A CHESHIRE veterinary practice is preparing for a huge logistical operation to transfer medical equipment, supplies and operating tables to its new £2.5million state-of-the-art hospital.
Woodcroft Veterinary Group will receive the keys to its new hospital in Atlas House, Birdhall Lane in Cheadle, on August 31, before officially opening its doors on September 17.
The veterinary hospital will be one of the most modern, high-tech facilities in the North of England, providing 24-hour emergency care facilities and an expansion of Woodcroft’s advanced referral services.
Clients and members of the public will have the chance to view the new facility at a special open day on Saturday, September 14.
Covering 11,000 square feet across two floors, the hospital will boast 10 consulting rooms, six operating theatres, an intensive care unit, ultrasound and endoscopy facilities and a visiting MRI scanner.
The practice has also invested in a new £125,000 CT scanner to improve diagnosis and enable vets to prescribe the best internal medicine, orthopaedics, soft tissue, ear nose and throat and dentistry treatments.
The £2.5million project is being funded by VetPartners, which owns more than 120 of the UK’s most respected and trusted small animal, equine and farm practices, including Woodcroft Vets.
Clinical Director and surgeon James Farrell, who is overseeing the new hospital move, said: “The move to the new hospital is exciting as it will provide us with much more space and true state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to offer our clients even better care.
“It will allow us to expand our services and the whole thrust behind it is that we want to treat pets as our own and offer the best possible care.
“It is going to be a big logistical operation as three of our sites are moving to the new hospital.
“New equipment we’ve invested in like the CT scanner will go directly to the site, while other equipment and surgical kit, monitoring equipment, computers, operating tables and supplies will be transported over there just before the move.
“We have a big task on our hands to ensure a seamless move, but we will ensure it does not interrupt the care of patients and we will continue providing services as usual.”
The opening of the new hospital will mark the relocation of Woodcroft Vets’ services in Queen’s Road, with more than 50 team members, including vets and veterinary nurses, transferring to the new site. The practice’s dental and orthopaedic services, along with their 24-hour emergency out-of-hours service, also transfer to the new hospital.
Bringing all the advanced services together under one roof means the team faces a major operation to transfer fixtures and fittings to the new site – everything from bandages and syringes to equipment like scanners and specialist dental tools.
Some 10 vets, 30 veterinary nurses and 10 members of the night team will be moving to Atlas House from their current main hospital in Queens Road, Cheadle Hulme, and their Councillor Lane and Handforth surgeries. All three sites will remain open as branch surgeries.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners Senior PR and Communications Manager, on 07970 198 492 or email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk