Why vets should have managed IT support services

Liam McNaughton
Oct 9
4 min read

Updated: Oct 14

Let's be honest - you became a vet to help animals, not to troubleshoot why the practice management system has crashed again or figure out whether that email is a phishing attempt. Yet here we are, in 2025, where running a veterinary practice means managing an increasingly complex web of technology that's absolutely critical to patient care.

The good news? You don't have to do it alone.

Why vets should have managed IT support services

When Technology Stops Being Helpful

Picture this: It's a frantic Saturday morning. Your appointment system has gone down, the digital X-ray machine won't talk to your patient records, and someone's clicked on a dodgy email that's now threatening to encrypt all your data unless you pay a ransom.

Your "IT person" (who's actually the practice manager with decent computer skills) is on holiday. Sound familiar? This is the reality for many UK veterinary practices trying to manage technology in-house. And it's not sustainable.

Modern veterinary medicine runs on technology. Patient records, diagnostic imaging, online bookings, payment processing, client communications - it all needs to work seamlessly. When it doesn't, you're not just dealing with frustrated staff and annoyed clients. You're potentially compromising animal welfare.

Why the DIY Approach Doesn't Work Anymore

Twenty years ago, you could get away with having someone "good with computers" handling your IT. Today? Not a chance.

You're dealing with GDPR compliance, increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks targeting healthcare providers, multiple systems that need to integrate properly, and equipment that generates mountains of data. Expecting your reception manager to handle this alongside their actual job is frankly unfair to everyone - especially when something goes wrong at 9 PM on a Sunday during an emergency case.

Even hiring a dedicated IT person has limitations. They can't provide 24/7 coverage, they can't be experts in everything, and when they inevitably move on, their knowledge walks out the door with them.

Enter the MSP: Your IT Dream Team

A Managed Service Provider is essentially your entire IT department, but without the overhead of multiple salaries. Think of it as having a whole team of specialists on call - security experts, network engineers, healthcare IT specialists - all for a predictable monthly fee.

They keep everything running smoothly by monitoring your systems around the clock, fixing problems before you even notice them, and ensuring that software updates don't break everything (we've all been there). No more crossing your fingers every time you need to access patient records.

They actually understand veterinary practices. A good MSP knows that your digital X-ray needs to talk to your practice management system, that you need access to records during out-of-hours emergencies, and that downtime during a complicated surgery simply isn't acceptable.

They handle the scary security stuff. Ransomware gangs love targeting veterinary practices because you hold valuable data and will pay to get it back quickly. MSPs implement proper security - from filtering dodgy emails to backing up your data properly (and actually testing those backups work). When someone inevitably clicks something they shouldn't, you're protected rather than panicking.

GDPR compliance becomes their problem, not yours. The ICO is increasingly focused on healthcare data breaches, and the fines are eye-watering. Your MSP ensures you've got proper encryption, access controls, and all the documentation needed to prove you're taking data protection seriously.

The Real-World Benefits

Here's what actually changes when you partner with an MSP:

Your imaging equipment integrates properly with patient records - no more manual data entry or transcription errors.
Staff can access the systems they need from any of your practice locations. Online booking syncs automatically with your appointment diary.
Client portals work seamlessly.
And when something does go wrong (because technology will always be technology), you've got expert help available immediately, not next Tuesday when your IT person is back from holiday.

For multi-site practices, everything just works consistently across locations. For single practices, you get enterprise-level capabilities that you could never justify building in-house.

What About the Cost?

Yes, there's a monthly fee. But compare that to the hidden costs of your current approach: emergency callout charges when things break, lost revenue from system downtime, staff time wasted on IT issues, potential ICO fines for data breaches, and the stress of never quite knowing if your backups would actually work in a crisis.

Most practices find that the predictable monthly cost is actually lower than their previous IT spending once you factor in all those hidden expenses. Plus, you can actually budget properly rather than facing nasty surprises.

The Bottom Line

Technology in veterinary practice isn't going away - if anything, it's becoming more complex. Telemedicine, advanced imaging, integrated laboratory systems, and client expectations around online access are only increasing.

You've got two choices: struggle along trying to manage it yourself while hoping nothing goes seriously wrong, or partner with specialists who do this for a living and let them handle the complexity while you focus on what you're actually trained to do - providing excellent veterinary care.

Your patients, your clients, your staff, and honestly your blood pressure will all benefit from having proper IT management in place. And when 3 AM emergencies happen, you'll have enough to worry about without adding "why won't the computer work?" to the list.

Isn't it time to stop being your own IT department?

Looking for managed IT services for your vets?