Downes Veterinary Services - Park Avenue

Rosie Aindow

5 months ago

I’m sure the actual vets are fine however when ringing reception with a query about 2 sick homeless kittens, I was met with frosty and unhelpful robotic answers. I have had this at other vets before, where receptionist staff know next to nothing about queries they must get daily and will repeat the same textbook lines. For context, as of yesterday I have unexpectedly had to rescue 2 farm kittens from being run over and planned to rehome them quickly, however one has gone downhill very fast. As a student I can not afford to foot a £300+ bill. Did this vet receptionist know anything about possible help? No. They only managed to suggest free neutering schemes from cats protection, who are already full, very helpful. The system is broken with many issues like inflated costs and insane rescue numbers needing help. However, it doesn’t help anyone (pet or human) when on top of all this - the receptionist staff are ignorant to any other nearby rescues or possible financial help, unsympathetic to insane costs and seemingly tone deaf to the current situation, especially in a heavily agricultural area. Multiple times in that short phone call it was assumed they were my cats and I should just set up a ‘payment plan’. ‘I’m not a vet so I wouldn’t know’ 1. Doesn’t take a vet to give a broad cost estimate 2. If it’s that difficult you should have vets answering the phones. Please train your receptionist staff to answer basic questions you must get on the daily. Better yet, get your practice to build relationships with local rescues like many other vets do so you can actually help someone (and cats) in need.

Charles Rayer

6 months ago

Fantasticly friendly and welcoming reception team, everything nice and clean, prompt appointments and lovely caring vets.

medwin worrall

9 months ago

Rubbish vets. The first time I went in I took my very old ill dogs in after a long journey and was made to wait for over an hour before the vet showed up to his job and had 1 appointment before me who was also waiting very long. I then had half decent care after that but they seemed more concerned over money than the care of the animals. I got on there care plan which is was terrible, I received hardly any of what I was supposed to get and once I missed a payment they expected hundreds of pounds for the whole care plan in full even though it was for stuff in the future which I hadn't had and hadn't had all the appointments and vacations that I was already supposed to have had on the care plan. They then started adding £5 a week onto the debt expecting me to be able to pay the hundreds of pounds in full with no willingness to discuss a way that I could pay this off bit by bit. This felt like extortion and they did this to me during the final months of my very loved dogs life. They had empathy for my situation and just wanted me to give them money I didn't have in full. I was more than willing to pay off in time but the vets loan shark approach was disgusting in my opinion.