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. Reviews point to a clinic handling routine consultations, surgery, diagnostic work and end-of-life care, with examples including castration, ultrasound, urine testing, steroid treatment and cremation arrangements. Recent feedback is mixed: some owners praise compassionate support and confident surgical care, while others report poor communication at a euthanasia visit, concerns about diagnosis, and dissatisfaction with pricing transparency.

Services

•Routine consultations and ongoing care: Reviews mention repeated visits during a long illness, follow-up discussions, and general consultations for skin and mouth issues.
•Surgery and peri-operative care: Services referenced include castration, discussion of lesion excision, and one recent review praising Seamus for a dog’s operation and recovery after a difficult procedure.
•Diagnostics and medical treatment: Recent experiences mention 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. Recent reviews, however, include repeated concerns about pricing clarity and value, with owners describing quote changes, expensive add-ons, and charges they felt were higher than expected.

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 (reception) was praised as kind and professional during an emotional end-of-life visit.
•Chloe (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 87 reviews.

•Recent feedback is mixed, with strong praise in some reviews for compassionate support during a long illness and euthanasia, and for smooth surgical care and recovery.
•Communication problems are a recurring criticism in negative feedback, including one euthanasia visit where the appointment was reportedly not flagged and the family waited before leaving.
•Pricing and transparency come up repeatedly in dissatisfied reviews, especially around cremation charges, changing quotes, and feeling pushed toward extra care options.
•One reviewer also raised clinical confidence concerns, saying repeated visits and tests did not produce a diagnosis and that surgery was suggested too quickly.

Reviews for Mercer and Hughes Veterinary Surgery

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 87 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Rochelle Cutler

2 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

4 months ago

Vincent Moreta

S J

5 months ago

Mitch Glen-martin

Luke Warren

6 months 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

1 year ago

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.

corrinne collis

Recently I had the awful time of having to put a very beloved pet to sleep after many consultations and a long illness! the vets at this practice were not only so very compassionate but took time with both myself and Pixie to explain exactly what was happening. Rachel on reception was nothing but kind and professional to a blubbering wreck and Chloe is one of the best ver nurses I've ever come across and I think my remaining dog Groot is a little in love with her!! suffice to say I cannot recommend higher and say all of this with sincere thanks to all involved

Denise Currier

Dog having castration, given one price over the phone then day of operation given another around 50 pound higher, on arrival didn't ask much about my pet just tried to sell me extra care, so much so they had to ring me twice to get information that they should have gathered at the pre op procedure. Not sure about this place, didn't feel pets come first, just money. My pet was not greeted just straight into sales pitch. I don't think I will be using them again.