Southfields opens new £16 million Basildon animal hospital

Southfields Veterinary Specialists’ new purpose-built 42,000 sq ft hospital, based at Cranes Point, offers 24/7 facilities and will create a range of jobs as it continues a recruitment drive which will see it almost double the size of its team.

The Linnaeus-owned hospital in Basildon is one of the largest animal hospitals in the UK, according to bosses.

The Southfields team says it has worked closely with a veterinary specialist in animal behaviour to ensure the facilities and building are as comfortable and accessible as possible for patients, as well as clients and team members.

• READ MORE: First-look at brand new £16m veterinary hospital opening in Basildon this year

Hospital director Daniel Hogan said: “The new hospital is a real statement of intent, a clear signal we are committed to delivering the very highest level of excellence in treatment and care.

“After a lot of hard work, we were all incredibly excited to open the doors to our first patients and the team have been incredibly busy leading up to today, putting the final touches to the move to ensure a seamless transition to these amazing new facilities.”

Daniel Hogan, hospital director, and clinical director Henry L'Eplattenier cut the ribbon with the rest of the team at Southfields Veterinary Specialists’ new £16 million Basildon site

There will be seven operating theatres, 16 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and Mr Hogan says there are plans for a future hydrotherapy suite.

He has revealed they also plan to launch an emergency and critical care service in the first half of 2023.

• READ MORE: New state-of-the-art £16 million veterinary hospital to open this summer

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 and we are all incredibly pleased to see the opening of this impressive new hospital.

“It’s a significant investment to provide state-of-the-art facilities and technology, while we will also be attracting new talent to Southfields’ expert team.

“We’re incredibly excited to continue to expand the unique and innovative offerings in patient care at Southfields.”

The new referral centre will also provide a dedicated staff wellbeing area and offer a range of activities to benefit the team.

Along with exercise and relaxation classes such as yoga and boxercise, there will be an education centre which will be able to offer qualifications and courses for the wider profession.