Vets for Pets ‘future-proofs’ PMS rollout to ramp up in 2026

Vets for Pets is aiming to have its “future-proof” new practice management system (PMS) rolled out to the majority of its 453 practices by the end of next year.

The group has been trialling its new Provet PMS in a handful of practices in a “phased approach, making sure that it’s done right” and is set to ramp up the rollout in 2026.

Speaking at London Vet Show, enterprise architect Ryan Mortimer said: “Give us 12 months, I think we’ll have a large percentage of the estate done. The plan is to regroup over Christmas and then foot on the accelerator for the new year.”

New practices

Vets for Pets is targeting 100 new practices in the coming years, and the PMS will be integrated from day one.

Selected by a working group made up of practice owners, clinical teams and others across the company, Vets for Pets began their work to choose and implement a new PMS four years ago.

Mr Mortimer said Provet was chosen because its flexibility will allow more functionality to be integrated in the coming years.

Asked if it will help practices respond to the Competition and Markets Authority’s remedies for the sector – which are expected to increase administrative burden – he said: “We’ve now got a modern cloud solution in a cloud system that can be updated, and we can react quickly to whatever we need to react to.

“It’s going to be much easier to get us to a place where we need to get to quicker and faster and a lot more cost-efficient, so yes.”

Early adopters

Practice owner Samantha Sauer, whose Newcastle Kingston Park and Gateshead clinics have been among the early adopters testing the PMS, said: “A lot of the admin side it just makes a lot easier and slicker and quicker for us, which then means we’ve got more time to just do what we like doing and what we love doing and looking after patients.”

Dr Sauer said it had improved communication with clients and will enhance customer experience by ensuring Vets for Pets is no longer “segregated digitally” from Pets at Home’s retail side of the business.

Anticipating pets acquired during the boom in ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic all requiring senior care around the same time, Vets for Pets said: “If we can follow these customer journeys and create customer journeys that match and make it easy for people to care for their pets, that’s the long-term vision.”