Retirement Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Oct. 01, 2010
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Total retirement, post-retirement benefit plan and defined benefit plan expense	$ 27,900,000	$ 24,000,000	$ 21,400,000
Accumulated benefit obligation for defined benefit pension plans	146,200,000	132,100,000
Equity Securities
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Target percentage allocation	34.00%
Debt and fixed income assets
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Target percentage allocation	60.00%
Other
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Target percentage allocation	6.00%
US 401(K) Plan
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Maximum eligible participant compensation that company matches under defined contribution plan	6.00%
Maximum participant contribution allowed to be invested in VMS common stock	25.00%
US 401(K) Plan | Minimum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Participant contribution for eligible base compensation	1.00%
US 401(K) Plan | Maximum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Participant contribution for eligible base compensation	40.00%
Contribution as percentage on pre-tax basis	25.00%
Contribution as percentage on after-tax basis	15.00%
U.K. Savings Plan
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Maximum eligible participant compensation that company matches under defined contribution plan	6.00%
U.K. Savings Plan | Minimum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Participant contribution for eligible base compensation	1.00%
U.K. Savings Plan | Maximum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Participant contribution for eligible base compensation	100.00%
Defined Benefit Plans
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Discount rate	2.94%	3.38%
Rate of projected compensation increase	2.37%	2.48%
Contributions by employer	9,600,000	7,400,000
Expected total contribution to the defined benefit plans for the fiscal year 2012	11,100,000
Defined Benefit Plans | Minimum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Discount rate	1.30%
Rate of projected compensation increase	1.75%
Defined Benefit Plans | Maximum
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Discount rate	4.60%
Rate of projected compensation increase	3.50%
Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
Retirement Plans [Line Items]
Discount rate	3.00%	3.90%
Discount rates used to determine the benefit obligations - methodology	Based on [the yields of high quality zero-coupon corporate bonds with maturities that match the expected durations of the benefit obligations
Estimated increase in service and interest cost components due to one percentage point increase in assumed health care cost trend rates	16,000
Estimated increase in accumulated postretirement benefit obligation due to one percentage point increase in assumed health care cost trend rates	386,000
Estimated decrease in service and interest cost components due to one percentage point decrease in assumed health care cost trend rates	15,000
Estimated decrease in accumulated postretirement benefit obligation due to one percentage point decrease in assumed health care cost trend rates	348,000
Contributions by employer	500,000	500,000
Expected total contribution to the defined benefit plans for the fiscal year 2012	$ 500,000