Veterinary Surgeon - Small Animal

Summerhill Vets - Fakenham, Fakenham, East of England

Salary up to £75,000 DOE plus up to £3,000 relocation allowance

The Practice

Summerhill Veterinary Centre is a friendly, well-equipped, single-site small animal practice that has served Fakenham, Norfolk since 1993.

In mid-April 2026 (before this role starts), we will move into a brand-new purpose-built premises featuring more consulting rooms, hydrotherapy, and separate dog and cat waiting areas and kennels.

We are an RCVS-accredited first-opinion practice that also accepts local referrals and supports veterinary nurse training. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, compassionate care while maintaining a genuinely supportive team environment.

Staff wellbeing and work–life balance are very important to us, reflected in our low turnover and experienced, stable team.

We actively encourage team members to develop their interests and find their niche within the practice.

Located in a welcoming market town, we are close to the North Norfolk coast and the Norfolk Broads, and around 1 hour 45 minutes from central London by train.

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

Our Team

We are currently 7 vets and are recruiting an 8th vet to join our supportive team.

Our wider team includes:

• 11 Veterinary Nurses
• 2 Veterinary Care Assistants
• 5 Receptionists

We have strong clinical expertise within the team, including multiple certificate holders and RCVS Advanced Practitioners across surgery, medicine, ECC, imaging and ophthalmology.

Our nurses are highly involved clinically and run their own clinics, helping us deliver truly holistic patient care.

The Hours

Standard hours:

Monday to Friday, 08:30–17:30 (with flexibility and scheduled days off)

Out-of-hours:

We provide our own OOH service for registered clients (no routine consultations).

• Weekday on-call: 17:30–08:30
• Weekend duty: Saturday or Sunday (08:30–08:30)
• 1 in 7 (Mon–Sat)
• 1 in 8 (Sun)

The rota is shared and may flex slightly depending on team needs.

We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from -

Work-life balance

• 6.6 weeks annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
• Additional holiday entitlement for your birthday
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Initiatives focused on colleague wellbeing

Development

• £1250 CPD allowance with 40 hours paid CPD leave pro rata
• Certificate support
• Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Academy
• Access to Vetlexicon – our online encyclopaedia provider
• All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
• All our Vets get £1250 per annum to spend via our Care Fund
• Infection Prevention and Control Programme
• Quality Improvement Programme

Professional Memberships

• BVA membership
• VDS cover
• RCVS fees
• Company pension scheme. IVC will make a contribution as well
• Supporting a greener commute to work with a Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme, subject to eligibility criteria
• Voluntary benefits: we give you the flexibility to choose from a range of voluntary benefits to suit you
• Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers
• Discounted treatment for your own pets at an IVC practice

Summerhill Vets - Fakenham

At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

Any questions before applying?

Speak to Mike Burrell from our recruitment team who would be happy to help you with any questions you have before applying for this role.