VETPARTNERS has undergone further expansion following the acquisition of a mixed practice with one of Scotland’s largest equine hospitals.
Clyde Veterinary Group, which has four sites in Lanark, Wishaw, Auchenheath and Stirling, this week joined VetPartners.
With a team of 10 vets, two nurses, two nursing assistants and a groom, providing a 24-hour service for horse owners across central and southern Scotland, Clyde Veterinary Group has the largest equine hospital north of the border.
Clyde Veterinary Group also has a team of 14 dedicated farm vets, working between two centres in Stirling and Lanark, providing a specialised 24 hours service to the farming community in Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire.
Their small animal team is based at Lanark, Wishaw and Auchenheath.
More than 100 of the UK’s most trusted veterinary practices are part of the York-based group, which now owns four of the UK’s leading equine hospitals. Liphook Equine Hospital in Forest Mere, Hampshire, Rainbow Equine Hospital in Malton, North Yorkshire, and Ashbrook Equine Hospital in Knutsford, Cheshire, are already part of VetPartners.
VetPartners CEO Jo Malone said: “We are delighted to welcome Clyde Veterinary Group to VetPartners as they are a highly respected, large mixed practice.
“They strengthen our presence in Scotland and show we are committed to attracting some of the best veterinary businesses across all species, both in the UK and Europe.
“After building up a strong base of small animal practices, we are committed to growing our mixed, farm and equine groups, which will bring benefits of scale, local support for our teams and access to a wide range of excellent specialist services.”
Trevor Hamilton, director at Clyde Veterinary Group, said: “We had been discussing the future of UK veterinary practices for some time, before coming to the decision to join with the VetPartners family of practices. We believe that this is a natural part of the evolution of our practice.
“Of the opportunities available to us, we had the most synergy with VetPartners and already knew of a number of like-minded practices that have taken the same step.
“We strongly believe the collaboration between ourselves and this new, wider family of practices, with their progressive commitment to mixed practice, will lead to significant synergies between our organisations.
“VetPartners know veterinary practice; many key roles within their organisation are held by vets and they have support staff originating from veterinary practice, ensuring they have the best team possible to drive the business of veterinary practice forward.”
KPMG Corporate Finance advised Clyde Vets on the sale of the business to VetPartners.
VetPartners has 104 veterinary practices, with 4,600 employees working in nearly 400 sites across the UK and from its headquarters in York. The group diversified during 2018 to include a veterinary nursing school, laboratories, research dairy and locum agency.
Castle Vets, a two-site small animal practice, and Sound Equine, a single-site equine practice, in the Surrey/Hampshire area, last week made VetPartners their veterinary group of choice.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners Senior PR and Communications Manager, on 07970 198 492 or email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk