Emergency and Critical Care

Poppy graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2014. Already knowing that a career in emergency and critical care was her goal, she then completed two emergency-focused internships and then spent a year working as a busy hospital Vet before embarking on a three-year residency programme at the Royal Veterinary College in London. She completed her training and passed her Specialist exams in 2020.

Working in several busy hospitals means Poppy is experienced in managing a wide variety of critically ill patients. However, her Specialist training is particularly useful as part of a multidisciplinary approach to severely ill patients with complex problems, such as those with life-threatening infections or polytrauma.

Poppy is also always looking for ways to improve the way we manage the sickest of patients and has been carrying out research in the areas of congestive heart failure, diabetic ketoacidosis and resuscitation medicine.

Outside of work, Poppy is an enthusiastic gardener and is always looking to expand her plant collection. She also enjoys exploring the countryside and working her way through various recipe books.

Fernanda graduated from the University Lufosona (Lisbon, Portugal) in 2013. She then moved to the North of England, where she worked for two and a half years in a busy first opinion practice. With the aim of improving her clinical skills and seeking a specialisation, Fernanda completed a rotating internship here at Willows, followed by an ICU internship at the University College Dublin.

In 2018 Fernanda began her three-year Residency in Emergency and Critical Care at the Royal Veterinary College and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency Critical Care in October 2022.

Fernanda joined Willows’ Specialist team in 2021, where she enjoys all aspects of Emergency and Critical Care.

Outside of work, she likes to travel, try new restaurants, spend time with friends, read, and watch series and movies. She has also recently become a plant enthusiast!

Dave graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 2017. He then returned to his home county as a small animal general practitioner in Shropshire, where he stayed for two years before returning to the Royal Veterinary College in 2019 to complete a one-year small animal rotating internship. Knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in Emergency and Critical Care, he enrolled on a three-year residency in ECC at the Royal Veterinary College, completing his specialist training in July 2023. Subsequently, Dave joined two of his prior colleagues, Fernanda and Poppy, as a clinician in Emergency and Critical Care at Willows in October 2023.  

Dave particularly enjoys teaching and has lectured internationally on the use of point-of-care ultrasound, a tool used frequently in both the emergency room and intensive care unit. He has a particular interest in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and improving the standard of care for our critically ill patients. As such, he is one of a handful of veterinary professionals in the UK who has completed the RECOVER registry CPR instructor course, allowing him to formally certify veterinary professionals in both basic and advanced life support.  

Additionally, Dave has a specific interest in the management of critically ill patients with cardiovascular disease and shock, and has been invited as a panel speaker at the European Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society congress in 2024, Gothenburg, to lecture on cardiac critical care. 

Outside of work, Dave likes to keep active and is a regular gym goer and swimmer. He loves to cook for his friends and family and has occasionally been known to get up at 3am to start smoking a brisket on the barbecue. Although Dave has no pets, he is already planning his pack of Golden Retrievers and hopes to get his first one soon!