Covid pet boom leads to Inverness animal practice Crown Vets opening state-of-the-art clinic for the Highlands
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Inverness veterinary surgery Crown Vets has received planning permission for a new state-of-the-art referral practice to serve pet owners.
Highland Vet Referrals, which will move into a brand new building in the Culduthel area, is due to open during summer 2022, creating six new jobs.
Crown Vets’ aim with the new facility is to future-proof veterinary services for the region as pet ownership in the UK reaches an all-time high, with an estimated 3.2 million new households in the UK purchasing a pet during lockdown.
Highland Vet Referrals, which will see the existing Crown Vets referrals service relocate from its current site in Argyle Street, will accept patients referred from veterinary practices across the Highlands, particularly pets which need more dedicated or surgical treatment.
This will enable Crown Vets to offer an expanded first opinion veterinary service at its Argyle Street premises.
Sandra Campbell, practice director at Crown Vets, said: “We are at maximum capacity at our current first opinion and referrals practice in Argyle Street.
“Our new 3000 sq ft referral practice will include state-of-the-art equipment and extended clinical services including two new dedicated operating theatres, three consulting rooms, separate cat and dog wards and a new CT scanner.
“The practice will offer pets a wide scope of surgical procedures, including spinal surgery, which has never been provided in the region before.
“Along with this new space to grow our services for pet owners, our team of dedicated vets and nurses are passionate about ensuring the best outcomes and the highest standards of care for your pet in our city which, like many others throughout the UK, has a growing pet population.”
Crown Vets, which currently employs 37 staff, plans to create job opportunities for six new roles at the new facility, including a dedicated surgical nursing team.
Highland Vet Referrals will be part of the IVC Evidensia Referrals network, which has more than 100 veterinary referral centres across the UK.
John Turkington, head of referral developments in the UK for IVC Evidensia, Europe’s leading veterinary care provider, said: “We are delighted that permission has been granted for our new practice, which will be the leading veterinary referrals facility in the north of Scotland.
“Our new Inverness practice is being designed to enable the best outcomes for our pet patients, with cutting-edge technology and highly experienced staff.
“By investing in our profession and people, we can help future-proof our provisions and support our dedicated teams on the front line in Inverness.”
