DVS highlights that the phenomenon of large group veterinary businesses is on the rise: big corporations such as Pets at Home Vet Group have recently bought stakes in several of the UK’s biggest referral practices and CVS Group, for example, now owns more than 360 of the UK’s veterinary surgeries, including referral practices.
By contrast, Davies Veterinary Specialists has now reduced the shareholdings of its founder (Jerry Davies), financial director (Mike Thomas) and managing director (Clive Elwood), in order to increase the holdings of Ian Battersby (internal medicine), Ronan Doyle (soft tissue surgery), David Gould (ophthalmology) and Nat Whitley (internal medicine) and create 8 new shareholders: Louise Clark (anaesthesia), Nuria Corzo-Menendez (diagnostic imaging), Mike Farrell (orthopaedic surgery), Laurent Garosi (neurology), Mark Goodfellow (oncology), Patricia Ibarrola (internal medicine), Pedro Oliveira (cardiology), Peter Smith (neurology).
The company says that its increasing number of shareholders will build a more effective business democracy, and in turn help uphold its core values of integrity, professionalism, compassion and respect.
Clive Elwood said: "Maintaining our independence is important to us as a business because it ensures we retain the culture and ethos that provides leading multi-specialist care to all of our patients and exceptional service to our customers and referring colleagues.
"I am delighted we have managed to achieve this transaction, which represents the next stage in the development of our amazing practice. Retaining ownership means we can demonstrate that there remain alternative business models and career paths outside corporate practice. It is a pleasure to welcome such a fantastic group of new shareholders who will, I am certain, contribute greatly to our future success."
DVS says it will continue to evolve the management and governance structure of the practice as it grows. In the future DVS shareholders will set overall strategy and direction for the business and ensure effective governance by the Board of Directors. As well as clinical skills, the development of management and leadership skills will be encouraged across the practice. A strong commitment to learning, research, innovation and teaching will support the delivery of exemplary patient care.
To find out more visit www.vetspecialists.co.uk
Willows, the Solihull-based multidisciplinary referral centre, has announced that it has acquired The Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Centre, the renowned referral service run by Mike Martin MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology (pictured right).
Mike, together with Chris Linney and their team will shortly be moving half-an-hour up the road to join the team at Willows.
The company says that the move will offer a number of benefits to referring practitioners. Chief amongst these is the speed with which an accurate diagnosis can be made and treatment given, both as a result of having RCVS Specialists in neurology, imaging, medicine, soft tissue surgery (and now cardiology) under one roof and because of the state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal, including CT, MRI and digital fluoroscopy.
Lynne Hill, CEO, Willows Group said: ”I’m thrilled that Mike, Chris and their team are joining us at Willows. I have always held Mike in the highest regard and this is a tremendous opportunity for the practice to provide a truly collaborative ‘one-stop-shop’ for both clients and referring veterinary practices”.
Mike said: “I’m really looking forward to working at Willows Referral Service and being part of a multidisciplinary team. It's a logical move to provide Willows with the missing discipline of cardiology and I'm delighted Lynne Hill has allowed us to fulfil that role. There has been an increasing number of referrals between the two centres due to the complexity of cases - now that will be all under one roof and we can manage these much more effectively and offer the best service to our clients and their patients.”
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net
David, who was assisted by Dan Kenny and Kat Grzywa MsRCVS, said: “Penny presented with suspected ascites, given a large volume of peritoneal effusion. Her abdomen was very swollen and taut
“We performed a contrast-enhanced CT scan with an iodine-based contrast to help highlight the areas of the body we needed to examine and the results were startling.
“The mass was enormous. It almost completely filled the abdomen.”
CT images showed that the mass had originated in the right kidney, which had been displaced into the left side of the abdomen, and also compressed the rest of Penny’s internal organs.
There was no evidence of metastatic disease.
David added: “A right ureteronephrectomy was performed and the large cystic parts of the tumour were dissected free from the omentum, the peritoneum and the retroperitoneal vasculature.
“The surgery was really difficult because the mass was so large and heavy, and it required extra surgeons to hold and manipulate the mass, while its vasculature was dissected and ligated.
“The weight of the mass on the diaphragm also made the anaesthesia challenging but surgery went very well.
"Once the surgery was over, the weight of the mass was confirmed at nearly 5kg.
“Penny made a good recovery from the anaesthesia, her blood renal parameters remained normal throughout her recovery, and she was discharged 48 hours later. Histopathology later confirmed the mass to be renal carcinoma.”
RSA has confirmed the initial 27 practices that have joined its new Preferred Referral Network, launching today.
The creation of the network means that whilst veterinary surgeons can continue to appoint referral practices as they do now, owners of animals needing a non-emergency referral outside the RSA network may need to pay £200 towards the cost of treatment.
The new rules currently apply to holders of policies issued by Tesco Bank and MORE TH>N, however RSA says it is in discussion with other insurance brands about adopting the new network.
RSA says the Preferred Referral Network will enable it to provide competitively priced products and deliver a range of benefits for customers including:
The company is highlighting the fact that its new network fields 178 RCVS, EBVS or AVMA recognised specialists, 49 Diploma holders and 71 Certificate holders or Advanced Practitioners, working at a mixture of large, multi-disciplinary centres (including five with links to university teaching hospitals), independents and corporates.
RSA says that over the last 12 months, vets have directed more than half of all RSA cases to the 27 practices in its network.
Bill Paton, Claims Director for UK and Western Europe said: “We are delighted to have twenty seven practices from around the UK join our preferred referral network. This is a huge step forward and will enable us to continue to provide competitively priced insurance cover with access to the highest standards of veterinary treatment and care.
"We expect further practices to join the Network in due course and we are actively engaged in discussions with a number of referral practices of varying size and scale, which have expressed an interest in joining."
The 27 referral practices are:
South East
South West
Midlands
North West
North East
East
Scotland
* referral arrangements still being finalised
Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS) has announced that it has completed development work on its premises in Higham Gobion, Hertfordshire, to improve capacity and workflow for diagnostic procedures including MRI, CT and endoscopy.
The new development includes the construction and outfitting of an anaesthesia induction room with two state-of-the art stations, a diagnostic imaging viewing room, a further ultrasound and procedures room and office space for the nurse supervisor team. The rooms were built inside the site’s central barn as the next phase of DVS’s ongoing expansion programme, which has recently seen the completion of a new staff room and upgraded kennels and cattery facilities.
Clive Elwood, Managing Director of DVS said: “We first acquired the barn space in 2004 and initial construction included MRI and CT rooms with the plan of completing further rooms as needs arose. This latest development has already had a big impact on workflow and allows us to optimise the use of our diagnostic equipment. It represents our continued commitment to growth and development so that we can serve our customers to the best of our ability. I am very grateful to all of those who contributed to the project and showed necessary patience during construction.”
DVS now employs more than 35 specialist clinicians, 60 nurses, many with an advanced nursing qualification, and 30 administrators and support staff.
For further information visit www.vetspecialists.co.uk. You can also follow DVS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DVSvets.
Sabrina joins Fran Taylor-Brown, Simon Bertram and head of service Tom Cardy.
Tom, a European and RCVS specialist in neurology, said Cave is now the biggest specialist-led neurology service in the South West:
“We are very pleased to have Sabrina join the neurology service at Cave, expanding our team to four European and RCVS-recognised specialists in veterinary neurology. This really sets Cave apart from our competitors.
“Sabrina’s arrival, in conjunction with the installation of our new state-of-the-art MRI scanner, means we can see most urgent neurology referrals within 24-48 hours in nearly all cases and increase the number of neurology cases we treat each day.”
Cave’s new £1.2m Phillips Ingenia 1.5T Evolution offers 50% faster scans at a far higher resolution than its previous MRI and shorter general anaesthetics for patients.
It also allows a more detailed and accurate diagnosis of complex neurological conditions.
Tom added: “The MRI scanner is one of the most advanced imaging modalities for the nervous system, providing millimetre-thick cross-sectional images of the brain and spinal cord which is essential for both accurate diagnosis and treatment.
“Having such advanced equipment and facilities plus four recognised specialists means all our clients and their pets will see a vet with the highest level of training in veterinary neurology.
“All of our specialists are happy to discuss challenging cases on the phone with our referring vets and Sabrina's skills and enthusiasm will continue to improve and diversify the service we offer.
https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk
Brigite said: "We are leading an international multi-centre study to further investigate the impact of this heart disorder on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected dogs.
"This is an extremely important research project, so we need the co-operation of referring vets in the area to send cases to us to be included in the study. Clearly, the more cases we can assess then the more we can learn and the more we can help.
"The hope is this study will revolutionise the way in which this condition is treated in dogs around the world, both improving their day-to-day lives as well as giving them longer at home with their families."
For more information, visit: www.willows.uk.net
The 12-month surgical guarantee covers professional fees, including consultations, anaesthesia and surgery, involved in rectifying a complication as long as the patient is in good health and the post-surgery instructions have been followed appropriately.
Clinical Director, Andy Moores, an RCVS-Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics, said: “We can never promise that surgery will be free of complications, but we are confident in our low complication rate.
"We are offering a surgical guarantee to demonstrate this confidence and to provide our clients with the reassurance that we will help them get through any post-surgical complications.”
Andy added: “Along with our highly competitive fixed-price fees we hope this guarantee will give owners financial peace-of-mind when their pet needs orthopaedic treatment at this difficult time.
"We do not know of any other specialist orthopaedic centre in the southeast that offers better value care.”
www.mooresortho.com
For free case advice, email: advice@mooresortho.com
Instead of conducting major open surgery, Chris Shales, an RCVS and European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, Andrew Kent, a European Specialist in Internal Medicine, and the cardiology team at Willows are using coil embolization, a minimally invasive technique which they say is far safer and less likely to lead to post-operative complications.
The procedure involves threading tiny coils, via the jugular vein, through the venous system and positioning them in the blood vessel that needs to be closed. The coils encourage the blood to form a clot and so, over time, seal the vein.
Chris said: "This procedure of treating intrahepatic portosystemic shunts is associated with a lower risk of mortality and a lower surgical morbidity rate when comparted to open surgery. The overall outcome of the two approaches is similar in terms of reduction of flow through the shunt vessel.
"Access is gained via a small incision in the neck to allow the team to operate on the liver via the jugular vein using fluoroscopy to visualise the placement of a stent within the vena cava and embolization coils within the abnormal vessel.
"Intrahepatic shunts can be extremely challenging for the surgical team to access with the result that standard, open surgical treatment of these abnormal vessels can risk life-threatening complications and animals can require a significant time to recover."
For more information about shunt surgery at Willows, contact Chris Shales or Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist Andrew Kent on 0121 712 7070 or email enquiries@willows.uk.net.
Photo: Chris Shales, left, with Andrew Kent, centre, and cardiologist Mike Martin ('pass me a gin and tonic, would you').
According to Davies, Sharpsmart is the world’s safest and most environmentally responsible sharps and clinical waste management system, proven to:
Ellie West, anaesthetist at Davies and Green Group leader said: "We are really excited to have the opportunity to be the first veterinary centre to be working with Sharpsmart and are already seeing great results in carbon reduction and we look forward to sharing our results later in 2019."
Adrian Giles, Total Waste Program Manager for Sharpsmart added: "Working with Davies has enabled us to showcase our safety engineered sharps system in a new and exciting arena where sharps safety and sustainability are a priority.
"The transition to Sharpsmart was seamless and was completed across the centre in a day without any challenges. Face-to-face training was provided to staff along with touch point education material. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Davies over the coming months and years."
As part of its green drive, Davies will be hosting 'Sustainability CPD' for referring vets on May 2nd 2019 at its HQ in Higham Gobion, Hertforshire.
Ellie West said: "Run by the Sustainability Leads at DVS, this evening aims to increase your carbon literacy, explore the challenges and barriers to improving sustainability in your daily practice and find some positive solutions to implement sustainability. The challenges which we have faced at DVS will be explored, along with the co-benefits of sustainability to our business, and useful resources to help your practice to be more environmentally friendly and resilient will be highlighted."
You can book your place here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/events/davies-first-sustainability-cpd-for-referring-vets/ or contact Ellie.West@vetspecialists.co.uk if you are interested in attending or would like more information.
Davies has also produced a suite of Waste Segregation Posters which are proving popular with their referring practices. You can find out more and view the posters here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives-at-davies-your-questions-answered/.
For more information or to receive print ready PDFs, contact marketing@vetspecialists.co.uk
Virtual Vet Derms has been set up to be able to give advice to veterinary surgeons on any aspect of skin or ear disease whether it is allergy, otitis media, cutaneous neoplasia or endocrine-based in any species, including dogs, cats, small furries, exotic pets including raptors, birds and reptiles, horses, camelids, zoo and farm animals.
Sue, herself an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology, is supported by a team of veterinary dermatology colleagues as well as veterinary specialists in exotic medicine, internal medicine (including endocrinology) and consultants with expertise in oncology.
Sue said: "We recognise that not every veterinarian has got access to a local dermatology specialist and that not all clients can or want to travel to a referral centre. The aim of the service is to formalise the advice that dermatology clinicians give to veterinary surgeons to allow them to get detailed help to manage difficult or challenging dermatology cases within their own practice."
The service has been set up under the RCVS Vivet initiative, is approved by all of the major insurance companies and supported with Veterinary Defence Society Insurance cover.
Virtual Vet Derms offers support in a range of ways.
Quick questionsShort questions that veterinary surgeons can submit via the online form on the Virtual Vet Derms website that just require a brief reply. This may be a dose of a drug, a parasite you want identifying, or the interpretation of a blood sample such as an ACTH stimulation test.
Veterinary reportsVeterinary surgeons can use online request forms on the Virtual Vet Derms web site to submit a brief history of the animal and the problem and some good quality photos of the skin condition. There is also the ability to upload histopathology reports, blood samples and any other pertinent information. A detailed written report is sent back to the vet within 48 hours which will describe clinical signs, differential diagnoses, recommended diagnostic tests and treatment option where appropriate. Where possible, Virtual Vet Derms aims to pass the advice request to the nearest dermatologist but vets can ask for advice from any of its specialists.
Telemedicine consultationsFor new cases or for cases where initial advice has been sought, in the client's own primary care veterinary practice via the internet. The Virtual Vets Derms specialist can consult with the owner to provide even more specific advice and support. After each teleconsultation the Virtual Vet Derms specialist will produce a report in the same format as the veterinary report to allow the primary care veterinary surgeon to continue to manage the case more effectively.
Face to face consultationsCan also be arranged via the owner’s vet at the specialist's own practice if there is the need for more specialist investigation that may not be available in the primary care veterinary surgery. In these cases, the specialist will take on the direct care of the case and work with the owner and vet on the best course of action.
General advice Also possible if the vet wishes to direct an owner straight to Virtual Vet Derms.
For more information, visit: https://virtualvetderms.com
Stefano qualified in Parma, Italy and has a Master’s in Clinical Oncology. He has worked in a number of referral practices, managing and treating small animal oncological cases. He also has an interesting history of working with animals across the globe: he has a Master’s in Tropical Veterinary Medicine and worked with the United Nations in Somalia, Malaysia and Guyana in wildlife management.
Founder, CEO and Clinical Director of The Ralph, Shailen Jasani said: "We had always planned to include an oncology service here at The Ralph though not quite this soon after opening. However, over the last eight months, this has been one area of veterinary medicine where we have not been able to serve our patients, their carers or our referral community. This did not sit well with us. Serendipity being what it is, our path crossed with Stefano's and we were able to extend our services."
For more information, visit www.theralph.vet
Paragon’s head of neurology, Massimo Mariscoli, says it will deliver better results for pets, improve the health and well-being of the surgeons using it, and improve the hospital’s ability to deal with complex spinal and brain surgeries.
Massimo, an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology said: “The operative microscope is an essential piece of equipment in the modern neurosurgical theatre.
“It delivers good magnification, good illumination without significant aberration or production of excessive heat and has a great internal stability which allows operational flexibility.
“There is also direct visual control of the instrumentation with the possibility to have magnifications up to 10 times with a good depth of field allowing a more natural three-dimensional vision.
“In addition, surgical microscopes allow multiple different magnifications while maintaining constant working distances which leads to excellent flexibility and versatility during surgical procedures.
“For example, low magnification is used during the drilling of the vertebral laminar or the skull and to ensure that the whole surgical field is clean before suturing the muscle layers.
“Higher magnification is used while dealing with delicate structures such as the spinal cord or brain.
“The higher magnification coupled with a good depth of view and stable three-dimensional vision also increases the security and safety when manipulating micro-surgical instruments near the nervous tissue.”
Massimo says that while the microscopes are not common in veterinary practices, he strongly believes they are an essential piece of equipment when dissecting close to the brain or spinal cord in small animals.
He also says that veterinary surgeons benefit from the technology: "The operative neurosurgical microscope is fixed to a self-levelling tripod, allowing multiple spatial configuration to ensure a perfect vision of the surgical field.
“This has a positive outcome on the health and well-being of the surgeons, with a 2013 study showing that, for nearly 85% of the time spent operating, surgeons have symmetrical, non-neutral, head-neck posture.”
For more information, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk.
First opinion practices can refer dogs and cats for routine echocardiography, ECG analysis and full cardiac work-up. In addition, orthopaedic and neurological cases referred with a pre-existing murmur, arrhythmia or cardiac condition will also benefit from screening at the centre.
Andrew was awarded the ECVIM-CA diploma in Small Animal Cardiology in 2013 and brings with him a wealth of experience from both referral practice and the pharmaceutical industry. He said: "I am delighted to be joining the expanding team at Hamilton Specialist Referrals. The desire for the team to provide patients, clients and staff with the best experience possible is close to my heart and I'm looking forward to being a part of that journey."
Director, orthopaedic surgery specialist Michael Hamilton, said, "We're excited to welcome Andrew to the team. His expertise and experience will be invaluable for providing a comprehensive cardiology service, not only to our referring practices, but also for our existing caseload where a cardiac problem is suspected."
For more information, visit: www.hamiltonspecialists.vet.
The award has been granted to only a handful of practices and requires the achievement of high standards of care and a detailed understanding of the species.
Highcroft has three dedicated exotic species veterinary surgeons, including a European small mammal Specialist and four exotic species nurses, who have either obtained or are studying for their City and Guilds Exotic Species Veterinary Nursing Certificate.
The practice has a dedicated exotic species consulting room, waiting room, ward and an operating theatre, containing state-of-the-art equipment.
In addition to treating rabbits, both vets and nurses in the exotic species team lecture widely to promote the importance of providing a high standard of care to rabbits and to ensure that their welfare is optimised.
Dr Elisabetta Mancinelli DVM CertZooMed Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal) MRCVS heads the exotic species team at Highcroft. A European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery) and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, she said: "We are very proud to have been awarded Gold Status by the RWAF. We will continue to enhance the level of care we provide, not just to rabbits but to all exotic species and strive to improve the welfare of all animals under our care, in hospital and at home."
The clinic will offer referrals in orthopaedics, internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, neurology and advanced imaging from a team which includes Rory Bell, an RCVS and European Recognised Specialist in Internal Medicine, and Jonathan Bell, an EBVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery.
The practice says it has some of the most advanced equipment in Europe, including a Siemens 128 slice CT scanner and a Siemens 1.5T Aera MRI scanner. The clinic also has three environmentally-controlled theatres, with CT and MRI scanning capabilities.
Dr Stuart Cooke BVetMed CertSAS MRCVS, one of Swift Referrals founders said: “We’re delighted to launch Swift Referrals, and would like to thank everyone who helped us get here. We are proud to be able to say that we house some of the most advanced equipment in the continent, from the very best advanced imaging machines, to specialist treatment and aftercare rooms. We also have some of the most skilled veterinary experts operating in them, day in and day out. Our clinicians are leaders in their field of expertise, with years of experience and very advanced training."
For more information: www.swiftreferrals.co.uk/.
Northwest Surgeons, the Cheshire-based referral centre which is now part of Pets at Home, has announced the expansion of its clinical specialisms into the field of neurology, with the appointment of Dr Lorenzo Golini.
Dr Golini underwent residency training in neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Zurich where he remained as a clinician after his residency. He holds the European Diploma in Veterinary Neurology and a Master's degree in behavioural medicine. His main interests lie in epilepsy and MRI.
Dr Chris May, Northwest Surgeons' Managing Director said: "Neurology is a natural extension of the services we offer currently and is an area of growth in response to an increased demand from our referring vets. I am delighted to welcome Lorenzo to our team."
Dr Golini will accept referrals for both medical and surgical neurology cases, expanding on the case load seen by Northwest Surgeons' existing specialist teams which offer referrals in orthopaedic, soft tissue and spinal surgery and internal medicine. These services are supported by veterinary specialists in anaesthesia, pain management and diagnostic imaging.
For more information, visit: www.nwsurgeons.co.uk
Chris, who is moving from Willows, will develop both the medical cardiology service and deliver a new interventional cardiology service to complement the existing surgical offering at Paragon, which is investing around £145,000 in ultrasound equipment and operating facilities to support the service.
Chris said: “I’ve had a great time at Willows and couldn’t think of a better place than Paragon to continue my passion for all things cardiology.
“It’s an exciting time to be joining Paragon, which is growing phenomenally to service the region whilst it cements itself as one of the leading referral centres in the north of England.
“The investment and expansion which is taking place at Paragon will allow us to develop another globally-recognised cardiology centre within Linnaeus.”
For more information, visit: www.paragonreferrals.co.uk
Michael qualified from the University of Glasgow in 2009 and then worked in first opinion practice in Buckinghamshire and Northern Ireland. He then returned to the University of Glasgow in 2012 to further his training and experience in oncology by completing four years of additional training. He completed an ECVIM residency in oncology in 2016 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a European Specialist in Oncology in 2017. Michael worked at a private referral practice in Surrey prior to joining Fitzpatrick Referrals. Earlier this year, Michael was awarded a Masters degree in Veterinary Medicine. This additional qualification researched canine mast cell tumours.
Michael said: "I am absolutely delighted to have joined Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue hospital. I have had a long-standing ambition to work as part of the fantastic team here since visiting the hospital during my specialist training in 2015. At this visit, I immediately felt at home in a group of people driven to deliver the very best compassionate care for dogs and cats.
"My ambition is to develop the very best ways to minimise the impact that cancer has on animals. I know that Fitzpatrick Referrals is the best environment for me to be able to achieve this. Throughout the hospital, there is an amazing positive attitude and a collective drive to improve the overall care we can give to pets with cancer. I am also excited by the opportunity to be able to help others to achieve their goals in improving cancer care for pets."
HSR, which provides emergency and routine specialist orthopaedic and neurology services, now offers video consultations with a specialist and a pet transportation service. It has also introduced strict strict biosecurity and operational preventative measures.
Clare Hamilton, Managing Director, says, “Our priority is to continue to offer gold-standard service for both routine and emergency orthopaedic and neurological cases whilst doing our utmost to limit the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible. We are to all intents and purposes, ‘business as usual’ with additional hygiene measures to protect clients and staff”.
HSR is asking clients that if there is a chance that they have Covid-19 and/or have come into contact with anyone with the virus they do not attend the hospital in person, but instead contact via email or telephone to discuss their pet’s treatment on an individual basis. Clients visiting the clinic are being asked to wait in their cars until their appointment, whereupon the animal is collected from the car by one of the team for its clinical examination. The vets are then speaking to the clients by telephone to discuss and gain consent for any further investigation or treatment.
For vulnerable clients who are self-isolating and in need of their services, HSR is offering a pet ambulance service for collection and drop off of pets. They will then have a video consultation with the specialist. Medications will be posted out and advice given over email or telephone.
Clare added: “We are doing all we can to support colleagues and clients in what are unprecedented circumstances. We recognise the strain on many practices having to reduce the number of appointments in the face of staff shortages. We want to reassure vets that we are happy to offer advice and support with cases, and continue to take referrals during this difficult period. We also have free online CPD for practices via our website as meetings are postponed or cancelled”.
The practice advises clients and referring vets to check for further developments on social media, or sign up to their email list for updates.
Sheila Wills BSc BVetMed CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS, specialist in internal medicine, has joined Wey Referrals, the Surrey-based multi-disciplinary veterinary referral practice.
Professor John Innes, Referral Director at CVS (of which Wey Referrals is a part) said: "We are delighted to welcome Sheila to our specialist team at Wey Referrals. Her experience and knowledge will further strengthen the service we offer and her appointment is another important step in the development of our referral team in the South East. Attracting the highest calibre talent is important to CVS because we want to build a referral team, whose members are not only clinically excellent but who also possess first rate communication and inter-personal skills."
Sheila said: "I am excited to be joining the CVS specialist team and look forward to working with like-minded colleagues who are passionate and dedicated to providing the highest level of patient care and client communication. I am delighted to be able to offer a specialist internal medicine service in both feline and canine medicine and look forward to offering a comprehensive service to CVS clients and expanding the internal medicine service further in the future."
Sheila graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 1998 and spent five years in small animal practice before undertaking an FAB Residency in Feline Medicine at the University of Bristol.
Shortly after her residency, she was appointed Head of Small Animal Medicine and the Feline Centre at the Animal Health Trust where she was based for two years before moving to a major veterinary laboratory in December 2009. She recently returned to the University of Bristol as a teaching fellow in feline medicine.
Sheila acquired her ECVIM Diploma in Internal Medicine in September 2010 and is a Recognised European Veterinary Specialist in Internal Medicine. She became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine in March 2012 and enjoys all aspects of feline medicine with a specialist interest in feline renal and ureteric disease. She is a member of the ICC Feline Expert Panel and an editorial board member for the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
Julia, who is a leading exponent of the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) screening test, will also support the small animal referral hospital’s neurology, ophthalmology and dermatology teams with enhanced diagnostics.
Julia was a neurology technician at the Animal Health Trust for 31 years, until it closed in July 2020. With colleagues there she helped to develop and implement BAER testing as a screening process in animals at risk of congenital deafness. Davies says this is now recognised as the gold standard in deafness testing by organisations such as The Kennel Club and various breed clubs in the UK.
Julia said: “I am so happy to be starting a new chapter at Davies. It is really exciting to be establishing the Hearing Assessment Clinic here and continuing to provide this important service both to previous clients and new ones. I am also looking forward to developing a successful, constructive working relationship with my new colleagues."
Tim Richardson, Managing Director of Davies said: "We are delighted to welcome Julia to the team at Davies. As one of the UK’s leaders in this highly specialised field she enables us to offer hearing screening, hearing tests and electrodiagnostics across the relevant disciplines, at the very highest level."
For further information visit www.vetspecialists.co.uk
The business is led by RCVS Specialists in Small Animal Orthopaedics, Professor John Innes and Ben Walton, alongside American veterinary orthopaedic specialist and investor, Dr Brian Beale.
Two more Specialists are due to join the senior team in May.
Building work is apparently well underway on the 8000ft2 premises in Abbots Park, Preston Brook, which will be equipped with CT, high-field MRI, and three operating theatres.
The centre, which is located near Junction 11 of the M56, will provide referral services to veterinary practices from the conurbations of the North of England and the surrounding English and Welsh counties.
Ben Walton said: “For me, it is an honour to team up with John and Brian who have unparalleled international reputations, and I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of our two additional colleagues.
"For veterinary professionals and clients, we are concentrating on responsive and clear communication, high clinical standards, and fair pricing.
"And finally, for prospective employees, we’re determined to foster a positive and supportive culture where vets, nurses and support staff can grow, thrive and enjoy a career.”
Until the opening of the new centre, Movement Referrals offers a peripatetic orthopaedics referral service based out of third party veterinary practices in the North West of England and North Wales.
www.movementvets.co.uk
Photo: from left to right: Prof. John Innes, Ben Walton, Dr Brian Beale
The new site, which is ten minutes up the road from Southfield's current location in Basildon, Essex, is due to be ready in time for them to move in at the start of 2022.
When it opens, the centre will continue to offer 15 specialist-led services, but the team is projected to double in size as more specialists, clinicians and staff are recruited over the course of this year
The new premises has been made possible thanks to a big investment by parent company Linnaeus, backed by Mars Veterinary Health.
Southfields managing director Tim Richardson said: "The new hospital is a real statement of intent, a clear signal we are committed to delivering a level of excellence in treatment and care second to none.
"It will provide the region with one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in, not only the UK, but also throughout Europe, with an extensive range of expertise in a wide variety of disciplines all under one roof.
"The fabulous facilities include a cutting-edge imaging suite, comprehensive treatment facilities and a new linear accelerator to assist our illustrious oncology team, which has already seen its status as one of the most experienced in the industry enhanced by the arrival of James Elliott, a renowned specialist in oncology.
"There will be seven operating theatres, 16 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and there are plans for a future hydrotherapy suite.
Southfields says it also aims to lead the industry in terms of staff wellbeing, with yoga and boxercise classes among the activities available to the Southfields team.
Daniel Hogan, Southfields’ hospital director, said: “This is a huge move for us in every way. The increased size of the hospital will enable us to provide a dedicated staff wellbeing area and to offer a range of activities which will benefit our team in both body and mind.
“Along with exercise and relaxation classes, we will have an education centre which will offer some really exciting qualifications and courses for the wider profession.”
Bart Johnson, chief executive of Linnaeus, said: "This move is a reflection of the ambition of Southfields, Linnaeus and Mars to continue providing the best veterinary care in the UK."
For more information about Southfields’ new site, visit https://southfields.co.uk/veterinary-professionals/new-hospital/.
The extension, which is due for completion before the end of the year, will allow the centre to offer a range of new services, including a new radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, a larger echocardiography suite for cardiac patients, an endoscopy suite, an ophthalmology procedure room, a dedicated operating theatre for minimally invasive procedures and 41 new kennels.
Toby Gemmill, clinical director at Willows, said: "The expansion represents a really exciting time for Willows and has been carefully planned to maximise the space we have available to us.
"We are already extremely well placed to offer a wide variety of specialist treatments and this extension will provide us with the space to build on our gold level cat-friendly clinic status with a radioactive iodine unit for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats, along with dozens of new kennels and range of specialist treatment rooms."
The extension is part of a major investment drive by the Linnaeus Group, of which Willows is a part, which will see it plough around £9 million into its sites across the UK.
Lynne Hill, chief executive of the Linnaeus Group, said: "We are extremely proud of the practices within the group and are fully prepared to support them financially, and in any other way, to ensure they continue to offer the very best facilities and treatment for our clients and patients."