FAQs

Fitzpatrick Referrals currently offers services to treat conditions within the areas of orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology and rehabilitation.

We do not offer services other than what we have detailed on our website. We have clinicians that are specialists in the field of orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology and rehabilitation in small animals and therefore are not suitably qualified to receive or treat animals that have other conditions outside our remit of expertise.

We are not able to comment or advise on animals that have not been referred to us as our patients. If you have concerns or questions about the treatment of your pet, we recommend talking to your regular primary care vet.

We are not able to offer any advice on the treatment or condition of pets that have not been formally referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals.

Our specialism lies within the treatment of small animals, and our day-to-day caseload consists predominantly of dogs and cats. We also regularly treat rabbits and other small animals so please do get in touch with us to discuss your circumstances.

We endeavour to help wherever we can so do get in touch with the team to talk through your case.

As a reminder, all animals must be referred to us from a general practice primary care vet.

We receive hundreds of requests for work experience every year and regretfully we are unable to accommodate these requests. We currently only provide work experience to veterinary undergraduate students who can find more information on arranging Extra-Mural-Studies here. We advise those people hoping to start working in the veterinary profession to try and gain work experience at their local general practice as the work carried out at a referral practice is not a true reflection of life in the profession.

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is a full-time working clinician at the practice and therefore is unable to accept enquiries that are not associated with his clinical work through Fitzpatrick Referrals. If you wish to find out more about the show, please visit the dedicated Supervet website.

We are a working animal referral practice and as such we are operational 24/7, 365 days a year, and our first priority is the patients and their families. Unless the circumstances are exceptional, we regret that we cannot offer visits or tours to the public.

If you believe you have special circumstances, please submit your query in the usual way and we will come back to you in due course.

Our reception hours are:

Our practice is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so please do call outside of these hours to make an emergency referral or for urgent advice about a patient.

We can also accommodate patient drop-offs outside of these hours.

If you and your regular primary care vet feel that your pet has a condition which is beyond the scope or expertise of what can reasonably be achieved in general practice, then a referral to a specialist is appropriate.

A referral can only be made by your primary care vet, who will provide us with all the medical information we require in order to treat your pet and discuss the possible solutions with you when an appointment has been made. To find out more about what to expect from your referral journey, have a look at our your visit page.

Referral is a system of professionals working together to offer all pet owners the best service and healthcare options for their animal family member. Specialists at referral centres have vast experience in their field and access to specialist equipment that might not necessarily be available in general practice.

No, referrals can only be arranged through your veterinary surgeon and we are unable to accept a referral directly from members of the public or to give advice to pet owners on cases that have not been referred to us for review or treatment.

If you feel that your pet might benefit from a specialist opinion then you should contact your own veterinary surgeon/practice who can help you arrange a referral. It may be that your vet feels a referral is not necessary, but this does not mean that we cannot be of help to your primary care vet and you as we offer an advice service to veterinary surgeons as well as x-ray film reading and case reviews.

Once you have made an appointment you will be sent an information pack by us with all the key information about the consultation and all the information you will require to prepare for your appointment.

Please contact our reception team to discuss the referral of patients from overseas. The referral must follow the standard referral pathway however logistics must be discussed at length prior to us accepting the referral.

Due to the large number of referrals we deal with on a weekly basis, we are unable to guarantee exactly which clinician you will see. Please be assured that all our specialists are world-class in their chosen speciality.

• Your pet’s insurance claim form – direct claims must be arranged in advance of an appointment, with at least 5 working days’ notice.
• Finance consent form
• Any medication
• Prescription food (if applicable)

Please do not bring your pet’s beds, blankets or toys for their stay with us, due to infection control purposes.

How to find us

Directions to our practice – Orthopaedics, Neurology, Cardiology and Rehabilitation

There are a number of places we can recommend to stay if you’re travelling long distances or simply somewhere to enjoy lunch or dinner whilst your pet is with us.

Please visit our local places page for details.

If your pet stays with us, we will ask you to telephone us later on that day and/or we will call you with updates at least once a day. It may be necessary for your pet to be hospitalised overnight or longer, so please prepare for this. However, if your pet is undergoing a reassessment appointment – for example, sedation and x-rays following a six-week postoperative recovery period – most patients are discharged on the same day once they are fully awake from their sedation or general anaesthetic.

It may also be possible for your pet to be scheduled for surgery on a later date, especially if custom implants are required, however, the initial investigation process will normally be performed at your initial appointment.

In the event that your pet requires surgery, they will invariably require a period of close confinement or crate rest for recuperation. If you do not already own a kennel or crate please contact the clinic for details on how to acquire one which is suitable for your pet.

Existing clients may order your animal’s required medication via our online repeat prescription request form.

Our patients reside in one of six wards and are cared for 24/7 by our wonderful nursing and animal care assistants. Unlike a lot of referral practices, we have veterinary surgeons on site all day and all night to ensure your pet receives the highest level of care possible.

Fitzpatrick Referrals aims to provide the highest standard of care for you and your animal companions, and we hope you never have cause to complain. However, if you have concerns please direct your comments in writing to the hospital director in the first instance to [email protected]

Read Fitzpatrick Referrals complaints procedure.

This does not apply to RSA underwritten policies from M&S Bank or John Lewis Finance who have opted not to charge their customers the referral network excess. Read more about the RSA Referral Network policy.

Fitzpatrick Referrals is a working animal hospital where we see many different patients with different needs and where we do our utmost to provide world-class veterinary treatment and care. In very rare circumstances, a decision will be made to undertake treatment for a reduced cost but this is on a purely needs-driven basis. There are no set criteria for this and no decision is ever taken prior to consultation.

This does mean that should you wish to be referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals, we advise that your decision should be taken on the basis that set charges will apply.

In circumstances where insurance claims are not possible or there is no insurance policy in place, we do, however, accept credit cards and there are loan facilities available through a third party, subject to status. These loans are arranged through our finance department once the correct course of any treatment has been agreed. Please read our payment options page for more details.