Caring vet Alistair is among our latest Nettie winners

A VET who put the care of his colleagues, clients and patients before himself during a sudden outbreak of avian flu has been rewarded with a VetPartners Nettie award.

Alistair Chilcott, who works at Poultry Health Services (PHS), was due to fly to Spain for five days of CPD but decided to cancel his trip the night before when avian flu was confirmed in one of the practice’s farms.

It meant Alistair, who was VetPartners’ Vet of the Year in 2024, was available for one of the busiest weeks of the year to support colleagues and the poultry farm’s owners.

He is among the latest winners of a VetPartners Nettie award for demonstrating our values of being respectful, supportive, dedicated, approachable and collaborative.

PHS Clinical Director Sara Perez said: “Alistair showed incredible commitment to his team and to the practice. He knew that the practice would struggle with numerous requests for visits and phone calls.

“His selfless decision to cancel his trip to Spain is a true reflection of Alistair’s dedication and commitment to the values we strive to uphold at VetPartners. He put his colleagues first at the detriment of his own clinical development.”

Alistair and our other winners have been rewarded with a cuddly Nettie mascot, a Love2shop voucher and a certificate for demonstrating our values.

Woodcroft Vets RVN Natasha McLelland is also among our latest recipients.

Not only is Tash an invaluable part of Woodcroft’s orthopaedic referrals team, where she teaches everyone how to understand and maintain the kit, she dedicates much of her time to training student nurses and preparing them for their OSCEs.

She has coached nine student nurses through their studies to becoming qualified RVNs.

A highly knowledgeable nurse, she is regarded as the ‘go-to’ person to answer questions about anaesthesia, A&E shift cover and CT issues.

Head Nurse Fiona Mahon said: “He knowledge of nursing knows no bounds and the whole team look up to her and admire her greatly. I can’t think of a person that embodies VetPartners’ values better than Tash. She’s awesome!”

Makes others welcome

Willows Farm Vets’ much-loved maintenance man Fred Grant is another popular winner of a Nettie, having been nominated by seven members of the practice team.

Fred sets up everything at shows, makes deliveries to clients and collects goods, but still find time to make everyone around him feel welcome and happy.

The System Admin Team in VetPartners’ central support team wins a joint award for their work over the last two months.

They’ve been working tirelessly to get data validation and shift rotations over the line, working together to ensure that the processes are seamless.

Another unsung hero receiving a Nettie is Mark Woollard, a driver at Pet Cremation Services (PCS) in Essex.

A pet owner who had lost her beloved dog contacted PCS after being touched by the care given by the driver who went to collect her pet.

Unaware he was being observed, the owners were comforted by how much care and tenderness he showed when carrying their pet which helped to make a heartbreaking moment more bearable.

Congratulations to all of our October Nettie winners:

Lucie Cragg – Receptionist, Ashlea Vets

Nicola Case – Deputy head nurse, Northlands Vets

Cherie Tucker – RVN, Parker & Crowther Vets

Mark Woollard – Driver, PCS

Alistair Chilcott – Vet, PHS

System Admin Team – VetPartners central support team

Fred Grant – Maintenance, Willows Farm Vets

Hannah Workman – Animal nursing assistant, Wood Vets

Natasha McLelland – RVN, Woodcroft

Know someone who deserves a Nettie?  

Each month, we select 10 colleagues from across the VetPartners family from the dozens of nominations we receive. Winners are rewarded with a cuddly Nettie mascot, a £250 Love2shop voucher and a certificate. 

Our Nettie awards recognise team members who demonstrate our values of being respectful, supportive, dedicated, approachable and working collaboratively. 

You can nominate a colleague here: https://www.myvetpartners.co.uk/nettie or by emailing: recognition@vetpartners.co.uk 

Article by Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director. Email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk