Lead Veterinary Surgeon

Lead Veterinary Surgeon – Emergency and Critical Care (ECC)

Location: Gateshead

Salary: up to £90,000 DOE

Bonus: £10,000 Welcome Bonus plus up to £5,000 Relocation Allowance

Contract Type: Full-time or Part-Time, Permanent

Your purpose. Our passion.

Vets Now Gateshead are welcoming applications from Out of Hours (OOH) Veterinary Surgeons with a passion for Emergency and Critical Care to join their team on a full-time or part-time basis. Vets Now is the UK’s leading provider of emergency veterinary care, with a nationwide network of out of hours clinics and 24/7 emergency hospitals. As part of Inspiring Vet Care, our teams make a difference to pets and their owners when they need us most.

A large borough, Gateshead sits on the River Tyne and features many famous landmarks like the Angel of the North. With close links to the MetroCentre for shopping and the stunning Northumberland coast and countryside, rent is more affordable in Gateshead than nearby Newcastle

Lead with Clinical Excellence

As Lead Vet, you’ll lead by example by blending clinical expertise with mentorship and collaboration. You’ll set the tone for quality care, lead in emergency situations, and support the development of your fellow clinicians. You’ll have responsibility for:

Driving and upholding clinical standards across the clinic

Supporting the growth, training and wellbeing of your veterinary team

Identifying clinical development opportunities and shaping team progression

Championing innovation and service improvement within the clinic

This is more than a job. This is a vital leadership role with real impact where your guidance helps shape the future of ECC, while making a difference to patients, clients, and colleagues every day.

Work-Life Balance That Works for You

This full-time role averages 40 hours per week, including:

Weekday nights and 1:2 weekends (mix of nights and days)

Night shifts 18:00–09:00, Saturday day 12:00–18:30 and Sunday day 08:30–18:30

d bank holidays

No more than three consecutive nights

Protected time for leadership duties and meetings

We understand that life outside of work matters too. That’s why we offer flexibility and can explore part-time arrangements, depending on clinic requirements because your balance is our priority.

Rewarding Work, Your Way

We look after you, so you can look after them, by offering a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

Salary up to £90,000 DOE

£10,000 Recognition Bonus

Up to £5,000 Relocation Allowance

Seven weeks pro rata annual leave

£1,875 CPD allowance plus 35 paid CPD hours

RCVS fees, VECCS membership, and VDS cover

Private medical insurance

Family-friendly policies – enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Leadership Development Programme

Access to our AdvantEdge clinical training platform

Standard pension contributions (5% employee / 3% employer)

Up to 50% discounted pet care

Support That Sets You Up for Success

You’re never alone at Vets Now: on-shift you’ll work alongside a registered vet nurse, an animal care assistant and a receptionist, and you can contact any of our clinics or referral centres across the UK at any time, day or night, if needing to discuss a particular case or ideas.

You’ll also be supported by our Support Office in Dunfermline, where our teams work behind the scenes to help you thrive. Our Call Handlers and Customer Care Advisors ensure you can focus on what matters most to your patients.

Ready to Lead with Purpose?

If you’d like to visit the clinic or chat about the role before applying, contact Anne in our Talent Team at [email protected]

Inclusion and Accessibility

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability or health condition, we’re committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Role overview

Based within PDSA Pet Hospital, Stoneygate Lane, Gateshead, NE10 0LX

Full Time

Up to £90,000 DOE

Life at Vets Now

More than a job in emergency care

At Vets Now, you'll be part of close-knit teams who support each other under pressure, responsibility and work together with a d purpose. With structured rotas, experienced clinical teams and opportunities to grow, we aim to create careers in ECC that are both rewarding and sustainable.

### 7 weeks holiday pro rata

### Your birthday as a paid day off

### Up to 50% discounted staff pet care

### Paid volunteering