There is a public expectation that a Veterinary Hospital will offer a higher standard of service and level of care than that which is offered in a normal veterinary surgery/clinic. The Veterinary Premises Standard categorises hospitals separately to other veterinary premises and the accreditation and registration requirements at the implementation of the Act are different.
Existing Hospitals
Hospitals with VSBSA accreditation can continue to provide veterinary services under their current accreditation, until the expiry of that accreditation.
Prior to the expiry of accreditation, the Veterinary Hospital must apply for accreditation and registration with the Board.
The Australian Small Animal Veterinarians Group Accredited Veterinary Hospital Scheme (ASAV-AVHS) recognises companion animal practices that achieve the highest levels of quality healthcare and practice management in innovative, state-of-the-art hospital facilities. If your premises has been accredited through ASAV – AVHS, the Board will recognise this accreditation to meet the required VSRBSA standards with no separate VSRBSA inspection being required.
If the Veterinary Hospital is accredited through the ASAV-AVHS scheme, then an application for registration for a Veterinary Hospital must be completed and include a copy of the ASAV-AVHS accreditation and certification with your application for registration.
If the veterinary premises does not have ASAV-AVHS accreditation, an application for hospital accreditation and registration must be submitted to the Board. The ASAV-AVHS Hospital and Standards of Accreditation will be used to assess accreditation and an inspection of the premises will be carried out before the Board will assess the application.
Every Veterinary Hospital in South Australia operating prior to 1 July 2026 will need to gain access to the veterinary premises portal and appoint a responsible person for the premises by 30 June 2026, irrespective of the expiry date of their current accreditation.
Who is a responsible person?
Section 41 of the Act provides that there must be a responsible person in respect of each registered premises.
(a) in the case of premises owned or occupied by an individual, that person; or
(b) in the case of a premises owned or occupied by an entity, the individual from time to time, nominated by the entity in accordance with any requirement set out in the regulations as the responsible person in respect of the premises.
Section 11 of the Veterinary Services Regulations 2025 stipulates for the purposes of sub-section (b) noted above, the individual nominated by an entity as the responsible person in respect of registered premises owned or occupied by the entity must be a veterinarian with primary registration whose principal place of residence is in this State.
In all other cases, the Board considers it best practice that the responsible person is a veterinarian.
Responsibilities of a responsible person
The specific responsibilities of the responsible person include ensuring that:
- The conditions of any veterinary premises registration are being adhered, as any contravention in respect of the premises is an offence against the responsible person.
- They must, within 3 months of any change occurring in the information required to be included in the veterinary premises register, inform the Board in writing of the change.
This information is as follows:
(a) the name of the business carried on, or proposed to be carried on, at the premises; and
(b) the address of the premises (if relevant); and
(c) particulars of any limitation or condition of the premises’ registration; and
(d) the nature of the veterinary services to be provided at the premises; and
(e) the name of the responsible person in respect of the premises; and
(f) any other information prescribed by the regulations.
This information can be provided from within the premises portal.
The Board may impose conditions on a veterinary premises registration requiring the Responsible Person to
- Notify the Board before work is commenced to undertake material renovations or alterations of the premises
- Within 14 business days, inform the Board if the premises cease to comply with any of the standards
- Inform the Board about a proposed sale or transfer of the premises
- Inform the Board if any business carried on at the premises is placed into voluntary administration or receivership or in the case of a business carried on by a body corporate, into liquidation within 5 business days after becoming aware of these circumstances
The Board considers the responsible person’s management duties to include:
- To assist with assessment of the premises by an inspector.
- To meet the requirements of registration of the premises
- They are in regular attendance at the premises
- They appoint someone to act on their behalf if they take leave for more than 4 weeks.
- To provide a central point of contact with the Board for any complaints received about the Veterinary Premises Standards
Obligation of a responsible person
The Board must be notified in writing of the appointment, including the name and contact details of the person before they assume the duties of responsible person. The prescribed person (as defined in s51(4) of the Act) must notify the Board if the responsible person leaves or is permanently replaced by completing and submitting a change of responsible person form.
The responsible person will be listed on a veterinary premises register maintained by the Board.
A prescribed fee may be payable in relation to the nomination or change in nomination of the responsible person in respect of registered premises in accordance with the fee notice.
Review
This factsheet shall be reviewed annually or as required to ensure that it remains appropriate to the operations of the Board and compliant with the relevant legislation.
New build/hospital renovation
The same accreditation principles apply to newly built hospitals and premises that are renovated with the intention of achieving hospital accreditation.
In the case of a new or renovated hospital, an application for registration should be made to the Board at least 3 months before the proposed commencement of operations. For newly built premises, a 6-month application lead time should be aimed for. This ensures that there is enough time to conduct an inspection and provides the Board information about the status of a build or renovation in the event that a complaint is received.