Meet the Team - All of us

Fiona Armstrong BVMS MRCVS

BVMS MRCVS

** Fiona is currently on Maternity Leave **

 

Fiona joined us in March 2017 after a spell in mixed practice in Scotland. She is a local, being well known to most of the farming community and in 2019 she married Stuart, a local farmer.

Fiona works as a mixed vet, seeing both small and large animals, predominantly in Brampton and Haltwhistle. She has taken a keen interest in several health initiatives, including the BVD Stamp it out campaign in England


Louise Coulthard RVN

RVN

Louise came to us for work experience in 2018 as part of her studies and joined us officially in 2019. In January 2023 she achieved her qualification as a Registered Veterinary Nurse. 

Louise says:

"I enjoy giving in-patient care and monitoring anaesthetics; I also enjoy going on farm visits. 

In my spare time, I enjoy walking my border terrier Bear and working on the family farm and travelling the Lake District."


Vicky Walton

Vicky joined the Capontree reception team in July 2022 and will be based mainly at the Brampton and Haltwhistle surgeries. 


Emily Baxter RVN

RVN

Emily started her nurse training with us in 2020.

Emily qualified as an RVN in July 2022 after studying at Askham Bryan York. She is currently working towards a Bachelors of Science in vet nursing at Myerscough College. Emily enjoys nurse consultations, emergency care and has a keen interest in rabbit nursing! 
 
In her spare time Emily enjoys riding her horse and spending time with her 9 dogs and 2 cats and is a member of Haltwhistle Young Farmers.

Jacqui Mason

Jacqui joined the Capontree team at the end of 2022 and will be working mainly at the Brampton and Haltwhistle surgeries


Jeanette Laidlow

Jeanette joined our team at Capontree towards the end of 2022. She works mainly on the small animal reception at Brampton and Haltwhistle. 


Marie Wilshaw

Marie joined the team at Capontree in June 2023. She will be working on both the small animal and large animal reception at both Longtown and Brampton. 


Katherine Lewin BVSc MRCVS

BVSc MRCVS

Katherine joined us in August 2022 after graduating from the University of Liverpool that summer. She has started in a mixed role but has a keen interest in large animal work so will be focusing on this area initially, and is looking forward to getting to know all of our clients and farms.     

Having grown up in the Lake District she loves anything involving hills or water, so outside of work can usually be found running up a fell with her Border Terrier Maisie, or surfing over on the North East coast. 


Natasha Shanker BVSc MRCVS

BVSc MRCVS

Natasha graduated in the summer of 2022 from Liverpool. She has joined us on the companion animal team and will be based predominantly at Brampton. 


Euan Woodside BVM&S MRCVS

BVM&S MRCVS

Euan qualified in the Summer of 2023 and joined our team shortly after. He will mainly be seen out and about on farms throughout the practice area. 


Matthew Hutton BVMS MRCVS

BVMS MRCVS

Matthew was born in Belfast but grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne. He graduated from Glasgow vet school in 2021 and spent two years at a small mixed practice in Angus before joining the team in Autumn 2023.

He works out of our Longtown branch as a 50:50 mixed vet, with a particular interest in emergency/out of hours work for farm and small animals. He is often kept company on calls by his dog, Annie, a Welsh Corgi.

Outside of work, Matthew is a keen football supporter, and regularly spends weekends off driving up to Glasgow to use his season ticket


Vikki Glaister

Vikki joined the team in October 2023 as our practice Administrator. She is the point of contact for your pets insurance claims and client accounts. Vikki has over 20 years experience of undertaking different roles within the veterinary practice. She is Petplan trained and has a wealth of veterinary related qualifications.

Vikki has a love for cats and has several at home who live happily with her chocolate lab Luna .

Vikki is very keen Newcastle United supporter which is reflected in her black and white themed office. Vikki has a love of football and audiobooks.


Lilly Dearman Student Veterinary Nurse

Student Veterinary Nurse

Lilly joined our nursing team in January 2024. She will be training alongside the vets and Registered nurses with all aspects of pet care and progressing her further qualifications in animal care


Helen Dodd

Helen joined the Capontree reception team in January 2024 and will be working mainly at Brampton on both the large and small animal teams. 


Olivia Atkinson Student Veterinary Nurse

Student Veterinary Nurse

Olivia started a regular placement with the Capontree nursing team in 2021 to gain experience. She joined the team full-time in Summer 2022 as an Animal Nursing Assistant and has now started studying at Askham Bryan College in Gateshead for her full Veterinary Nursing qualification. 

She says "I spend most of my spare time painting, reading and riding horses. Having taken up baking in lockdown, I also enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my bakes with the team. I have two much loved animal companions  - a spaniel named Buddy and a cat called Patrick"


Pauline Graham - Director CVPM

CVPM
My career in the veterinary world started over 35 years ago as a Saturday girl, joining the practice at that time “Carnegie and Taylor” based at Longtown Road, Brampton. 
On leaving school I was offered a job at the practice as Nurse/Receptionist, which also allowed me to work on the family farm at The Banks, Lanercost.  I was trained with MAFF as a lay blood tester and tested cows for Brucellosis within the practice. 
As time progressed my interests focused on administration and practice management.  In 2000 I studied for and passed my “Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management”.
In 2006 I was appointed as a Director at Capontree Vets and in 2012 I was President of the Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA).  
Currently I am also a Director for the XL Vets Broomhall Buying Services Ltd and a council member for the VPMA.
 
With my role I enjoy working with and meeting people; the many different characters of life means no day is ever the same.  It's a pleasure to work with motivated and positive staff with a professional approach to life.
 
In my spare time I enjoy walking my dog, travelling -  especially skiing and cycling in Europe, socialising with family and friends and generally being involved in community life.

Charlotte Morfitt BVSc MRCVS

BVSc MRCVS

Charlotte joined us in Summer 2022 in a mixed position. She will be seen at the Brampton surgery and out on the farms. 


Lucy Jardine Animal Nursing Assistant

Animal Nursing Assistant

Lucy joined our nursing team in August 2023. She will be assisting the nurses with all aspects of pet care and starting further qualifications in animal care


Sarah Houldsworth BVMS MRCVS

BVMS MRCVS

Sarah joined our large animal team based from Haltwhistle in Autumn 2023. She has interests in all aspects of livestock health and production.