Hi! Please tell us who you are and what you do

I’m Laura Sullivan, a locum veterinary surgeon and founder of All Scrubbed Up.

Please briefly describe your current role and professional interests

I’m a small animal vet, and have been in clinical practice for 11 years. I’ve been locumming for the last 2.5 years, which I really enjoy as it gives me flexibility – during this time I’ve been able to travel, volunteer and work abroad, and founded All Scrubbed Up. In practice, I love surgery, and would happily operate every day!

In 2019 I founded ‘All Scrubbed Up’ - a small business providing bespoke, fashionable reusable scrub hats to veterinary staff (and beyond), with the aim of reducing waste from disposable items while bringing a little fun, glam and positivity to surgery.

"The ethos of All Scrubbed Up is to make a difference - to have a lasting positive impact on the environment - while spreading joy, recognising and appreciating each other. Our scrub hats enable the human and personality behind the uniform and job role to be showcased, increasing a sense of identity."

What does a typical day look like for you?

This depends if I’m vetting or sewing! An “All Scrubbed Up day” tends to be a mix of sewing and Scrubmin! :-)

What is your favourite part of the job?

In practice I love surgery, inpatient care, high clinical standards and teamwork!

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The amount of waste in veterinary practice! One of the driving forces behind All Scrubbed Up is to be able to help contribute in some small way to reducing waste from disposable items which end up in land fill.

Do you have any tips for achieving a good work-life balance?

The locum lifestyle definitely suits me – giving me better control and flexibility of when and where I work, and gives me space to focus on the side hustle, interests, hobbies, exercise etc – I’m a great believer in being more than just a vet.

What do you feel are the major opportunities to drive sustainability in the veterinary sector?

Reduce and recycle - leading by example is key – this applies within the team to motivate change, as well as in our relationships with clients. We can lead by example, encouraging clients to take sustainable steps.

"Consider Terracyle pet food recycling in your practice; more visits to your practice = better for business!"

I think showcasing your sustainability journey and WHY it’s important, and the impact on one health, is so important. I feel this can only enhance our reputation as healthcare professionals and clients’ faith in us. I’m sharing vet practices’ sustainability journeys on my website blog to encourage and inspire change amongst the profession too!

I’d like to see more of a collective approach, and putting pressure on companies to make sustainable changes to their products and packaging.

What are your top tips for veterinary professionals wishing to take the first steps to drive sustainability in their roles?

First, start talking about it, and set up a green team! There’s a great article on the Business Case for Sustainability that may help to persuade any bosses that aren’t yet convinced of the importance! I’ve started a ‘Simple Switches for Veterinary Practices’ blog on my website with some quick hacks with links to follow making it super easy to action or share with your team.

If you could wave a magic wand and make one improvement to drive the sustainability impact of the veterinary profession, what would it be?

To help the profession (and beyond) to see sustainability as a priority and a focus.

Check out Laura's scrub hat range on her All Scrubbed Up website.