UK practice operations · Updated 23 October 2026

Define the service before choosing the platform

A video appointment creates a different working environment from a consulting room. Before promoting it, describe what the service is intended to do, who decides whether it is appropriate and how a client moves to in-person care. Avoid treating remote access as a promise that every concern can be resolved online.

The RCVS guidance on veterinary medicines sets out requirements for clinical assessment, animals under a veterinary surgeon’s care and follow-up arrangements. It includes circumstances requiring physical examination. A practice’s clinical lead should check the current guidance and approve the service scope; a software supplier’s description is not a substitute.

Make the transition visible to the client

Booking information should explain the appointment format, expected preparation and what happens if the connection fails or the clinician needs to examine the animal. Agree who makes the next booking and how the client receives the details. A digital pathway that ends with an unexplained instruction to call another number leaves the work unfinished.

Use a fictional scenario to walk through the whole journey with reception and clinical colleagues. Test a poor connection, missing history and a client who cannot use the chosen device. Record the decisions that need a person, rather than assuming the platform handles them.

Keep records and responsibilities connected

Decide where consultation notes are recorded, how colleagues find them and who owns outstanding work. If an external provider is involved, examine information sharing, service coverage, support and exit arrangements before agreeing a contract. Measure completed pathways and unresolved handoffs, not just the number of video calls.

Source and revision note

RCVS: Veterinary medicines, including under-care guidance, checked 23 October 2026.

This AI-assisted operational rewrite replaces the earlier 2023 article, removes unsupported claims about outcomes and virtual physical examination, and retains the original URL. It is not a prescribing protocol or clinical advice. Specialist review is not claimed.