Veterinary Practice Management: A Practical Guide

A very practical, user-friendly guide to effective veterinary practice management.

Preface

1 The structure of veterinary practice
The buildings
The types of veterinary practice
Ownership
The services
The veterinary staff

2 Factors affecting the change in structure of veterinary practice
External factors
Internal factors

3 The management of veterinary practices
Management of veterinary practices in the twentieth century
The veterinary practice as a business
Management of veterinary practices in the twenty-first century

4 What is a veterinary practice manager?
Today's practice managers
The role of a practice manager
Real-life managers
The changing role of the practice manager

5 Managing yourself
Managing your job
Managing your time
Yourself 000

6 Business planning
Where are we now?
Where do we want to go?

7 Managing human resources - importance of staff, recruitment and discipline
Why are staff important?
Staff costs
What do you want from your staff?
What do your staff want from you?
Recruitment
Discipline

8 Principles of employment law
Discrimination
Maternity rights
Rights for working parents
The right to time off for family emergencies
Part-time work
National minimum wage
Working Time Regulations
Redundancy
Dismissal

9 Managing human resources - teamwork, communication and managing change
Teamwork
Communication
Managing change

10 Managing human resources - training and appraisals
Training
Appraisals

11 Client care 000
What does the client want?
How to provide good client care
Measuring and maintaining good client care
Dealing with client complaints
Dealing with difficult clients
Excellence in customer service

12 Sales and marketing
What is sales and marketing and what's the difference?
Why do we need it?
General marketing principles
The marketing plan
Marketing of products
Marketing services
Marketing the practice
Marketing tools

13 Understanding financial accounts
Why have financial accounts?
Accounting basics
What is a profit and loss account?
What is a balance sheet?
Interpreting financial accounts

14 Management accounts and financial planning
Management accounts
Figures derived from the accounts
Figures derived from income analysis
Other figures
Financial management
Budgeting for profit
Budgeting for cash
Budgeting for capital expenses

15 Stock management
Where are you now?
Where do you want to be?
How are you going to get there?

16 Pricing of fees and products
Pricing of products
Dispensing and injection fees
Fee setting
Effects of changing selling price
Discounts
Surcharges
Problems arising from prices

17 Information technology
The use of computers in veterinary practice
Choosing and evaluating a system
Contingencies

18 Office management
Record keeping
Credit control
Office equipment
Telecommunications
Premises management
Security

19 Health and safety
Why carry out health and safety?
Health and safety legislation
Enforcing bodies
Responsibility for health and safety
The practice's health and safety policy
Risk assessments
Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH)
Staff training

20 Pharmacy and dispensing
Drug storage and management
Health and safety
Dispensing

21 Statutory and ethical aspects of practice
Insurance and pensions
Taxes
Business structure
Ethics

22 Who should do the managing?
Resistance to employing managers
Does your veterinary practice need a practice manager?
The pitfalls
Well, who should do the managing?

23 Where do we go now?
Management training
Management roles
Adapting to change
Using staff
Specializing
Expanding
Contracting
Diversifying
Strategic planning

Appendix Useful contacts

Index