"DO NOT USE THIS VET. UNETHICAL STANDARDS"

We took our cat to Village Vet Winchmore Hill on Saturday 27 Jan 2024 as he was lethargic, not eating well and having breathing difficulties. We usually use Medivet who are amazing but had to take this as an emergency appt. The duty vet advised us that she thought it was serious but needed to carry out xray, bloods and other tests which would cost circa £1k. We didn't have insurance and were shocked at the amount and asked if there was anything interim she could do like antibiotics in case it was an infection. She replied that she would not medicate if she didn't know what she was medicating. We asked if we could take our cat home and come back tomorrow and she replied she wouldn't be there tomorrow. She then suggested cat euthanasia. We were slightly taken aback but she assured us in her opinion our cat was seriously ill. We asked to see him and he looked fine and calm. I challenged her opinion and she told us that was because she'd given him an opioid. We were so overwhelmed and crying with emotion, we phoned our sons to come to the vets. As a family we were there for 4.5 hours crying at the thought of losing our boy and she just kept pressurising us to print and sign the paperwork. We were paralysed with emotion and it all just happened. Our cat was put to sleep without giving us the opportunity to go home and think it through properly. He was not in a car accident and bleeding to death. He had some serious symptoms that she was not willing to medicate without knowing the cause but she happily put our cat to sleep without knowing what was wrong. She fully took advantage of our vulnerability and wasn't going to let us leave unless we agreed to £1k of treatment or put our cat to sleep. We have since found out ours was the second cat she euthanized that day. Something really not right. As a family we have been so traumatised by this incident and being pressurised into putting our baby to sleep. We write this review with heavy hearts as we can't bring our baby back but hope and pray that no other family and pet falls victim to this unethical practice. Please please do not use this vetinary practice

"Rabbit neglected"

I had my bunny rabbit stay at village vet Winchmore hill for 7 Days whilst I was holiday and i had a terrible experience. When I returned from holiday he was badly injured under his chin and his private parts were very swollen. Upon collection I noticed this and immediately raised it to village vets. My concerns were ignored. Village vet said nothing was wrong with him and nothing was recorded about him. I took him to another vet in Enfield for a 2nd opinion as I knew he wasn't well they said he would have died if I didn't bring him sooner, they gave him antibiotics, pain relief and cleaned his wounds. I paid £455 for my poor bunny basil to be looked after and he was neglected. I would recommend village vet winchmore hill to anyone. Just relieved relieved my poor bunny pulled through. Never again!

"The vets themselves get 2 stars but the…"

The vets themselves get 2 stars but the rest of the practice lets the review down.
I have been using the practice since January 2022. Whilst the standard of care of my dog appears to be satisfactory and caring, I have regularly not been informed of the 'real' costs of treatments or alternative treatments costing significantly less, enabling me to make a choice myself before the treatment is given. One particular example was when they took it upon themselves to charge a ridiculous amount for an ear gel, making the decision themselves that I was unable to administer ear drops myself. That was not their decision to make and it left me significantly out of pocket. They did not disclose the difference in cost between the treatments.
The staff are mixed, usually polite. One vet was really concerned about his new apple watch being scratched (maybe take it off when you work with animals?) and one particular nurse has been rude from the start and is quite condescending in the way she talks to you. Her attitude is far from helpful. I don't think it's unreasonable for my dog to bark for further treats, given the fact the vet has just shoved handfuls in him to enable vaccinations and an annual health check to take place. Unlike some dogs, he's large enough to see the treats on the reception counter they openly leave for clients to use. To be lectured on 'how I shouldn't be giving my dog treats every time he barks', was not only rude, inappropriate, but failed to take account of the actual circumstances. A little more empathy would be appreciated. The fact that she was told 'to leave it' by another member of staff could suggest this is not the first time she has behaved like this and that her attitude is inappropriate. She also proceeded to rub my dogs ear, (which had just been diagnosed as sore and needing a swab by the vet) and wondered why he was still barking!
I also took out an annual plan to spread costs of vaccinations etc and in 2023, when I questioned whether I was able to leave the practice, was told by a receptionist that the plan could not be stopped until the policy began again. One year on 2024 and apparently that's not the case. If a receptionist is providing info on such schemes, then surely it's standard practice responsibility to ensure all staff are fully trained and informed of procedure?

"My deep dissatisfaction!"

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service and customer support I have received from this veterinary practice, specifically in relation to the untimely passing of my kitten and the subsequent issues surrounding the refund process for the vet plan I had subscribed to.

I enrolled in the full-year vet plan, paying £240 upfront (£20 per month). Unfortunately, my kitten passed away after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, approximately 2-3 weeks into the plan. In light of these circumstances, I contacted your practice seeking guidance on the refund process.

During my initial inquiry, a receptionist informed me that, under such circumstances, a full refund would typically be issued. Subsequently, I visited the branch multiple times, both in person and via phone calls, to follow up on the refund status. On each occasion, I was assured that my concerns would be addressed promptly. Regrettably, despite these assurances, no progress was made, leading to a prolonged and distressing ordeal.

The lack of responsiveness and effective communication from the management team has been particularly disheartening. I visited the branch six times to resolve this matter, each time incurring emotional distress due to the reminder of my kitten's passing and the apparent incompetence in handling my concerns.

The delayed resolution, especially over the Christmas period, has added to the hardship. Furthermore, I received only a partial refund of £77 without any accompanying explanation, leaving me with uncertainties regarding the deducted amount. Despite my repeated requests to speak with the manager, I was informed on every occasion that the manager was unavailable.
Given the circumstances, I kindly request a thorough investigation into this matter and a transparent explanation regarding only a partial refund. Additionally, I would appreciate a timely resolution to this issue, along with clarification on the overall refund process.

I believe that addressing these concerns will not only provide closure for my distressing experience but will also contribute to the improvement of customer service standards within your practice. I hope this formal complaint prompts a swift and satisfactory resolution.

i would like to conclude by sharing my sentiments with potential clients considering your practice. in light of my unfortunate experience, I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST UTILISING THESE SERVICES UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. OTHER VETERINARY PRACTICES OFFER MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AT MORE AFFORDABLE RATES.
I INITIALLY CHOSE YOUR PRACTICE FOR ITS PROXIMITY TO MY RESIDENCE, BUT I REGRET THIS DECISION WHOLEHEARTEDLY EVERY DAY.
i hope that sharing my experience will serve as a cautionary tale for others, prompting them to carefully weigh their options before entrusting their pets' care and giving their hard earned money to your practice.

"Honest, pragmatic and personal"

I can only speak for Village Vet Brackenbury, but Jessica and Lucija are brilliant vets and also just really nice humans, the nurses are caring and personable and the receptionist is friendly and welcoming; the whole practice exudes care and friendliness. They are extremely pragmatic, the care is very personal and you don't just feel like another job. In a world of corporate over-priced veterinary care, this is absolutely the opposite - they are honest with their advice, you feel very much that the treatment is centred entirely on the welfare of the animal patient, rather than the finances (which is not how I've felt elsewhere in other hospitals and practices) and, as a result of such trustworthy care and service, they have my loyalty forever! I cannot recommend them more highly; even if you live a bit further away, this vet practice is worth travelling for!

Thank you for saving my little Vesper when noone else could.

"Still grieving"

I agree with previous post L dot
Still Grieving!

"I wish I could give it 0"

I wish I could give it 0. Very unprofessional staff from receptionist at brook green branch to the Vet. On top of being unprofessional they are led by emotions and are seriously under specialised in the field of veterinary medicine. I am not sure how anyone can trust them with their vets at that branch. I am beyond disappointed how my pet was treated and I wish I switched my vet practice quite sooner so that he gets the right treatment, attention and care from real vets.

"If I could leave NO STARS I would - TOTAL COWBOYS"

If I could leave NO STARS I would, Totally useless vets. All the Vets care about is making money and not helping you...Total waste of time and money. Avoid them at all cost if you love you pets. Your better off going somewhere else....STAY AWAY IF YOU VAULE YOUR PETS LIFE!!!!!! - NOT TRUSTWORTHY OR EXPERIENCED, ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS MONEY..... This places needs to be shutdown and all the vets should never be aloud to work with animals again.....TOTAL COWBOYS!!!!!

"Truly professional and friendly team"

The whole team works incredibly hard, and always tries their best to help us with our cats. Very friendly and professional and always go above and beyond to help!

"We have had nothing but issues since…"

We have had nothing but issues since day one.

First of all £70 just be seen? Not even a same day appointment but 2 weeks after the initial call.
Took her in again and she needed tests done. We were told 2 days for results…. 3 weeks later we got them.
We’ve just called this morning as my dog is peeing blood and they don’t even have a vet available. This is 4th time we’ve had an issue and called and they’ve not had a a vet available.
We’re now having to call their other branches to find someone which is absolutely disgusting and they should be held accountable.