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The investigation and suspension pack for veterinary practices

The investigation is the part practices rush and the part a tribunal examines hardest. It is also the part that most often ends the matter entirely, because a proper investigation frequently establishes there is no case to answer. That is a success, not a wasted week.

Five documents, editable Word, free, emailed to you.

What is in it

• Investigation plan and terms of reference. Ten minutes before you speak to anybody, and it prevents most of the errors that follow. Includes the evidence checklist a veterinary matter actually needs: clinical records, the practice management audit trail, rota and time records, the controlled drugs register.
• Suspension letter. Written so it does what it should and nothing it should not, with the four things that must be said and the phrasing to avoid.
• Investigation meeting record. One per person, with the opening explanations set out as a checklist.
• Witness statement form. Structured so you get what someone saw rather than what they were told.
• Investigation report. Findings of fact, what remains disputed, and a recommendation on whether there is a case to answer.

Suspension is not a neutral act

This is the point practices most often get wrong. Suspension feels like the cautious, responsible thing to do, so it happens by reflex. It is not neutral, it is not a punishment, and suspending without genuinely considering the alternatives has been found to breach trust and confidence.

Three questions before you suspend anybody: is there a real risk if this person stays at work, is there a less drastic option that manages that risk, and how long do I expect this to last. Moving someone to another site, changing shifts, removing one duty or adding supervision are all less drastic and frequently sufficient. The pack makes you record the answers.

The three roles problem in a small practice

Three roles should be three people: whoever investigates, whoever chairs the hearing, and whoever hears the appeal. In a practice with two partners that is genuinely difficult, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.

There are workable answers. A partner from another site. The practice manager investigating and a partner chairing. An external HR adviser taking one of the three. What does not work is one person doing all of it and hoping nobody notices, which is the most common procedural failure in a small practice and the hardest to fix afterwards.

Where to be careful

Where the matter touches clinical standards for a registered professional, an internal disciplinary process and a professional standards question are two different things running on different rules. Take advice early, because getting that wrong can prejudice both.

The pack follows the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures currently in force, which remains the 2009 Code. Acas consulted on a revised Code between July and September 2026 and no commencement date has been set; we will reissue when it takes effect.

Once the report finds a case to answer, our free disciplinary letter templates cover the four letters that follow. Read both alongside our guide to disciplinary procedures.