A SURREY veterinary referral practice is relocating to a new £1.8million state-of-the-art site in a move that will lead to a major expansion.
Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals has outgrown its current premises in Ockley, where it has been based since it was established in 2005 by respected veterinary orthopaedic surgeons Ralph Abercromby and Angus Anderson.
The practice will move four miles to a new site at Dawes Farm in Warnham, Sussex, which is currently being converted. Work is expected to be completed in February 2020 and the expansion in services will create up to six new jobs.
The new site is being completely refurbished and facilities will include a £150,000 CT scanner, along with four consulting rooms, three operating theatres, x-ray room, separate cat and dog ward and new staff room. The move will expand the number of small animal referral cases the practice can take from other veterinary practices that require investigative and surgical orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures.
The relocation and expansion follows £1.8million of investment from VetPartners, which owns Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals, along with nearly 130 of the UK’s most respected and trusted veterinary practices.
Clinical Director Dr Angus Anderson said: “This is an exciting move for us as the new site will significantly improve facilities and provide us with more space to expand our number of clinicians and cases referred to us.
“At the moment we are limited on what we can do, especially as we rely on a mobile CT scanner coming to the practice, so have to schedule appointments to its availability. The new CT scanner on site means we can see more orthopaedic and spinal cases.
“Our current building is limited and could not be extended. The only way to grow as a practice was to find a bigger site with more space for new equipment and an expansion of the team. Over time we are hoping to add other disciplines to the services we currently offer, which would not be possible at our current site. There is the possibility of expansion within the new building that greatly improves our options.
“The investment in the new premises and equipment is one of the advantages of being part of a bigger veterinary group like VetPartners as they are able to provide significant investment that enables us to provide an even better service.”
Anderson Abercromby receives orthopaedic and spinal neurology referral cases from a 50-mile radius, including Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and South London.
The practice currently employs four vets, eight nurses, one veterinary intern and two reception team members. The move has seen them already appoint a vet, who is an advanced practitioner, to enable them to take on more cases, and is likely to lead to another being appointed in 2020. It will also lead to an expansion of the nursing team.
The new premises at Dawes Farm were previously leased by Origin Vets, which is also part of VetPartners, and means Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals will neighbour other practices in the group, Mayes & Scrine Equine Vets, Westpoint Farm Vets and Farmacy.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners Senior PR and Communications Manager, on 07970 198 492 or email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk