Lizzie graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 2018. Before moving to Derwent Valley Vets in 2023, she had worked at other small animal veterinary practices both as a consulting and hospital vet and has gained a wealth of knowledge in management of more complex medical cases.  She is a keen ultrasonographer, being particularly good at ultrasound investigations to help aid a medical diagnosis, and she is currently working towards a certificate in small animal medicine.

Lizzie has a ‘naughty’ two-year-old Welsh Springer Spaniel called ‘Finn’ who has been known to help himself to a box of chocolates or two. The most recent of his indiscretions resulting in a trip down to the practice after hours to be made sick … see these things do happen to us too !! When Finn is behaving himself, Lizzie and Finn do scent trailing and manhunting around the local area which helps Lizzie keep his super intelligent brain active. Lizzie also has a very cool black cat called ‘Dave’, although Lizzie says Dave does not think he is a cat being more like a dog in his mannerisms and behaviour!

Louise studied at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, qualifying in 2015. Following graduation, she worked in a couple of small animal practices in Derbyshire before moving to Derwent Valley in 2021.

Louise loves the intricacies of veterinary medicine and she is particularly keen on feline (cat) medicine. She has a tiny little black and white cat at home called “Maow”, that she rescued whilst working at a previous practice, and she says she “is very partial to a cute cat!”. Her relaxed friendly approach means she puts her patients (and their owners) at ease. She is always willing to help the rest of the team and she fits in really well at Derwent Valley Vets.

When Louise is not at work, she spends a lot of her time playing sports. In the winter she is part of a local hockey team and in the summer dons her whites to play cricket. She loves the Peak District and often goes walking around the area with friends.

Georgie graduated from Liverpool Vet School in 2011. Before moving to Derwent Valley Vets in 2021, Georgie was awarded a Masters in Clinical Animal Behaviour in 2016 and has done some work outside of the veterinary environment both as a behaviourist and training assistance dogs. She is brilliant with nervous patients and their owners, using her knowledge of behaviour to help reduce the stress of visiting the vets. She is calm and gentle and all the animals love her relaxed manner.

As well as her interest in behaviour she is also a keen surgeon.

At home Georgie spends time with her husband, young son and her two dogs. She has a collie “Pogo” and a cocker spaniel “Rufus”. She loves being active and enjoys climbing, running and spending time outdoors with her little boy and her dogs.

Rebecka qualified from Cambridge University, where she had studied as a mature student, in 2004. She has worked in a number of different practices in Derbyshire and spent five years working at the PDSA hospital in Nottingham, which provided her with a wealth of experience with difficult cases. It was whilst working for the PDSA that she met Claire who shares her ethos for wanting to provide top quality veterinary care in a personal and friendly manner sparking a desire for the pair to set up their own practice. Derwent Valley Vets first opened its doors in June 2016 after an extensive but sympathetic renovation of The Boat House Pub during which both were very hands on together with Claire’s husband Steven and lead by Rebecka’s partner Jim who is a joiner by trade.

Rebecka lives in Matlock and, despite being a southerner by birth, loves the area. She has two teenage daughters and the whole family likes to spend their spare time walking in the Peaks with their scraggy lurcher “Dixie”.

Rebecka is a “Fear Free” accredited professional and is interested in making the practice a relaxed and enjoyable place for owners and patients to visit. “I am keen that all our patients should see the vets as a pleasurable place to come. Eliminating anxiety in our patients makes a trip to the vets something that can be enjoyed by both animals and owners. Who wouldn’t want to work in a place that everyone is pleased to visit?”

Claire studied at the Royal Veterinary College in London, qualifying in 2001. She initially worked in mixed practice near London before moving up to the Peak District in 2004 to help her Veterinary Surgeon husband Steven with the setup of his small animal practice in Sheffield, which opened in 2005. Until the opening of Derwent Valley in 2016 Claire worked for the emergency/out of hours veterinary service VetsNow. She is still currently involved and kept up to date with Emergency and Critical Care as she has been invited to be an assessor and moderator for the Veterinary Nurse Certificate in the subject. It was while Claire was working as Head Vet for VetsNow in Nottingham that she met Rebecka as the pair were working for different veterinary care providers working out of the same building.

Claire lives with her husband and two children in a beautiful Grade 2 listed house on the edge of the Peak Park. They must like a challenge as when they bought their house it had no stairs and only some of the floors! Luckily some of their building skills gained whilst converting the Boat House into Derwent Valley Vets have come in handy and as well as stairs and floors, they now even have a bathroom and kitchen. There is still a lot to do but it will be a beautiful place when it is finished and most importantly for Claire it has space to keep her ever growing “string” of horses and ponies. For some girls it’s shoes, for Claire its horses! She also has quite a good collection of cats and dogs.

Claire obtained her Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in 2018 studying at night whilst doing her day job and still retains a keen interest in anaesthesia and pain management. She has been the driving force behind investing in the laparoscopic (keyhole) kit and always has her eye on the next big development in the veterinary world.