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Pandemic pet boom prompts new Highland Vet Referrals practice

Crown Vets referral service is to relocate to a new state-of-the-art referral practice, Highland Vet Referrals, which will serve pet owners from all over the Highlands and North of Scotland

Crown Vets, a long-standing veterinary surgery in Inverness, has received planning permission to open a new state-of-the-art referral practice, Highland Vet Referrals, which will serve pet owners from all over the Highlands and North of Scotland.  

Highland Vet Referrals, which will move into a brand new building in the Culduthel area in the west of the city, is due to open during the summer of 2022, creating six new jobs. 

The plans to “futureproof” veterinary services for the region come on the back of pet ownership in the UK, including in Scotland, being at an all-time high – an estimated 3.2 million new households in the UK purchased a pet during lockdown according to the Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association.

Highland Vet Referrals, which will see the existing Crown Vets referrals service relocate from its current site on Argyle Street, will accept patients referred from veterinary practices across the Highlands – particularly pets which need more dedicated or surgical treatment. Crown Vets will then offer an expanded first opinion veterinary service for pets 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 3,000 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.” 

Highland Vet Referrals will be headed up by clinical director, Bruce Nevill. Crown Vets currently employs a team of 37 staff members, but there are 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 over 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 futureproof our provisions and support our dedicated teams on the frontline in Inverness. IVC Evidensia recognises that the best way of delivering this is through local leadership with clinical freedom.” 

The new Highland Vet Referrals site is easily accessible on the main distributor road into Inverness city centre, within easy reach of the A96, A9 and A82.  

For more information about Crown Vets visit their website or for more information on IVC Evidensia Referrals visit their website.

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