Highcroft Vets - Hailsham

As always the visit to Highcroft was positive for my cat. The staff put her at ease before carrying out her health check. Good advice received in a courteous manner.

Always friendly and efficient. Over the last year, have treated my young dog like royalty, quickly and with immense care. Thank you. Xxx look at him go at training now. Piran and Jenny. X

Highcroft vets in Hailsham are absolutely amazing. I have never experienced the level of care and genuine kindness towards my pet as I did on the 5th March. We are not clients of them yet when my vet in Eastbourne couldn’t see my dog Teddy they agreed to see him. He was in a very bad way struggling to breath and as soon as we walked in the door they jumped into action. Unfortunately I didn’t catch any names to personally write a thank you on here but everyone we spoke to that day were caring and patient at a very bad time. Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to Teddy that day the hardest decision ever but it was made so much easier by the care and compassion of the vets, nurses and reception staff. Including help with payment afterwards they went above and beyond. Thank you so much everyone and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS We recently brought home our 7-month-old pup from another family. He had never been microchipped or vaccinated and was quite smelly and matted when we got him. I did my best to bathe and brush him gently myself, and we had already booked a proper groom for later in the week. We booked an appointment at Highcroft Vets to get him checked over, vaccinated and microchipped. On arrival, my husband found the reception staff to be friendly and helpful, which was a great start. Unfortunately, our experience went downhill once he went in to see the nurse/vet. The woman who saw our dog was very short and patronising with my husband, making comments about the dog being matted and generally speaking down to him. My husband explained that we had only had the dog for one night and already had grooming booked, but the attitude remained blunt and dismissive. During the check-up they said they had found a lump that they believed could be on his kidney. We had signed up for the vet’s “pet club” plan, so the check-up and vaccinations were covered under that. The Australian lady who came in to scan him for a microchip was absolutely lovely — warm, polite and reassuring — though we later found out she doesn’t normally work at this practice. We were told our dog would need a scan and that an estimate would be sent later in the day. As we were leaving, my husband was casually told he needed to pay a £100 deposit towards the scan. At no point was it explained that this deposit would be non-refundable, so my husband paid it assuming it would simply secure the appointment. Two days later we received a quote of £800 for the scan. After thinking it through, we decided we would prefer to monitor our pup for two weeks first as he is happy, eating well, drinking well and toileting normally. When my husband called to ask about the deposit, he explained that we had never been told it was non-refundable and asked if it could be returned. The receptionist was polite but unsure and said she would need to check. During the conversation my husband was also told we would not be allowed to be in the room while our dog was scanned and that he would likely need heavy sedation. This didn’t sit right with us, especially as our dog is extremely friendly and relaxed. In the meantime I contacted a couple of other vet practices to ask about their procedures. Both told me that owners are normally allowed to be present, and that heavy sedation is not always necessary depending on the dog. This raised concerns for us that unnecessary sedation — and therefore extra cost — might be used without us being present to question it. During the phone call my husband politely explained our concerns, and suddenly a 10% discount was offered on the scan, which only reinforced our feeling that the focus was more on money than on genuine care. My husband was then put through to the woman who runs the practice, and unfortunately this was the worst part of the experience. Her tone and attitude were extremely rude and dismissive. She asked patronising questions such as “well how do you plan to look after your dog then?”, which made the conversation very uncomfortable. Eventually, after a long and frustrating discussion, we did manage to get our £100 deposit refunded. However, the entire process was unnecessarily difficult and stressful. I would strongly recommend that people do their research before choosing this practice. Our experience left us feeling that the priority here is financial rather than the wellbeing of the animals. For the woman who questioned how we will take care of our dog — we will be taking him to a vet who genuinely cares about animals, not just about filling their pockets.

Stuck with us through a nightmare insurance claim Been taking our cat to Highcroft for ages. Had a bit of a saga recently that I think shows what they’re really about. Our cat needed dental work in November, they found a tooth resorption thing during the procedure that needed sorting. Clinical side was all good, he recovered fine. Won’t lie, the initial quote made my eyes water a bit. Corporate vet practice pricing I guess (they’re part of IVC Evidensia). But Lynsey the manager sat down with us and we worked it out. Just something to be aware of going in. Then the fun started, insurance company said no. Spent literally months trying to get it overturned. Lynsey and Hannah (head nurse) went proper above and beyond getting us the documentation we needed. Hannah wrote this detailed letter, Lynsey kept dealing with the insurance company even though I’m sure she had better things to do. Got £570 approved in the end. Absolute lifesaver for us. That’s what sold it for me really, they didn’t have to put in all that effort for what was basically just paperwork, but they did. The actual vet care’s always been good too, they know their stuff. If you’re price conscious just have the conversation upfront. And if you’ve got insurance definitely worth knowing they’ll help you fight for claims when needed. Staying with them because when it got messy they didn’t bail. That counts for a lot.

Always been kind and helpful. Im especially grateful for the kindness and help they gave me and my dog Alice in 2025 throughout her surgery and recovery. It’s nice to be able to walk in with my two dogs and not have to persuade them to come through the door, they come in and happily greet the ladies at the desk. The vets and nurses also give the girls reassurance whilst dealing with what needs to be done, also giving me time with questions i may have. It’s helpful to also get sent reminders for when the girls are due for appointments or to pick up more flea and wormer. The receptionists are also quick at answering the phone and sorting out what ever question or problem you have. Great work all around.

Everybody here are absolutely lovely. I signed my 9 week old puppy up recently and found the vet he had check him over and administer the jab, extremely calm and friendly. I could tell my pup was at ease. Thank you for a wonderful experience