Our COVID-19 update

Update from the team at Bridge Street:

As we start to get back to ‘normality’, we at Bridge Street have decided to keep our COVID-19 protocols in place, to continue practicing safely for everyone.

This means that:

• You will be required to wear a face mask when entering the building or when meeting with one of our team in the car park.
• Our staff will remain in full protective clothing for your, and their, safety.
• Only one person per animal will be allowed into the waiting room with their pet.
• Clients are still unable to be in the consulting room when their pet is being examined.
• All medication and food is to be ordered a minimum of 48-72 hours in advance, with payment to be made before pick up wherever possible. Online payment can be made from this website.
• Please do not enter the reception unless we are expecting you. On arrival please wait outside until there is a receptionist available to welcome you. 

We appreciate that this may not be the news that many want to hear. We know how daunting it is to bring your family member in, to then see them be taken into a room and you are not able to comfort them. We want to reassure you that whilst they are in our care we do everything we can to make them feel as comfortable as possible. 

The last 18 months have been difficult for everyone, including us. We currently have several members of staff self-isolating and one vet recovering from an operation, so are understaffed. Our staff have worked tirelessly through the pandemic often with very few breaks (if any) and working more hours to make sure that we can provide the best level of care for you and your pets. 

We appreciate your waiting times may have been long and you can’t always get an appointment as soon as you would have liked. We work on a triage system so that if your pet needs to be seen quicker it will be seen. Please be understanding if we have to move your appointment to allow us to see a more urgent case. This is what everyone would want if it were their pet that needed to be seen as an emergency. These decisions are made with every animal’s best interest at heart. 

Like many industries, there is a severe shortage of veterinary staff nationwide and mental health is a significant concern within the profession. We aim to protect our staff so they can continue to look after your family members to the best of their abilities. So for these reasons, we have decided to keep things the way they have been until all our team are fully vaccinated, then we will be in a position to reassess these measures. 

There has been a lot of change within Bridge Street over the past few years, which has been amplified by the pandemic. We know that change can be daunting for everyone, but these changes are not bad and are there to improve the service that we provide to both you and your pets. We know that many of you have not been into the practice over the last year or so please have a look at our meet the team page. We encourage continuity of care where possible so please help our reception staff when booking an appointment by telling them if you have a preference to which vet you see. 

We thank you all for your continued support through these difficult times and as always we will continue to strive to provide the level of care that you and your family members deserve.

We look forward to seeing you all soon.

The Bridge Street Team