New state-of-the-art Specialist Veterinary Hospital in Bristol

Press release – June 2021

CVS Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of integrated veterinary services, is planning an innovative new Veterinary Referral Hospital in Bristol, which will act as a centre of excellence for small animal care in the South West.

The new unit will facilitate the development of new and emerging treatments and will operate as a flagship regional hub for pet owners across the South West, Midlands and Wales. Employing some of the most qualified and experienced veterinary professionals in Europe, the location of this veterinary hospital will allow excellent access for pet owners whose animals are in need of specialist care.

Bristol Vet Specialists (BVS), to be based at Central Park, Avonmouth, will be custom-built with uniquely designed facilities, installing state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, such as MRI and CT scanners, alongside a cutting-edge stereotactic linear accelerator for radiotherapy in cancer treatment, the only one of its kind for pets in England.

The new site will employ over 100 highly skilled professionals and will be led by a large team of internationally-renowned Specialist veterinary surgeons, supported by residents, interns and registered veterinary nurses. Together, this means the new hospital will bring exciting new recruitment and training opportunities to Bristol and the South West.

The new site will provide an upgraded Specialist referral facility for CVS in Bristol, building on the success of the current site on Wells Road, which has now reached capacity and therefore has limited scope for expanding specialist services. The Hospital will open in the summer of 2022 with the latest technology and treatments in all disciplines; general surgery, orthopaedics, neurology and neurosurgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, cardiology, dermatology, oncology and dentistry, as well as dedicated anaesthesia, analgesia, diagnostic imaging and intensive care departments.

The fully digital ‘Infinity’ linear accelerator from Elekta with the versatile ‘Agility’ multi leaf collimator(MLC) for highly accurate shaping of the beam for all body treatment sites, combined with the ‘HexaPOD’ six-degrees-of-freedom couch top will enable CVS vets to deliver advanced radiotherapy in the form of SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy). This technique allows for highly focused beams of radiation to be delivered with high precision meaning fewer, shorter sessions for the animal. The HexaPOD treatment couch (one of the first in the veterinary sector) allows the animal to be optimally positioned so that doses to critical organs can be significantly reduced and even eliminated. All of this will provide the best possible chance of improved outcome for pets with cancer.

The Group has been granted planning permission and is now appointing building contractors with a view to developing the site and opening in the Summer of 2022. The building will integrate the latest technology to minimise carbon emissions and enhance the user experience. The project will also focus on the operation of the building, promoting green transport and aspiring to use as much renewable energy as possible.

Richard Fairman, CEO of CVS Group, commented: “We are extremely excited to be developing this innovative new Specialist Veterinary Hospital in Bristol, providing the best animal care to pet owners across the South West. With state-of-the-art equipment and some of the highest qualified veterinary professionals, we are confident that the site will act as a centre of excellence in the veterinary world, and be a leader in Europe for cancer treatments.

“The new hospital signals our commitment to investing in cutting-edge technology to bring cancer treatment in pets to the next level. It will provide a number of employment opportunities and secure specialist veterinary skills in the Bristol area. We look forward to finalising development plans and opening the doors to pet owners in 2022.”

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