Chiltern Referral Services

Chiltern Referral Services describes itself as a specialist referral clinic for veterinary practices, with website-listed disciplines including orthopaedics, dermatology, neurology, physiotherapy and laser therapy. Recent reviews strongly focus on orthopaedic problem-solving: owners mention cruciate ligament repair, investigation of long-term lameness, and taking over complex cases after a “bodge surgery” elsewhere. However, there’s also a clear complaint that the website is out of date and advertises services they “don’t provide,” including a named clinician (“Carly”) said to have left.

Concrete specifics owners mention include: identifying a cause of lameness at a first consultation after years of inconclusive specialist visits, cruciate ligament surgery with a reported 12‑week full recovery, and an ongoing rehabilitation/recovery plan after a complicated previous surgery.

Services

From the clinic website summary

• •Specialist referral service to veterinary practices
• •Orthopaedics
• •Dermatology
• •Neurology
• •Physiotherapy
• •Laser therapy

From owner reviews (examples of what was actually done/managed)

• •Investigation and diagnosis of canine lameness (including a diagnosis made at the first consultation in one case)
• •Orthopaedic surgery: cruciate ligament repair
• •Management of complex or corrective orthopaedic cases after prior surgery elsewhere
• •Treatment that improved a very sick cat’s quality of life (details not specified)

People

• •Alex (surname “Lai” mentioned in one review): repeatedly credited for diagnosing a dog’s lameness at the first consultation after years of failed attempts elsewhere, creating a treatment plan, and performing cruciate ligament repair with a reported full recovery within 12 weeks.
• •Alison and Hannah (roles not specified): named positively alongside Alex in one detailed review.
• •Nursing team (not named): described as helping an anxious owner feel at ease around the time of a dog’s operation.

Reviews

Google rating: 4.9 stars from 34 reviews. - Multiple owners describe successful outcomes in difficult orthopaedic cases (cruciate ligament repair; long-standing lameness finally diagnosed; taking over after poor surgery elsewhere).

• •Communication and manner are frequently mentioned in practical terms (putting owners at ease; patience while working through a plan).
• •There is a repeated 1‑star complaint that the website is out of date and advertises services (and a clinician) that are no longer available.