CVS (UK) Limited was established in August 1999 to acquire and operate veterinary practices which were well established within their local community and had a reputation for high quality service.  It was recognised that the value of these businesses lay in the quality of their staff and the relationship they enjoyed with their existing clients. To build on this CVS provides professional management expertise in the areas of finance, personnel, practice management, Health & Safety etc,  thereby relieving the local staff of many administrative tasks, to enable them to concentrate on clinical care.

As the number of acquisitions increases,  so does the diversity of operational styles and approaches.  These are shared on a regular basis at meetings of all the clinical directors, giving each practice an opportunity to consider alternative approaches to common problems. New initiatives are considered by this group and then fed back to each of their businesses.

Since 2001 CVS has diversified by acquiring two businesses that offer veterinary histopathology and cytology, plus more general veterinary laboratory services. This provides a wealth of experience to the practice division and the profession in general.

A more recent development has been the focus in acquiring practices in close proximity to each other.  This enables the group to benefit from certain synergies, and provides an opportunity for internal referrals.  Through its support for quality CPD many of the company’s veterinary surgeons have acquired skills of value to their colleagues elsewhere in the group. CVS already employs veterinary Specialists who offer invaluable advice to their colleagues.

Other benefits have also emerged as the company has grown. The use of single suppliers for certain types of product has enabled CVS to get more competitive prices and better support from the manufacturers.  Care is taken not to compromise clinical judgment through its selection of products, and this is achieved by having a working party drawn from the Clinical Director team that considers all options and seeks agreement from their colleagues before arriving at a decision.

Further acquisitions are always being considered but care is taken to ensure that each one is compatible with the CVS culture. The key attributes are their location, their current standing in the local community, their overall performance and the willingness of the existing practice team to embrace the CVS approach to business.