Veterinary practice management : a practical guide / Maggie Shilcock and Georgina Stutchfield.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shilcock, Maggie.

Contributor:

Stutchfield, Georgina.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Veterinary medicine--Practice.

Veterinary medicine.

Veterinary Medicine--economics.

United Kingdom.

Veterinary Medicine--organization & administration.

Medical Subjects:

Veterinary Medicine--economics.

United Kingdom.

Veterinary Medicine--organization & administration.

Physical Description:

xi, 263 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Saunders, 2003.

Summary:

In the past, practice management has often been carried out on a part-time basis by vets and support staff with little or no management training. With the advent of corporate and large, multi-site practices, as well as non-veterinary ownership, however, it is now more essential than ever that every practice be well managed. This book provides invaluable information for all those who manage a veterinary practice. Looking at past, present and future management, it provides practical tips for improving management structures in veterinary practices as well as advice on how to improve the financial standing of the business. This book has been written for those involved in the management aspects of the business as well as practising veterinarians. It will be essential reading for those taking the Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM), Veterinary Practice Administration Certificate (VPAC) and the RCVS/BVNA pre-Veterinary Nursing course. Representatives of all commercial veterinary companies and those who visit veterinary practice managers will also find this useful as it will provide them with an in-depth understanding of the issues involved in managing veterinary practices.

Contents:

1 The Structure of Veterinary Practice 1

The buildings 3

The types of veterinary practice 4

Ownership 5

The services 6

The veterinary staff 7

2 Factors Affecting the Change in Structure of Veterinary Practice 11

External factors 11

Internal factors 14

3 The Management of Veterinary Practices 17

Management of practices in the twentieth century 17

The veterinary practice as a business 19

Management of practices in the twenty-first century 19

4 What is a Veterinary Practice Manager? 23

Today's practice managers 23

The role of a practice manager 24

Real-life managers 27

The changing role of the practice manager 28

5 Managing Yourself 31

Managing your job 31

Managing your time 34

Yourself 42

6 Business Planning 47

Where are we now? 47

Where do we want to go? 52

7 Managing Human Resources - the Importance of Staff, Recruitment and Discipline 57

Why are staff important? 57

What do you want from your staff? 58

What do your staff want from you? 59

Recruitment 61

Discipline 68

8 Principles of Employment Law 75

Discrimination 75

Maternity rights 76

Rights for working parents 77

The right to time off for family emergencies 77

Part-time work 77

Human rights 77

National minimum wage 77

Working Time Regulations 78

Redundancy 78

Dismissal 78

9 Human Resources - Teamwork, Communication and Managing Change 81

Teamwork 81

Communication 85

Managing change 90

10 Human Resources - Training and Appraisals 93

Training 93

Appraisals 102

11 Client Care 111

What does the client want? 111

How to provide good client care 112

Measuring and maintaining client care 114

Dealing with client complaints 116

Dealing with difficult clients 117

Excellence in customer service 118

12 Sales and Marketing 119

What is sales and marketing and what's the difference? 119

Why do we need it? 120

General marketing principles 121

The marketing plan 124

Marketing of products 124

Marketing services 127

Marketing the practice 128

Marketing tools 129

13 Understanding Financial Accounts 135

Why have financial accounts? 135

Accounting basics 136

What is a profit and loss account? 136

What is a balance sheet? 139

Interpreting financial accounts 141

14 Management Accounts and Financial Planning 147

Management accounts 147

Figures derived from the financial accounts 149

Figures derived from income analysis 149

Other figures 150

Financial management 151

Budgeting for profit

will we make any money? 152

Budgeting for cash

can we stay afloat? 154

Budgeting for capital expenses

can we afford to buy? 156

15 Stock Management 161

Where are you now? 162

Where do you want to be? 163

How are you going to get there? 164

Legislation and stock control 170

16 Pricing of Fees and Products 171

Pricing of products 172

Dispensing and injection fees 175

Fee setting 176

Effects of changing selling price 180

Discounts 181

Surcharges 182

Problems arising from prices 183

17 Information Technology 185

The use of computers in veterinary practice 186

Choosing and evaluating a system 191

Contingencies 195

Associated legislation 197

18 Office Management 199

Record keeping 199

Credit control 201

Office equipment 204

Telecommunications 205

Premises management 207

Security 209

19 Health and Safety 211

Why be concerned with health and safety? 211

Health and safety legislation 211

Enforcing bodies 212

Responsibility for health and safety 213

The practice health and safety policy 213

Risk assessments 213

Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) 220

Staff training 221

20 Pharmacy and Dispensing 225

Drug storage and management 226

Health and safety 228

Dispensing 228

21 Statutory and Ethical Aspects of Practice 233

Insurance and pensions 233

Taxes 235

Business structure 236

Ethics 237

22 Who Should Do the Managing? 239

Resistance to employing managers 239

Spreading the load 240

Does your veterinary practice need a practice manager? 241

The pitfalls 243

Well, who should do the managing? 244

23 Where do We Go Now? 245

Management training 245

Management roles 246

The effective use of staff 246

Adaptation to change 247

Specialization 247

Diversification 247

Reviewing and revising practice policy and procedure 248

Strategic planning 248.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0702026964

OCLC:

50124477