Coronavirus Situation

Updated26/5/2020

If you feel that your pet needs to be seen urgently please telephone the surgery on 01942 818845 BEFORE setting off. We can then give appropriate advice and be ready for your arrival. We may advise a remote (telephone) consultation before seeing your pet. Normal consultation fees apply for remote consultations. Please scroll down and click on the download to read more.

Firstly, we would like to thank all our clients who have been so tremendously patient and appreciative as we continue to balance our desire to care for animals against the need to take every possible step to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Please read on for details of changes we have made:-

** From Tuesday 26th of May the Horwich surgery will be open for a limited number of consultations and the collection of essential medications between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. This allows us to increase our capacity to care for our patients whilst limiting the number staff travelling in to work and allows us to work more effectively whilst respecting safe distancing. We look forward to reopening fully at Horwich as soon as is reasonably possible.

Our Westhoughton surgery is now open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. Telephone 01942 818845. The surgery is at 53-55 Chorley Road, Westhoughton. BL5 3PD.

We are now making every reasonable effort to limit face to face consultations or other interactions to the bare minimum. This is in line with current Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary (BVA) recommendations.

We remain available to help with the medical needs of our patients. If you are concerned in any way about your pet please telephone the Westhoughton surgery on 01942 818845 and we will help in every way we can, including the following:-

Telephone consultations. This is currently regarded as a reasonable compromise to allow us to assess a patient’s needs. Where necessary we can now dispense medications after a telephone consultation. If a physical consultation at the surgery is then deemed necessary by the vet, we will NOT charge another consultation fee. We want to prevent all unnecessary travel and face-to-face meetings but do not feel you should pay again if your pet then needs to see a vet for a physical consultation.

If you are asked to bring your pet to the surgery, please remain in your car and telephone the surgery to advise us that you have arrived. A member of staff will come out and take you pet into the surgery while you remain in your car. The vet may telephone you from the consulting room, so please bring your phone with you and ensure that we have the correct number. After a consultation or other procedure your pet will be returned to you in the car park and you will be asked to pay your bill over the phone. Please do not bring cash to pay your bill.

Please be prepared to see whichever vet is available at the time. We normally make every effort to provide continuity of care with the same vet and to accommodate any request to see a particular vet. However, at this time we will have to take a more ‘functional’ view of how we accept bookings so please don’t be upset if you don’t see the same vet each time. Thank you.

We will NOT be dispensing medications for collection which are not deemed imminently necessary for your pet’s health and welfare as this would encourage unnecessary journeys. We WILL continue to dispense all medications which we feel are necessary for your pet. E.g. we will not be dispensing flea and worm treatments for collection at the surgery. We are, however, offering a postal service for ALL medications which are permitted by the Post Office. Scroll down for a more detailed explanation.

We have split into different teams which will not be mixing with each other. In this way we hope that we can provide uninterrupted care for those patients which need it.

Supply of Medications at Pike Moor Vets - an explanation

These policies are based on current UK Government , NHS, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) guidance and were last reconsidered and updated on  14/04/2020. They have been carefully considered to avoid speeding up the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, whilst maintaining the health and quality of life of our patients. Whilst this may cause some small cost or inconvenience, please appreciate that it will, in a very real way, help to reduce the strain on our NHS and save lives.

We should be making every effort to avoid unnecessary travel at this time.

Where even a short term lack of medication would significantly affect one of our patients’ health or quality of life within the current period of movement restrictions, medication will still be supplied even if it requires a person to travel to the surgery to collect it. Nevertheless, we would ask you to consider allowing us to post medication if time allows.

Where a short term lack of medication would not significantly affect a veterinary patient’s health or quality of life within the current period of movement restrictions, this will only be supplied if this can be achieved without causing an unnecessary journey. These medications will only be supplied by post or by collection along with other, more urgent, medications for the same household.

Currently, it is considered by the RCVS and the BVA that in most cases, a short term lack of flea and worm treatments would not significantly affect a patient’s quality of life, so travel to collect these medications cannot be justified under current movement restrictions. Remember that each time you travel you risk catching or spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Our current postage fee has been calculated to cover the average cost of packaging and posting medications to you. We have managed to reduce the cost once since this started and will continue to reduce costs further if and when we can.

We thank you for understanding  that we are doing everything we can to help our patients whilst safeguarding human health during this time. Please appreciate that every member of staff who continues to work is putting themselves at risk in order to continue to care for our patients.

Your understanding in this matter is  greatly appreciated.