19 May 2026
Q. Could you tell us how you came to set up The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic with Andy Moores in 2023?
A. Andy and I first worked together in 2006 as shareholders and directors of Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists (AMVS). I enjoyed working with Andy because while he was not the most vocal member of the board, he was invariably the most insightful. Occasionally, we’d muse about how we could expand this large multi-disciplinary referral hospital and the idea we always came back to was a standalone orthopaedic clinic. Fast-forward a few years and we both found ourselves wanting to move on after the re-sale of AMVS, so we decided to branch out on our own and bring our idea to life.
The goal was to create a clinic that worked to the highest standards but could solely focus on orthopaedic cases without the compromises of a multi-disciplinary hospital. We would aim to get the patient in and out of the clinic and back home as quickly as possible. We felt that if we were efficient, we could also be highly price competitive – a healthy development in the current referral market. With a great team of nurses and a couple of motivated and highly experienced surgeons, we think we are on our way to achieving this.
Q. Your background is in finance. How did you move over into the veterinary world?
A. My wife, Davina Anderson, is a vet and, in the early 2000s, she had just finished her PhD and was considering her next role. I was working in finance, but we would discuss her veterinary aspirations and, seeing how the sector was developing, we thought there must be scope to create a top quality multi-disciplinary referral hospital.
Davina wanted to build her vision of the perfect clinical facility and I wanted to run my own business – I suspect this is the fantasy of most bank managers. We took the plunge and I took on the role as commercial lead while keeping my day job at the bank, and Davina found the location and built the team.
The business grew, and by 2014 we had reached 150 employees. I finally felt brave enough to step away from the security of my bank job and into the veterinary sector full-time as chief executive of AMVS. This experience positioned me well to become managing director of The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic.
Q. It’s an exciting time at The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic – why is that?
A. The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic has now been trading for about three years and we have just started refurbishing an adjoining timber-framed barn into a fantastic reception space and consulting room suite.
The surgeons are working hard, alternating between the operating theatres, and achieving the levels of efficiency that we’d dreamed might have been possible. The nursing team has grown in numbers and confidence. There is a buzz about the place. People work hard, have a laugh and go home on time, which is lovely.
Q. What are the biggest challenges you face in your role, and what attributes do you possess that make you suited for this position?
A. The biggest challenge is always finding the really great people, but I’m pleased to say that we have done that with our team. The veterinary sector is challenging – you need highly intelligent, empathetic people, but they also have to be robust and resilient and endlessly patient. Unlike working in a bank, they are not motivated by money (though they are de-motivated by a lack of it). And they won’t put up with poor management.
As for attributes, I’m not really sure. I just feel tremendously lucky that I fell into a training programme in good, old-fashioned, prudent banking and then had the opportunity to bring those skills into the veterinary world.
Q. What are you most proud of about The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic?
A. I’m tremendously proud of the success we’ve achieved at the clinic, but I think the thing that gives me most pleasure is when a nurse or a theatre technician starts taking the mick out of me. That’s when I know that they’ve got the confidence to really say what they think and that they will tell me honestly if things are going awry.
When we have that level of open communication, I feel I must be doing my job right.
Q. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to open their own practice?
A. Owning and running your own business is not for everyone, but if you have a vision and the support of those close to you, it is one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of your life.
You have to have a vision, and you need to be able to explain to your team why they are with you and where you are all going. You have to have something to sustain you through the dark times. And you have to have no illusions about how all-consuming it is going to be.
You do need to have a basic understanding of a profit and loss account and a balance sheet. Vets and nurses are very clever, so they will have no difficulty mastering the basics. There are many business and financial advisors that can help, but it is important to not be intimidated by the jargon and not to become dependent on them – remember that, invariably, the vet is always the smartest person in the room.