Which vet would you choose (also in TR)

[Malibu_Stacy]

I've recently moved to just south of Harrogate and need a vet but I'm having trouble deciding which one - can you fine people please offer opinions/ thoughts?

Trawling the forum it seems Rainbow in Malton get superb reviews BUT they are just over an hour away from me, which I have to admit I find offputting in case of emergency.

Minster are closer (both Ripon and York branches about 40 minutes away) but they seem a bit marmite, with a few people swearing off them, but not giving reasons.

Malcolm Whitehead (Galtes) is also about 40 minutes away, seems a much smaller practice but generally positive reviews. I think my next door neighbours are with him, so there is also the potential for shared callouts. I've always been with larger practices though, what is emergency cover like with a smaller practice?

Park Hill (Hutchison Dunlop & Baird) is closest (25 mins away) but very little either positive or negative on them. They also seem very mixed specialist with vets working on both small animal and equine.

Any thoughts? Feel free to pm - thank you all

 

[Wishful]

Don't know the area but on general principles:

1. Larger practices have more than 1 vet on call each night/weekend.

2. Medium sized practices have more likelihood that someone not on call could be available if many emergencies come in at once even if only 1 vet is on call but smaller practices might struggle.

3. Phone arrangements vary. Some vets take their own calls - sub optimal when shoulder deep in a horse or signal is bad. Others pay an out of hours service - positive in that phone is answered, negative in that they don't know where the vet is. Best IMO is where practice baaed staff answer emergency calls as they know where the vet is and when they went and should have a phone advice script for common emergencies.

Even a close practice the vet could be in the wrong place dealing with a call, but a large practice area covered by 1 vet has far more potential to delay being seen than more vets being available.