Julian Norton, a fan-favourite on Channel 5's The Yorkshire Vet, left the Skeldale veterinary practice after 21 years, citing a difficult decision over its direction following a merger with Medivet.
Departure from Skeldale
Norton had joined as a junior partner at Skeldale, the practice that merged with the national organisation Medivet. He was not happy with the direction the practice was taking. He told the Darlington and Stock Times: "It wasn't the way I wanted the practice to go. I didn't think it offered necessarily the best way forward. It was a difficult decision, it was part of my life, it was a big change."
New Practices and Trustee Role
After leaving, the now 54-year-old Norton opened two new practices. In 2019, he established Sandbeck Vets in Wetherby with some old friends, and in March 2021, he opened Thirsk Veterinary Centre. In July 2026, he became a trustee of the Petplan Charitable Trust, which announced: "Julian Norton has spent most of his working life as a veterinary surgeon, and has also written 11 books. His books share his veterinary stories and those of the interesting characters he has met in and around his beloved Yorkshire."
Mental Health Advocacy
Norton has been open about the toll veterinary work can take and how he has struggled in the past to talk about pressures on his mental health. He told the BBC in November 2025: "Veterinary work can be quite lonely too. You visit solitary farmers with their animals, 30 minutes of driving in between, not much chance to chat. Fewer people are employed in farming now and if you don't get the chance to discuss the issues, things get bottled up."
His comments came as he backed The Shift Your Focus project, a campaign aiming to improve mental health support for men feeling isolated. On his previous reluctance to speak out about his own mental health, he shared: "I think it's the way we're brought up, the stiff upper lip. I'm better now, but it's an area that needs a bit of work, I think."
The Yorkshire Vet airs on Channel 5 on Thursdays at 8pm.
