16 May 2024
Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield has had two separate RCVS Practice Standards Scheme statuses upheld, and been re-recognised for sustainability and cat care.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Paragon Veterinary Referrals is celebrating four major reaccreditations, including ISFM gold. Cat advocates (left to right) multi-disciplinary registered veterinary nurse Paula Hirst, student veterinary nurse Megan Hill and ICU registered veterinary nurse Chelsea O’Donnell.
The team at a West Yorkshire referral hospital is celebrating making the grade with four re-accreditations as it marks its sixth anniversary.
Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is accredited as a Small Animal Veterinary Hospital and a Small Animal Emergency Service Clinic under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, and has had both statuses reconfirmed after spot-check reassessment.
The hospital is also a gold-level cat-friendly clinic under the International Society of Feline Medicine’s scheme, and a silver-level Investors in the Environment (iiE) for its sustainability efforts.
Chelsea O’Donnell, RVN and cat advocate at Paragon, said: “Maintaining our gold status is a huge achievement. Veterinary visits can be a stressful experience for cats, so we aim to ensure that the experience is as comfortable and stress-free as possible for our feline patients.”
To achieve ISFM gold once more, three years after first achieving it, Paragon had to maintain its dedicated waiting room, with shelves and privacy blankets, a dedicated cat consultation room and a cat procedure room.
The iiE reaccreditation has been achieved by implementing sustainability actions across several areas, including waste management, travel and procurement, and using reusable gowns, scrubs and incontinence pads.
Nicola Swales, dermatology nurse and iiE lead at Paragon, said: “Keeping silver-level status has given the team a real boost and we will now focus our efforts on achieving the iiE Green Award, the highest level award it offers.”
