Our 3 routes towards GDPR compliance for vets

GDPR compliance options for independent vets

19th March 2018

We have been building our experience around GDPR for independent vets since the early summer of 2017 when a number of our consultants became GDPR Certified Practitioners. Since then we’ve completed enough data protection audits to understand what the majority of practices will need to do to get their businesses maximising their chances of compliance. Connected Vet is now in the final stages of helping a number of practices to minimise the risk of not being compliant when the regulation is enforced from 25th May 2018.

What if you haven’t started with GDPR, where should you start?

We have identified three key facts that are hampering practices, who understand that they need to do something to address their new responsibilities under GDPR, but that don’t know where to start.

  1. Many vets are leaving GDPR action too late – ‘We've looked at the ICO's site and don't know where to start’ appears to be the position of these practices.
  2. The ICOs resources are useful but general – They are comprehensive as they need to guide a broad range of businesses in helping themselves, but navigating them requires a significant investment of time.
  3. Plenty of organisations will tell you what to do to become GDPR compliant but not many will tell you how to do it, especially in the context of running a veterinary practice.

Three routes towards compliance

To address these challenges we have defined three possible routes that vets could take to minimise their risk of non-compliance with the GDPR on 25th May 2018.

Download our Three Routes towards compliance PDF

Or why not take our free GDPR for Vets Overview module on the Connected Vet Academy. This will tell you what you need to do to maximise your chances of becoming compliant by the deadline.  Alternatively, read our the ‘Three routes’ PDF to discover the three options you have for how to do it.

1. Supported route towards compliance

This is the ‘consultancy’ route. It will cost an average practice between £2.0-2.5k to take this option depending on its size. The time required by the practice will be minimal and the risk of non-compliance will be relatively low, as you’ll have someone who understands how to implement GDPR in a veterinary practice with you throughout the process.

Make an inquiry to join the Supported route and we'll call you back and answer any questions you have. Or, you can purchase our supported route now at the Connected Vet Academy.

Please note that this route is practically limited by consultant resource. Whether you make a booking enquiry now or are thinking of just purchasing the consultancy, availability will be on a first come first served basis.

2. Un-assisted route towards compliance

This is the do it all yourself route. It can be executed using only in-practice time and resource. We’ve developed a 'Data Protection Tick-list for vets' in conjunction with the Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), to help practices along this route.

The Data Protection Tick-list will tell you what you need to do and give you links to free resources to help you do it.

Download the Data Protection Tick-list PDF

Any practice can start this process now, and if you’re planning to take this route our advice is to start as soon as possible. It is absolutely doable if you have the time, but we believe you will need to dedicate significant management and staff resources to this route if you are to stand a chance of materially reducing the chances of non-compliance.

As with any process you undertake for the first time the risks of it not being a perfect outcome are relatively high when compared to the other two routes.

3. Self-serve route towards compliance

This is the route we’ve developed to offer practices the best of all worlds.  Self-serve is a DIY option that balances a more modest financial investment (than the Supported route) with a lower need for staff time and expertise (than the Un-assisted route) whilst optimising the chances of your practice becoming compliant.

The Self-serve route is an E-learning toolkit made up of a comprehensive suite of nine modules (a mixture of video tutorials, interactive slideshows, and downloadable assets ).  These resources will help practice owners to quickly become accountable for GDPR and help the practice team implement the regulations' requirements in their practice, train staff and prepare for ongoing compliance.

You can purchase the full Self-Serve online course now.  Initial feedback on this course has been really good and we're delighted that so many vets are finding it such a reassuring, useful and good value resource. 

To support this route, and complement the E-learning toolkit we have also produced a Data Protection Documentation Pack that you can also purchase now. This pack contains all the paperwork your practice will need to complete your compliance process. 

The Self-serve route is modular, so you just purchase the bits you think you need when you need them. The full priced products are.

  • Gap Analysis - Data Protection Audit Tool Kit and E-Learning Support - £500
  • Compliance Action - Data Protection Documentation Pack - £450

This route is supported by a (Paid for) helpline service that you can use to help manage specific inquiries.

A special offer for members of SPVS & VetShare

We have a limited offer NOW for the first 100 SPVS or VetShare members who pre-order the full package of E-learning toolkit and Documentation Pack. We are making the ‘Data Protection audit’ and ‘Documentation pack’ available for just £760 or 20% off.

Reserve this 20% offer for your practice now

Members committing to this option now can start their compliance process immediately and complete the process as the remaining modules become available. Those that reserve a slot for the limited 20% offer, will be contacted with further details on how to confirm your order and discount.

What next?

We strongly urge practices to take the free GDPR for Vets Overview module on the Connected Vet Academy. This will tell you what veterinary practices need to do to become GDPR compliant as well as offering information that will help you make a decision about which of the three routes you intend to take.

1. Make an inquiry about joining the Supported route or purchase our supported route online now.

2. Download the 'Data protection tick-list for vets' to kick off your un-assisted route.

3. Purchase the full Self-serve online course and get cracking with your own compliance journey.

4. If you're a member of SPVS or VetShare Reserve the 20% offer for your practice now and get both the E-learning course and the Data Protection Documentation Pack for just £760.


As ever, if you have any specific queries around any of these options you can always contact us directly.


Note: Neither Connected Vet nor its partner organisations will accept any responsibility for losses arising from the use of the information in this article. This article is not legal advice, should not be regarded as constituting legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice.