Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Nicola Smith — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:35:42 GMT

We had been really busy till this week, ops OK but routine appts eg boosters quiet and not getting many new pups at the moment.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Fiona Leathers — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:41:59 GMT

Been very busy & this month is looking like our best ever! And its not over yet!! Waiting for the bubble to burst though - its bound to happen at some point!

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Claire Cameron — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:13:33 GMT

worryingly we had two appointments this morning and our only two ops didnt turn up.

we seem to have heaps of appointments that fail to arrive and lots of ops not turn up.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

starbucks — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:46:23 GMT

We are as busy as ever! So busy that iv had a good stash of overtime hours the past few months, dont think the credit crunch has really affected us, thank god!

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Doolally — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:28:17 GMT

We've been very quiet the past few weeks, but we're always pretty quiet february/march time.

My boss has decided not to pay us overtime anymore and has told us to take it as time back in lieu...but we're busy enough for us to be doing overtime!!

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:16:56 GMT

No l am self employed Sarah. As a locum with cvs you can only do it as a ltd company, be paid by cvs or a locum agency who take national ins. and tax out of your wages. I don't want cvs or a locum group to do that or l would loose with ni. Tax can tax be sorted, ni for self emp. is very different to an employeee and l would loose a lot of money, so l had to become a ltd company.

As an employee they seem to be fine no better or worse than any others. They buy a practice and leave it to run as it was by those there apart from targets and certain drugs that you can and can not use and you won't notice either of those.

You will be "happily" doing your nut with portfolio and learning curves

Pfft long in the tooth hell Louise n me is old crones club, Louise is founder member of the cluckers section.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Louise B — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:29:21 GMT

[quote user="sarah parrott"]

if you dont mind me asking whats wrong with CVS as im having an interview at a CVS practice and this comment worried me a bit

[/quote]

LOL. Don't worry Sarah P - you should be very well acquainted with Caro's personality by now. Caro is her own woman - I cannot imagine her ever working for anyone ever again - other than herself! Miss Independence has nothing on her

CVS will have its problems just like any other but what's important is the team you'll be working with. If you like the vets & nurses just go for it!

Caro - stop frightening the new nurses Just 'coz we've become long in the tooth and used to working for ourselves

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Fleabee99 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:49:56 GMT

if you dont mind me asking whats wrong with CVS as im having an interview at a CVS practice and this comment worried me a bit

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

hissycat — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:11:41 GMT

I am very surprised to hear about redundancies and four day weeks. We are busy as ever at the mo and if anything need more people.. think they are reluctant to take more staff though, so I guess the money worries are definitely there.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:22:08 GMT

Agree with the locum work but l am a ltd company as l work lots for cvs and it was that or be employed by them and l do not want that.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Lisa Molyneaux — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:25:38 GMT

I hope so too, but my boss is a bit of a wagon so in a way i wouldnt mind leaving here, i would dance out the door!!

I live in north county dublin and drive an hour to and from work, thats how scarce jobs are up around here, down south there are loads of jobs but that means moving so.......

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

vanessa — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:20:31 GMT

Oh dear, sounds as if it depends on what area you're in. Hopefully it wont get any worse and will pick up again soon!?

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Lisa Molyneaux — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:13:46 GMT

HI,

it had def hit the rep of ireland, started a job before christmas and 3 wks into it was let go, now my boss is talking about shutting this place down too - im only here 3 months!! thaknfully im in a position where i dont have a mortgage or kids but its still a big worry cause i dont want to move out this area, i live with my bf and he is in a secure job but clinic in london i used to work in have a job waiting for me and its becoming more of an option if this place closes.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Kerry Spain — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:21:05 GMT

Hi Dipster, I've asked popcorn on behalf of student nurse but still awaiting reply. Not sure how they are doing but they have a couple of student nurses there now.

She has applied to loads of other practices but just keeps getting knocked back. I'm furious that he's done this to her as she's a really hard working student and shes doing dead well at college too. We've nearly completed her portfolio and she will sit level2 exams this summer.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Claire Cameron — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:09:18 GMT

[quote user="Louisesadieandshads"]

I think it has definitely hit the locum market. I know of vets in England that came over here from OZ to locum and have given up as there is so much less locum work round. My impression is that the bottom is falling out of locum nursing too. I haven't been affected but I do like to keep an eye on what's out there anyway and I noticed that there the locum agencies are offering far fewer posts then a year ago. I spoke with one agency that said that, at the moment, the practices are going for cheap over quality and that the best way to get plentiful work was to undercut the other locum nurses as vets were picking on price now and not experience. If I was a fulltime locum I would be looking to get out of locumming pronto and, if I was self-employed, I would look to changing to PAYE to ensure that, when the work dries up, you can get unemployment benefit!

[/quote]

From speaking to locum Vns I know i agree totally, it seems that work is really drying up for locums, unfortunately x

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Louise B — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:00:46 GMT

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Dippy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:30:15 GMT

Hi Kezza

Are the nighboruing practices as quiet? I know one of them hasn't replaced myself and the other nurse who left shortly after me but not sure whether that is for financial reasons and they are coping without or whether they just haven't found anyone (you know where I mean!) Just curious to know whether they're as quiet too. I guess a lot possibly depends on the type of catchment area a practice is in - I'm lucky where I've moved to in that it seems to be reasonably affluent by comparison. Hope you find something before too long (that's why I packed up locuming when I did as i saw this coming when my work started to get thin on the ground in this area).

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:20:09 GMT

Aww Kezza, thats bad, I hope you find something, and I hope things pick up for all businesses soon.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Kerry Spain — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:54:48 GMT

Sadly yes, our boss has made a nurse redundant and has made the other 2 vets part time. Really peed off at the moment with it all I'm afraid to say. Need to look for other job that offers more pay as I'm really struggling to pay the bills etc.. but where do you go in times like this? Suppose I should be thankful I have a job full stop.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:51:38 GMT

I dont know about practices, but I do think Scotland is fairing better than England is at the moment, it does not seem to have hit us yet quite as hard as other areas of Britain.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

loobylou — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:43:16 GMT

We haven't seen much of a difference at our main surgery as we are quite lucky to have a high percentage of insured clients.

Our branch practice however, is in a poorer area and it has been a bit quieter, esp for routine ops.

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Dippy — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:27:34 GMT

Oh my god, after the week we've had, I'd love a quiet day - we've been run ragged. Can't knock it though if others actually ARE quiet!

Re: Has the "Credit Crunch" hit your practice?

Diane Westwood — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:02:10 GMT

I had to take a cat in to the vets where I used to work, and my former boss asked how my pet sitting business was going. I said I'd had the quietest Jan/Feb since I started the business. His reply was "you and me both". This is one of the busiest vet practices I have ever known so I was really surprised.

Both of the places I locum at are quieter. The local kennels/cattery has seen a difference.