Organisational background

Greenway Veterinary Acupuncture was established over 20 years ago, recognising acupuncture’s potential and evidence base as a valuable adjunct to clinical care, especially for those in chronic pain.

With a growing demand for dedicated, home-based veterinary care, particularly for elderly pets, coupled with the limitations of a surgery setting, Alastair and Claire trained with the ABVA and set up independently to provide home visits for acupuncture in and around London, referred by the local practices.

The demand for their personalised, independent service in London is continuing to grow and they would love to find a like-minded vet to treat some of their patients, so providing a steady, reliable service for clients throughout the year and a colleague to share, develop, and progress their acupuncture skills and knowledge with.

We have close links with other home-visit services, local practices, and physiotherapist specialists in and around London who are wonderfully collaborative, working for our shared aim of helping pets and people live their best lives together.

Watch back our Interview the Boss:

Organisation aims & mission

• To facilitate the integration of acupuncture into the treatment plans of suitable clinical conditions and the care pathways of patients requiring rehabilitation, post-/peri-operative care or suffering from chronic, recurrent and geriatric conditions.
• Collaboration with all those involved in a pet’s care, from owner to primary care practice to para-veterinaries, to gain the best outcomes for animal and owner.
• To champion and normalise the use of acupuncture so a wider section of UK pets can benefit from it, whilst being ready to advise when acupuncture is not suitable as the next, immediate step in a plan and signpost owners back to their primary care vet for further investigations and/or other warranted treatment.
• To help make owners’ lives easier, caring for a more mobile, active, pain-controlled member of the family.
• To provide a pleasant, low-stress experience for pet, owner, and practitioner.

Respect for work-life balance   |   Curiosity for learning   |   Appreciation of one-health   |   Desire to combat chronic pain and discomfort in pets

• A desire to help pets and people live their best lives together – we look at the whole picture on a home visit: from the pet’s clinical history to the current day-to-day challenges an owner and pet might be facing, whether directly associated with the pet’s health or a wider lifestyle, home or family situation.
• An understanding and appreciation of the impact pet health, pain and mobility have on the well-being of the family unit and on the quality of life of both owners and pets – our main objective is to maximise a pet’s engagement in daily, family life with the minimum of pain or discomfort. We listen and are non-judgmental, aiming to give practical suggestions and tailoring treatment plans to help both animal and owner, suiting their individual circumstances and abilities.
• An open, holistic and collaborative approach to animal health with all those invested in an animal’s care – whether the owner or veterinary professional – we communicate openly, share and seek findings, results and opinions and are respectful of other professionals involved in the pet’s care and their expertise, and with regard for confidentiality and GDPR.
• Sustainability, low environmental impact practice – we spend a significant amount of time planning visit routes and weekly schedules for carbon/fuel efficiency, have invested in an electric car and use bikes or an electric scooter as much as practical. By the nature of our work, we have a very low level of consumables and no pharmacological agents to stock or dispose of.
• Respect for the diverse lifestyles and backgrounds, challenges and privileges of people and their pets in their daily lives – Since we are welcomed into people’s homes, we have high regard for privacy and make no assumptions about an owner’s knowledge, wealth or beliefs as an influence on the care we offer.

As we are independent and this is a self-employed opportunity, you have great flexibility, from hours worked (school-hours, evenings, a regular single day) to fitting in with other veterinary or non-veterinary pursuits.

• An ideal opportunity to develop and hone your acupuncture skills with a steady, small-animal case-load.
• The work is thoroughly rewarding and we are lucky enough to have lovely clients who are all very engaged in the all-round process of managing their pet’s condition.
• Since the majority of our caseload is in the management of chronic, painful conditions, we have the opportunity and time to build a meaningful, professional partnership between us and the owners and a rewarding relationship of mutual respect and trust.
• Clients are grateful to us for coming to their homes at a challenging time for them and are already open to acupuncture as a treatment, having researched or received it themselves or been referred by their primary care vet who can directly report the benefits witnessed in their other patients.
• Even if the condition is end-stage or refractory to treatment, they are grateful for the opportunity to talk and gain advice in a relatively non-time pressured environment about their pet.

There is always something of value that we can give at a visit, whether it’s advice on treatment options and home modifications, reassurance and explanation regarding further investigations suggested by their primary care vet or an empathetic, experienced ear in a quality of life discussion.

Above all, we ensure we are able to give the pets, owners and ourselves the time we all deserve to care properly.

We’re offering flexible/part-time/ad hoc involvement from holiday cover to a regular weekly day in London, whatever would suit the right person to join the team. You can start off at your own pace, accompany us as you wish, with us handing over some established clients with responsive, amenable pets.

Although you are ‘alone’ as you visit patients, you are not ‘on your own’ as we are very happy indeed to discuss cases and mull over options and outcomes.

There is a lot of navigating London traffic and parking (unless you cycle) but on the upside, you get a fair bit of radio/audible/podcast listening time! We take care of all the admin, phone calls, and bookings and can schedule the best route, advise on parking at each location and ensure you are well aware of the best coffee and cake stops en route. (If you find any hidden gems, it is essential that you notify us.)