A NEW state-of-the-art veterinary hospital - costing £16million - will open this summer as bosses announced the project is moving forward 

The hospital is nearly completed and bosses are confident it will open its doors in August to begin treating poorly pets. 

It will provide one of the largest, and best-equipped veterinary referral centres in not only the UK, but also throughout Europe.

It is around 42,000 square feet, and costs in the region of £16million.

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Andrew Baggott, leader of Basildon Council, believes the scale of the new hospital opening shows how open Basildon is for all types and sizes of businesses.

He said: “It is really good news for Basildon and the wider area. It is very exciting and welcome too.

“It shows that Basildon is open for all businesses, and we welcome any other industries who may want to jump on board.”

The new centre is around ten minutes away from their current site but will be more than double the size.

It will have an innovative cancer treatment facility, full diagnostic suites, 24/7 emergency referral service, seven operating theatres, recovery suites, an ICU, and 14 consultation rooms.

There will also be 180 kennels, including 163 for dogs and 17 for cats.

A spokesman for Southfields Veterinary Specialists said: “It’s a really exciting time for all of us here at Southfields as we approach the opening of our new £16million referral centre.

“A huge amount of hard work and thought has gone into the design and build of the site, which will provide cutting-edge care over a 40,000 sq. ft site.

“We hope to start seeing patients in August and there’s a huge sense of achievement for all of us now the project is nearing completion.

“The new facility will provide one of the largest and best-equipped multi-disciplinary veterinary referral centres in not only the UK, but also throughout Europe.

“We consulted animal behaviourists from day one, which has meant we can deliver a centre that meets and exceeds the needs of our patients and clients like no other in the UK.

“It’s a huge move for us in every way. Our expert team will double in size and we will become one of the largest and best-equipped referral centres in the UK.”