Meet the Team

Martin Hobbs is the Practice Principal and owner of The Meopham Hospital and The Swanscombe and Sevenoaks Veterinary Surgeries. Martin gained a first class degree in Animal Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Leeds.

He graduated from The Royal Veterinary College in 1992, with distinctions in anatomy and surgery. In 1996 he opened the Meopham Veterinary Surgery and subsequently The Swanscombe Veterinary Surgery in 2000, The Sevenoaks Veterinary Surgery in May 2010 and The Tonbridge Veterinary Surgery in August 2021.

Following postgraduate study and examination Martin has been awarded the RCVS Certificates in Small Animal Surgery in 2002 and Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2004.

He has also gained a Certificate in Small Animal Ophthalmology. His main areas of interest are small animal surgery and diagnostic imaging. Martin is a Local Veterinary Inspector.

Practice Head Vet

Lauren graduated from the University of Bristol in 2011.  Between graduation and starting work she travelled to Greece where she had a fantastic time doing charity work neutering stray animals.  In 2017 she completed an advanced qualification in emergency medicine and critical care, which she finds an incredibly rewarding area of her job.

Lauren is the branch Head Vet of our Swanscombe Surgery.

In Lauren’s spare time she is a keen gym-goer, swimmer and golfer.

Alex graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2020 and has moved from West Sussex to start her vet career.  At University she developed a keen interest in surgery as well as critical care and ophthalmology, which she took tracking rotations in.

In her spare time Alex is a keen hockey player both on the pitch and in goal.  She also enjoys playing the piano and spending time with friends and family.

Beatrice graduated from the University of Liverpool in July 2025.

During university, she enjoyed all aspects of small animal medicine, developing a keen interest in diagnostic imaging and cardiology. 

Her main interests outside of work include yoga and spending time with her friends, family, and two dogs. 

Louise joined the team in April 2022 and has a Level 3 Certificate in Hydrotherapy, currently working towards her level 4.  She has been working as a hydrotherapist for 17 years and joined us from another busy centre. Louise is also qualified as a Level 4 Merishia Massage Practitioner, Canine Sports Massage Therapist and is qualified in K laser.

Louise is registered with IRVAP (The Institute of Registered Veterinary and Animal Physiotherapists) and  IAAT (International Association of Animal Therapists).

In her spare time, Louise enjoys spending time with her family & friends.

Ashleigh has a Level 3 Certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy and is currently completing her Level 4 Award in Canine Hydrotherapy. Ashleigh joined the team in Dec 2025. She has been working as a hydrotherapist for 2 years and joined us from another centre. Ashleigh is also qualified in K-Laser.
In her spare time, Ashleigh enjoys spending time with her family & friends.

Katie joined the Meopham Veterinary Hospital as a student in September 2012.

In July 2015 she qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse from the College of Animal welfare and was in charge of running our busy theatres before taking on the position of Head Nurse.

In her spare time Katie enjoys horse riding and playing tennis.

Gemma joined the practice in October 2007 after several years working in a small animal practice in Wales.  Gemma was appointed the position of Deputy Head Nurse in 2009.  She enjoys all aspects of nursing but can often be found in our busy theatres.

Gemma is responsible, alongside Vet Lauren, for maintaining our practice standards in order for us to retain our RCVS hospital status.

Sarah started as a trainee veterinary nurse at The Meopham Hospital in 2013 and passed her nursing exams to become a qualified veterinary nurse in 2017. She has a keen interest in medical nursing.

Before working at the Meopham Veterinary Hospital Sarah worked at The RSPCA Leybourne Centre which works closely with the hospital. She is the branch head nurse of the Swanscombe Surgery.

Tracey joined the team in March 2007. She is a qualified nurse assessor. Tracey can frequently be seen running nurse clinics. Outside of the hospital, Tracey is busy raising a young family but loves to dance in her spare moments.

Amelia first spent time at the practice as a work experience student in 2015 and in September 2018 she joined the team as a trainee veterinary nurse.

Amelia started college in April 2022 and qualified as an RVN in April 2025.

Her favourite area of nursing is caring for inpatients, and she is looking forward to increasing her knowledge through CPD.

Outside of work, Amelia likes to spend her time travelling when she can.

Poppy joined the Meopham team as a Receptionist in July 2023 after working in the retail industry for almost 10 years.

She has always had a huge passion for animals, so in August 2024 she took the leap and joined the nursing team at our Swanscombe branch.

At the end of the day she loves going home to her two cats, Wilma and Betty.

Laura has joined the office team at The Meopham Veterinary Hospital in May 2022 after starting her career at our Sevenoaks branch in a receptionist role.

Laura is HR and Pet Health Club Manager. In October 2025 Laura was promoted to Practice Manager.

Laura has previously completed an Animal Management Diploma and has always had a passion for animal welfare.

Her main hobbies include caring for her 4 cats and crested gecko at home and she enjoys going to the gym, swimming and taking long dog walks when visiting her mum who has a beautiful rescue greyhound.

Susan has been with the practice since it started in September 1996. She personally manages large account customers. Her other responsibilities include credit control and VAT. Outside work she enjoys the country life with her beloved Labrador Benson.

Jo joined the practice in May 2013 as a receptionist and was then promoted to our accounts team where she is enjoying her role (although she still manages to keep up to date with our patients downstairs!).  In her spare time she enjoys going to the theatre, painting and decorating and travelling. Jo has two cat’s called Zac and Bea and loves nothing more than cuddles with them when returning home from work.

Lilly joined our Meopham reception team in Spring 2023 and in November 2024 was appointed as Head Customer Care Advisor at our Meopham Hospital. In January 2026 Lilly transitioned into an office administrator role within the Meopham Veterinary Hospital.

She has always had a passion for working with animals and has previously worked in the equine industry.

In her spare time Lilly enjoys riding her horse and taking her dogs for long walks.

Emma joined our Sevenoaks team in October 2022 after being in the hospitality industry for many years. In January 2026 Emma transitioned into an office administrator role at our Meopham hospital, where she manages the Pet health club and social media.
She is a passionate animal lover, owning 5 chihuahuas, 3 chinchillas and a bunny rabbit. Having rescued some of her chihuahuas she is an avid believer in adopt don’t shop!
Emma enjoys crafting in her spare time, creating outfits for her chihuahuas, and showcasing them on their Instagram.

Katie joined us as our Swanscombe receptionist in June 2022 after 13 years of working within the beauty industry.  After deciding she wanted a career change, Katie looked at her strong love for animals in deciding on her new position within the veterinary industry.

Katie really enjoys meeting new people and their pets within her role.

Outside of work she enjoys going for dog walks in the countryside.

Niamh joined the Swanscombe team as Client Care Advisor in May 2026 as maternity cover.

Niamh has previously completed work experience at our Swanscombe Surgery and hopes in the future to become a Veterinary Nurse.