Mercer and Hughes Veterinary Surgery

Mercer and Hughes Veterinary Surgery is a Braintree practice that appears to be part of the Kin Vet Community group. It offers routine consultations, surgery, diagnostic work and end-of-life care, with recent review examples including kitten consultations, castration, ultrasound, urine testing, steroid treatment and cremation arrangements. Recent feedback is mixed: some owners praise helpful consultations, compassionate support and confident surgical care, while others report communication problems, concerns about diagnosis and dissatisfaction with pricing transparency.

Services

•Routine consultations and ongoing care: Reviews mention general appointments, repeated visits during a long illness, follow-up discussions, and consultations for kittens as well as skin and mouth issues.
•Surgery and peri-operative care: Services referenced include castration, discussion of lesion excision, and a more complex operation praised by one owner, who thanked Seamus for a smooth procedure and recovery.
•Diagnostics and medical treatment: Review examples include ultrasound, urine testing, and steroid therapy.
•End-of-life care and aftercare: Multiple reviews refer to euthanasia appointments, with some owners appreciating clear explanations and compassionate handling. Cremation arrangements are also mentioned following euthanasia.

Pricing

A very limited amount of published pricing suggests the clinic may sit below average, but this is based on very few comparable services. Reviews are more mixed on value, with some owners describing higher-than-expected bills, quote changes, and pressure to add extras.

Examples mentioned by reviewers include

•Cremation invoice: £436 total, including £316 for cremation
•Castration: one owner says the day-of-operation price was about £50 higher than the phone quote
•Lesion excision: one owner reports being quoted £900

People

•Seamus was thanked by name for a dog’s operation and recovery, with the owner saying they felt confident in his ability during a difficult procedure.
•Rachel on reception was praised as kind and professional during an emotional end-of-life visit.
•Chloe, identified as a veterinary nurse, was described very positively by one owner after care during a pet’s long illness and euthanasia.

Reviews

Google rating: 4.3/5 from 89 reviews.

•Recent feedback is mixed, with praise for a helpful first consultation, friendly service, compassionate support during a long illness, and smooth surgical care and recovery.
•End-of-life care is a dividing line in reviews: some owners felt well supported and clearly guided, while another described a distressing wait caused by an appointment communication problem.
•Pricing and transparency are recurring concerns in negative reviews, especially around cremation charges, changing quotes, and feeling pushed toward optional extras.
•A small number of reviews also raise clinical confidence concerns, including frustration over not getting a clear diagnosis after several visits and tests.

Reviews for Mercer and Hughes Veterinary Surgery

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 89 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Samantha Pearce-Rowe

2 months ago

Always lovely and happy to help

Laurence

3 months ago

Had my first appointment here today for one of my kittens and they was the most helpful vet in Braintree, despite it only being a consultation but i can’t fault the practice what so ever

Rochelle Cutler

8 months ago

Thank you so much to Seamus and everyone who looked after our dog through his operation and recovery. We are so relieved everything went smoothly and super grateful to you all. Seamus is a real pro and I felt very confident in his ability to do this difficult procedure. Thank you again!

Simon

10 months ago

Vincent Moreta

S J

11 months ago

Mitch Glen-martin

Luke Warren

1 year ago

We were loyal clients of Mercer & Hughes in Bocking for years — until a recent experience left us shocked and disappointed. After saying goodbye to our beloved Jack Russell, we were sent a cremation bill for £436, with £316 for cremation alone. This invoice arrived weeks after the visit — we were not shown pricing at the time. Out of curiosity, we took the invoice to a respected independent local vet. They told us the exact same service would have cost £160, and were genuinely shocked by the prices charged. We raised this privately with Mercer & Hughes. They refused any refund or adjustment, stating: "we don't compare ourselves to other practices." It’s worth knowing Mercer & Hughes is no longer an independent vet — they were acquired by Kin Vet Community, a larger group rolling up vet practices across the UK. In our view, the service and pricing have changed dramatically since. We’ve now moved to Linkswood Vets in Halstead, who are not only significantly more affordable, but felt more focused on both our pet and our family. Just sharing this experience in the hope it helps others make a more informed decision.

luke warren

We were loyal clients of Mercer & Hughes in Bocking for years — until a recent experience left us shocked and disappointed. After saying goodbye to our beloved Jack Russell, we were sent a cremation bill for £436, with £316 for cremation alone. This invoice arrived weeks after the visit — we were not shown pricing at the time. Out of curiosity, we took the invoice to a respected independent local vet. They told us the exact same service would have cost £160, and were genuinely shocked by the prices charged. We raised this privately with Mercer & Hughes. They refused any refund or adjustment, stating: we don't compare ourselves to other practices. It’s worth knowing Mercer & Hughes is no longer an independent vet — they were acquired by Kin Vet Community, a larger group rolling up vet practices across the UK. In our view, the service and pricing have changed dramatically since. We’ve now moved to Linkswood Vets in Halstead, who are not only significantly more affordable, but felt more focused on both our pet and our family. Just sharing this experience in the hope it helps others make a more informed decision.

Fiona Hutchings

There was plenty of parking spaces when we arrived. There were a couple of other people in the waiting area and the receptionist asked if we wanted to sit outside (we were there for a euthanisation). We waited half an hour before deciding to leave. The vet spoke to my sister, stating There was no flag on the appointment to let him know why we were attending the surgery today. Disappointed with the communication/ service on this visit. This is not how they used to work when they were owned by the head vets. We have had many, better experiences with this vet surgery in the past, but this was the worst. Especially at such a delicate time.