Richard Hewitt BVSc CertVA MRCVS

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Anaesthesia

Richard is principal vet and owner of Hollybank Vets. He has worked in a number of veterinary practices including two university veterinary hospitals, before returning home to the North West.

Richard has further professional qualifications in Veterinary Anaesthesia and is an Advanced Practitioner in this field. He has a particular interest in pain management, including the use of acupuncture.

He enjoys getting to know people and their pets and being there to help throughout their lives – for both the good times and the sad times.

 

Helen Hewitt BSc BVSc BSAVA PGCert SAECC MRCVS

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Emergency & Critical Care

Helen is our senior vet.  She qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2008 and prior to this she completed a degree in Zoology, also at Liverpool.  On qualifying, she immediately started work in small animal practice in Leyland and then joined Hollybank for its opening in March 2009.

Helen has further professional qualifications in Emergency and Critical Care.  She enjoys all aspects for first opinion practice and alongside emergency and critical care work has an interest in surgery and behavioural medicine.  

Born and raised in the South-East Helen lives locally and owns  a scruffy dog called Mabel. 

 

Michelle Rana BVSc CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine

Michelle graduated from the University of Bristol in 2008 and joined the Hollybank team in 2019.

Prior to this, she worked in several busy small animal practices and also spent a year at the Royal Veterinary College teaching surgical and consultation skills to the final year veterinary students (you may have caught a glimpse of her on the BBC programme ‘Young Vets’!). 

She enjoys all aspects of veterinary practice and endeavours to provide the best possible care for your pets. She has recently completed further qualifications in small animal medicine to obtain an RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice.

Louise Bebbington BVetMed BSAVA CertSAM MRCVS

RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine

Louise graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2014 and started her career at Hollybank as a new graduate.  After experiencing a few years in different practice she has returned to the team and is looking forward to providing emergency and inpatient care again.  Louise’s main interest is internal medicine – she was awarded her small animal medicine certificate in 2019 and holds advanced practitioner status in this area.  Louise hopes to provide exceptional medical case management for her patients and is excited to see some familiar faces in the process.  

Outside of work Louise loves her garden and is kept busy by her spoilt ginger tabby cat George.

 

 

Veronika Horakova DVM MRCVS

Veronika graduated from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, Czech Republic, in 2018. She has undertaken several externships in small animal referral centres in the UK and Australia and completed a 12 month internship in small animal orthopaedics in West Yorkshire.

Veronika joined the team in 2019.  She enjoys all aspects of small animal practice but has a particular interest in both soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. Veronika is currently working towards her postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery.

In her spare time Veronika enjoys travelling, hiking, gardening and spending time with her friends and family.

 

Naomi Wain BVSc MRCVS

Naomi graduated from the University of Bristol and joined Hollybank in 2021. She has been a client at Hollybank since it first opened in 2009 and her dog Tiffin was one of the practices first puppies. Naomi hopes to provide a good experience for both her patients and their owners.

In her spare time Naomi enjoys keeping fit, travelling and socialising with friends and family.

 

Elysia Hackett – BVMS (HONS) MRCVS

 
Elysia graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2022 receiving the coveted McCall award as the university’s top veterinary graduate over the five year course. She also holds the NAVLE qualification, licensing her to practice under North American regulations, specifically in Colorado.
 
Elysia joined the Hollybank team in September 2022 as a new graduate and hopes to provide the best care for your beloved pets. She has a keen interest in neurology and strives to keep up to date with the newest advances in this area. Outside of work, Elysia loves to bake and travel, having lived across the UK and Europe. However what she loves best is looking after and training her fluffy German Shepherd, Martha.   

 

Bethany Ripley BVM&S MRCVS

Bethany graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2020, and after 2 years working in a small animal practice in Lancashire, joined the Hollybank team in October 2022.

Bethany enjoys all aspects of small animal practice, especially internal medicine. In her spare time, Bethany enjoys cooking and baking, going for walks with her Jack Russell, Penny, and reading books curled up with her cat, Esme.

Kirsty Macdonald BVM&S MRCVS AFHEA

Kirsty graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2020. She spent 18 months in Scotland at a small animal practice before moving down to Cheshire to complete a rotating internship at the University of Liverpool. During her internship, Kirsty became an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  

Kirsty joined the team in May 2023. She enjoys all aspects of small animal practice, especially soft tissue surgery.

In her spare time, you will find Kirsty on the golf course and tennis courts in the summer and the squash courts and ski hills in the winter.