Meet Our Vets
Bury team:
Nigel Swayne DVM, MRCVS
Nigel qualified from Guelf, Canada in 1972. Having been part of Swayne and Partners for over 30 years Nigel has a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw upon, he is passionate about all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery.
Duncan Hole MA, Vet MB, Cert VC, MRCVS
Having qualified from Cambridge in 1991, Duncan joined Swayne and Partners at our Newmarket branch in 1994. He became a Partner and moved to our Bury St Edmunds surgery in 1999. Duncan holds a post-graduate certificate in veterinary cardiology and takes referrals from other practices in the area. With the support of our highly qualified and experienced nurses, Duncan is able to carry out complex cardiac diagnostic procedures and cardiothoracic surgery. At home, Duncan and his family enjoy spending their spare time caring for their menagerie of animals.
Sophie Martin MA VetMB MRCVS
Sophie graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2009 and shortly after this joined the team of Veterinary Surgeons at our Bury St Edmunds surgery. Having a particular interest in domestic animals Sophie enjoys treating everything from hamsters to Newfoundlands and her spare time is spent with her Collie cross 'Elsa'.
Mania Spalding, MA VetMB MRCVS
Mania is enthusiastic about every aspect of veterinary practice and enjoys treating all species. She joined Swayne and Partners after qualifying from Cambridge University in 1998. Mania enjoys exploring the countryside with her husband Mark, their children and border terrier George.
Margaret Phizacklea, BVMS MRCVS
After qualifying from Murdoch University, Western Australia Margaret worked in a rural, small and large animal practice, her first ever surgical experience was repairing a kangaroos fractured leg. Since joining Swayne and Partners in 1988 Margaret has worked at both our Long Melford and Bury St Edmunds branches but now is solely based at Bury and spends the majority of her time treating our equine patients. When not spending time with her family Margaret enjoys competing and riding her own horses as well as travelling.
Aimee Hamilton, BA VetMB MRCVS
Aimee graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2010 and joined the mixed animal team in the Bury St Edmunds branch of Swayne and Partners in October 2010. Aimee has a wide interest in all species, especially the larger patients. In her spare time she enjoys horse riding and hopes to renew her ambition to complete a marathon.
Andrew Bates, BA VetMB MRCVS
Having graduated from Cambridge Vet School, Andrew joined the Bury branch of Swayne and Partners as a mixed practice vet in November 2010. He is particularly interested in anaesthesia and large animal medicine. Outside work Andrew enjoys cycling and rock climbing.
Haverhill team:
Tony Wile, Vet MB, MRCVS
Born 1960 in London Tony qualified from Cambridge in 1985. After spending a period of time in mixed (small and large animal) practice in Cambridgeshire Tony joined Swayne and Partners in 1987. In 1989 Tony became a partner and has worked, with an expanding team of vets and nurses at our Haverhill branch since its opening in 1990. Tony enjoys all aspects of small animal practice but has a particular interest in orthopaedic surgery
Jodie Rutland (nee Crisp), BVM&S, MVM (anaes) MRCVS
Jodie has worked here since 2001 after qualifying in 2000 from the Royal Dick Veterinary College in Edinburgh. She then completed a year long internship in anaesthesia at the Glasgow Vet School. She has a keen interest in Ophthalmology.
During her time at Swaynes Jodie has enjoyed a few exciting sabbaticals to New Zealand and Australia with her husband Craig, who is also a vet. They live in Long Melford with their young family, three legged cat named Dorothy and fun loving labrador Max.
Heather Bentley, BVM&S MRCVS
Heather qualified in 1984 from the Royal Dick Veterinary College in Edinburgh. She previously worked at Swayne & Partners in Bury St Edmunds from 1984-1987, occasionally helping out at our other branches in Newmarket and Long Melford. She then worked in several other practices in Suffolk but always had a particular soft spot for Swaynes. In 2004 she rejoined Swayne and Partners to work mainly in Haverhill and Newmarket and late that year joined the Haverhill team full time. Heather has two daughters, Natasha and Rebecca, two dogs Russet and Chilli, a cat Lily and three rabbits Buttons, Bracken and Pippin. In her spare time Heather enjoys raising money for charity by climbing mountains. She has climbed in Wales and climbed to the summit of Kilamanjaro in September 2007.
Vicki Rutland BVSc MRCVS
Vicki joined the Haverhill branch of Swayne and Partners in 2009 after graduating from Bristol University and seeing practice during her studies at our Bury St Edmunds surgery.
Vicki has a particular interest in rabbits as well as internal medicine of all domestic species.
Outside of work Vicki likes to spend her time horse riding and walking her black labrador Rosie.
Harriet Priddey BVSc MRCVS
Harriet started working at our Haverhill branch in March 2011, having previously worked in Lincolnshire. She graduated from Bristol in 2009 and is particularly interested in feline medicine and dermatology. Outside work Harriet enjoys horse riding, supporting Worcester Rugby Club and going to the races.
Newmarket team:
Angela Jones, BVet Med, PhD, MRCVS
Clare Hood, BvetMed MRCVS
Clare qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in July 2009. Since graduating she has worked for Swayne and Partners at the Newmarket surgery. Clare is passionate about all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery. Outside of work Clare enjoys travelling, horse riding and running round after her very lively cats.
Chris Felstead BVetMed MRCVS
Chris qualified in 2009 from the Royal Veterinary College in London before joining the Newmarket team in 2011 with his fiancée Laura. Prior to this he enjoyed volunteer veterinary work in India, and a year as a mixed vet in Lincolnshire working with cattle and companion animals. He is keen on all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery, but takes a particular interest in diagnostic imaging.
Outside of work Chris plays badminton and enjoys getting out on his bike, in 2009 cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity. He has a cat called Honey and a guinea pig called Popcorn.
Laura Trowbridge BVetMed MRCVS
Laura qualified in 2009 from the Royal Veterinary College in London before joining the Newmarket team in 2011 with her fiancé Chris. Prior to this she enjoyed volunteer veterinary work in India, and a year in a small animal hospital in Lincolnshire. She is keen on all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery, but takes a particular interest in cardiology.
Laura is a keen sportswoman and enjoys riding her horse called Charlie who is also shared with Clare from the Newmarket team.
Long Melford team
Simon Culmstock BSc, BVSc, MRCVS
Simon qualified from Liverpool University in 1997, and has worked in general veterinary practice since then. He joined Swayne and Partners in 2000, working initially at our Newmarket surgery, before joining the Long Melford surgery in 2004. He became a Partner in 2007.
Simon is equally at home in the consulting room and in the operating theatre, although he has a particular interest in orthopaedic surgery. Outside of work he is a family man, and loves spending time with his wife and two children.
Florentine Atkins (nee Elias) MRCVS
Florentine qualified from Utrecht University, Holland and has worked for our Long Melford branch of Swayne and Partners since 2003. Florentine's main interest is diagnostic imaging and she is enrolled in a post-graduate certification. In Florentines spare time, she enjoys walking her mad but lovely (!!!) Border terrier `Evie'. She has two cats, Bernard and Isobelle.
Benedetta Marinucci VetMB MRCVS
Carly Smith BVetMedSci (Hons), BVM BVS (Hons) MRCVS
Carly graduated from Nottingham University in 2011. She joined the team having enjoyed a placement with us in her final year. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery. Outside of work she spends most of her time eventing her horse, Lema, as well as looking after for her cat, Merlin, Jack Russell terrier, Bliss, and her two ferrets, Bandit and Sugar.
