large part down to the thoughtful, caring way they interact with every patient, client and each other,” said Jo.
A stand-out year
Quarry Vets has had much to celebrate in 2024 and the VetPartners award was the icing on the cake for the Shrewsbury practice which has two branch surgeries and a team of 27 people. Key achievements included:-
- A three-star rating from the Best Companies Employee Engagement Survey, representing world-class levels of workplace engagement.
- Green accreditation from Investors in the Environment (iiE), which is the highest category in the national environmental scheme.
- Highly Commended in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Knowledge Awards for Antimicrobial Stewardship, through reducing long-acting antibiotic usage by 89%.
The Green iiE Award follows the practice achieving Bronze and Silver levels in the scheme that encourages businesses to embrace greener ways of working and reduce their carbon footprint. Led by vet Charlie Hertel, the practice’s sustainability efforts have resulted in significant reductions in energy and water consumption at its main practice and an increase in the amount of waste that’s recycled. 
Through her passion for protecting the planet, Charlie has inspired the whole team to get on board, with everyone suggesting ideas and helping put eco-friendly changes in place that are making a real difference.
It was also a practice-wide effort that resulted in another important change – a reduction in antibiotic usage, which led to the practice receiving the RCVS Knowledge Awards commendation. Antibiotic stewardship is a subject close to the hearts of the whole team at Quarry Vets, including vet Lizzie Booth who led a project to review the practice’s antimicrobial stewardship, focusing on antimicrobial use in skin infections and the use of high priority critically important antibiotics.
Through introducing new initiatives, all-team training and fresh guidelines, the practice has achieved an impressive 89% reduction in long-acting antibiotic use.
A proud moment
Neil and Lindsey say that being named VetPartners Practice of the Year means a lot to the team and the trophy is now proudly displayed in reception.
Neil said: “It is hugely rewarding that the judges recognised how hard the team has worked and that everyone at Quarry Vets cares deeply about what they do.
“We are very lucky to have such a dedicated team that puts the health and wellbeing of animals above all else and we value every one of them. They are an amazing group of people who all get on, who look after each other and work well together. We do as much as possible to encourage this, alongside supporting professional development and encouraging engagement in their role and the practice, while always being mindful of mental health and wellbeing.
“We are also lucky that we have a loyal client base and a lot of pet owners have been coming to Quarry Vets for many years. Our clients like to see the same vet every time and one of the things we pride ourselves on is continuity of care. It’s positive for our vets, too, because it gives them consistency in their work and they value the opportunity to really get to know pets and their owners.
“Our client reviews show how everyone’s combined efforts ensure the practice is a welcoming place where clients and pets feel comfortable and at ease.” 
The VetPartners Awards are the highlight of the group’s annual Congress, where the success of colleagues, practices and central support team members is celebrated. Each year, VetPartners honours shining stars, unsung heroes and those who make a real difference in their workplace across our UK veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses. You can read the full list of winners here: https://www.myvetpartners.co.uk/post/celebrations-as-vetpartners-honours-shining-stars-and-unsung-heroes-3
Article by Jo Browne, PR & Communications manager (South), email: jo.browne@vetpartners.co.uk