Sigmavet Out of Hours (OOH) & Emergency Service Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

Sigmavet is a first-opinion veterinary surgery. This policy defines our out-of-hours provision, specifically distinguishing between our obligations to registered clients and non-registered owners, in strict accordance with RCVS Code of Professional Conduct guidelines.

2. Service Provision & Staffing Logistics

• On-Call Model: Our out-of-hours service operates on an on-call basis. The veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse are not permanently on-site during closed hours.

• Response Time: Staff must travel from their homes to the surgery. Due to travel distance and traffic, the mobilization and arrival time for our team can take upto 45 minutes.

• Nearby Facilities: There are fully staffed, 24-hour emergency hospitals located approximately 30-40 minutes from our practice (Vets Now Peterborough and Cromwell Vets Huntingdon).

3. Policy for Registered Clients

We provide a 24/7 emergency service for animals currently registered with our practice.

• Triage: Registered clients calling the emergency line will be triaged by the on-call veterinary surgeon. If attendance is required, the on-call team will be dispatched to the surgery.

• Referral: If a patient requires complex surgery, intensive care, or continuous monitoring beyond our facility's capabilities, we will stabilize the patient and refer them to a 24-hour emergency hospital.

4. Policy for Non-Registered Owners

We generally do not provide out-of-hours consultations for non-registered animals.
Our protocol for handling calls from non-registered owners follows a strict hierarchy to ensure the best welfare outcome for the animal:

Step 1: Referral to Their Own Veterinarian

• Obligation: All UK veterinary practices are required by the RCVS to provide 24-hour emergency cover (either personally or via a service provider).

• Action: Staff/Automated systems must instruct the caller to contact their registered veterinary practice immediately. Their own vet holds the animal's clinical records and has a specific legal obligation to provide or direct them to emergency care.

Step 2: Referral to 24-Hour Emergency Hospital (If Step 1 Fails)

If the caller does not have a vet, or cannot reach them, they will be directed to one of the nearest 24-hour staffed emergency hospitals:

• Vets Now Peterborough: 32 Papyrus Rd, Peterborough PE4 5BH (01733 601514)

• Cromwell Vets Huntingdon: 36 St John's St, Huntingdon PE29 3DG (01480 52222)

It is not in the animal's best interest to wait 30-45 minutes for our on-call team to arrive, unlock, and set up equipment, when a fully staffed hospital is open and available within a similar drive time.

Clinical Risk & History: We do not hold the medical history for non-registered animals. The additional time required to obtain a history from the owner—which may be incomplete or inaccurate in a high-stress situation—delays the commencement of effective treatment. A staffed hospital is better equipped to perform immediate diagnostics to overcome this lack of history

5. The "Strict Emergency" Exception

We will only attend a non-registered animal if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The owner has attempted to contact their own vet and the 24/7 hospitals without success, OR the animal's condition prevents travel to the 24/7 hospital.

2. The condition is immediately life-threatening (e.g., severe arterial bleeding, airway obstruction).

3. Crucial Assessment: The vet determines that the delay of 45 minutes (for our staff to arrive) is safer than the drive to the staffed hospital. Note: This is a rare clinical scenario.

6. Inpatient Care & Nurse Presence

• Nurse On-Site: On occasions where a nurse is present on-site to monitor inpatients, the practice remains closed to the public.

• No Admittance: The nurse is strictly tasked with caring for admitted patients. For safety and legal reasons, the nurse cannot unlock the doors, admit new emergencies, or triage walk-ins without a veterinary surgeon present.

• Transfer: If an inpatient requires round-the-clock veterinary supervision (beyond nurse monitoring), they will be transferred to a 24-hour care hospital.

7. Signposting and Communication

To ensure animal welfare is protected even when we decline non-client consultations, our telephony system provides clear signposting.

• Primary Instruction: The automated message instructs non-registered callers to contact their own veterinary surgeon first.

• Secondary Instruction: To prevent suffering in cases where a non-client has no vet, our message explicitly provides the contact details for Vets Now Peterborough and Cromwell Vets Huntingdon.

• Welfare Justification: This signposting is deliberate. Directing a non-client to a staffed hospital is clinically superior to having them wait for our on-call team to mobilize as well as the extra time it would take to obtain the patient's valuable history from the owner, time which could be spent to ensure the patient is receiving the adequate emergency care.