Welcome to the BVHA
Welcome to the British Veterinary Hospitals Association's website. When you love your pet or horse (as most of us owners do), one of the most important decisions that you can make about the health and well-being of your pet is in the choice of your veterinary practice.
The BVHA – home of The Practice Design Awards
Dedicated to promoting excellence in veterinary practice and design, the BVHA’s biennial design awards competition has proved highly successful since it was introduced in the 1990s, attracting many outstanding and innovative entries.
The winner of the 2026 awards, Ferguson Veterinary Clinic in Glenrothes, Fife
The awards are intended specifically to recognise – and reward – outstanding design. If you have opened new or revamped premises for a first opinion or referral practice or a combination of the two – whether a brand-new building or a conversion of a building previously used for some other purpose, refurbished your existing premises or come up with an innovative solution for an area of the practice, these design awards are for you.
Submissions for the next round of awards will be open in 2027.
THE CATEGORIES
1. New-build premises – starting from scratch on a vacant site.
2. Conversions of buildings previously used for other purposes.
3. Refurbishment of all or part of your practice premises.
In addition, there are awards for:
• outstanding design features
• sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives
• outstanding working environments
WHAT THE JUDGES LOOK FOR...
• outstanding, practical design, demonstrating flair and innovation.
• clever and efficient use of space, with good flow of traffic, and first-class facilities and environments for clients, patients and staff.
• excellent value for money.
• outstanding features deserving of special notice, especially those relating to sustainability.
In particular, the judges look for “wow” factors in each practice.
For more information on the Practice Design Awards, email editor@theveterinaryedge.com.
The BVHA is a member of the RCVS Practice Standards Group.