Three independent and family-run veterinary practices have joined forces to ensure their clients' pets receive the same range of services during the coronavirus outbreak.

Setting competition aside, Swadlincote's Bright Side Vets, Appleby Magna's STAR Vet Clinic and Hartshorne Veterinary Surgery have agreed to work together for the benefit of animals in their care.

Jason Freezer, director and co-owner of Bright Side Vets, said: "Our country is in a crisis and we feel it is important to work together as independents to ensure the care and message we provide is consistent.

"There are only a few independents left in this area and we must stick together to ensure we can provide the things that make us special – quality of care, a personal touch and the genuine passion for our businesses to deliver for our patients and clients."

Under the agreement the three practices will not accept clients changing practices for routine procedures.

Last week the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) revised their guidance for what work veterinary practices in the UK can undertake during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint statement the three practices say: "There remains a degree of flexibility and lack of clarity...that means each veterinary practice is permitted to make its own policy regarding vaccinations and neutering.

"As independent and family-run businesses we feel it is important to ensure the best service to our clients and their pets.

"To this end we have agreed a mutual interpretation to the guidance issued to ensure that our clients will be able to have the same treatment irrespective of which of us they visit.

"We are required through the period of lockdown 'to ensure we provide services that are essential for animal health and welfare or public health, including to relieve pain and suffering'.

Until the relaxation of the guidance, this meant only undertaking emergency work.

Now the practices have agreed what routine preventative treatments they will provide while, at the same time, not encouraging unnecessary travel during lockdown.

These are:

Vaccinations

•Undertaking all primary courses for puppies and kittens

•Undertaking all rabbit vaccinations

Neutering

• Generally, surgery will only be an option if there is a good clinical reason such as other un-neutered pets in the household or rabbits showing aggressive behaviour