Good quality service and high standards of practice are very important to the us as the team at Southcrest so we are very excited to announce that we have achieved accreditation with the Royal college of Veterinary Surgeon’s Practice Standards Scheme.
What is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Practice Standards Scheme?
The Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary accreditation scheme for veterinary practices. It was set up by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2005 to promote and maintain high standards in veterinary care. The Scheme does this by setting standards and inspecting the practices that choose to take part. All RCVS-accredited practices have to meet Core standards, including hygiene, health and safety, clinical governance and the facilities provided. On top of this ‘Core’ accreditation, General Practices can gain species- or discipline-specific accreditations, for example, small animals, farm animals, equine patients or emergency service clinics – or any combination of these. Veterinary Hospitals can seek accreditation as small animal or equine hospitals. To maintain the accreditation, practices are inspected by RCVS Assessors every four years and there are random spot checks.
What does it mean for clients and their animals?
It can be hard for owners to know what happens behind the scenes at the vets. The Scheme makes more information about practices available to help animal owners choose a practice. In particular, the Scheme can reassure people about the night-time cover, hygiene and facilities available at an individual practice. It is an opportunity to be assured that your practice has been assessed to provide a very good standard of care for your pets.