Veterinarian with dog in clinic

Rutland Veterinary Hospital and Referral Centre

#8 Vet in St Helens, Merseyside

4.1
Corporate

Rutland Veterinary Hospital and Referral Centre – Vets in St Helens

Updated January 2026
Corporate

Clinic Overview

Rutland Veterinary Hospital and Referral Centre is an RCVS-accredited veterinary hospital offering 24/7 emergency care with team members onsite at all hours, alongside routine and referral-level work (including advanced diagnostics, surgery, and hydrotherapy/rehabilitation). No corporate group ownership is stated in the available information.

From the latest reviews, owners most often describe

  • Fast access in emergencies (one reviewer says they were seen within an hour after calling about an emergency).
  • Clear explanations and shared decision-making, including discussions around spay and vaccine timing and a diet regime for an older dog.
  • Administrative support during difficult cases, including a review mentioning help that “took the stress of the insurance claim” off their shoulders. There’s also a clear mixed experience at reception: several reviews praise reception helpfulness, but one describes an unpleasant encounter with a named staff member and feeling unwelcome—especially with larger dogs.

Services

Based on the website and reviews, the hospital offers

  • 24/7 emergency service with staff onsite overnight
  • Routine veterinary care (reviews reference vaccinations and spay timing discussions)
  • Referral-level care and advanced diagnostics (stated on the website)
  • Surgery (stated on the website)
  • Hydrotherapy and rehabilitation (stated on the website)
  • Care for dogs, cats, and rabbits (stated on the website)
  • A kitten pack (mentioned by a reviewer, described as good value; inclusions not stated)
  • Veterinary nurse training facility (listed in the provided clinic data)

People

Named team members mentioned in reviews include

  • Ted (described as “the vet I saw”): praised for being patient with an owner attending with three dogs.
  • Stuart: thanked for support and guidance during a worrying situation, described as reassuring.
  • Charlie & Ellie: credited with being informative and “amazing” handling an emergency visit.
  • Dr. Bart Ropelewski: described as compassionate and honest during end-of-life care, giving the family time and support to make decisions; the reviewer also mentions the wider specialist team helping with an insurance claim.
  • Gill (described as admin/reception): one reviewer reports a bad attitude and feeling spoken down to, in contrast to praise for other reception staff “going over and above.”

Reviews

4.1 stars from 564 reviews. “”

  • Emergency responsiveness: being booked in quickly (one reviewer says within an hour) and receiving clear advice over the phone.
  • Communication that supports decisions: owners mention getting the information needed to decide on care, including spay/vaccine timing and diet changes.
  • Handling emotionally difficult situations: one detailed review praises compassionate end-of-life care, with time, space, and support to decide what was right.
  • Admin experience is inconsistent: multiple reviews describe friendly, helpful front-desk support, while one reports a specific negative interaction and feeling unwelcome.
  • Cost comes up: at least one reviewer describes the care as expensive, despite also saying they felt their dog was in good hands.

Special Services

Emergency Services
Vet Nurse Training

Location

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