25 Nov 2020
Westway Veterinary Group has taken over lease to a neighbouring building, allowing it to expand its inpatient facilities for dogs.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Clinical director Becky Richardson, practice manager Mark Turnbull and head veterinary nurse Kay Sanderson outside Westway Veterinary Group’s main hospital, where working is going on to convert neighbouring business into new facilities.
The biggest veterinary hospital in Newcastle is getting bigger after plans were unveiled for a £230,000 expansion.
Westway Veterinary Group, which has its main hospital in the city’s West Road, has taken over the lease to a neighbouring property, allowing it to expand its inpatient facilities for dogs.
Work has started on converting the former insurance company office into a new dog ward for patients that require round-the-clock care, with an isolation unit, x-ray services, lab and larger dental suite all earmarked.
Work will increase the size of the hospital by 1,800 sq ft and is expected to be completed in January.
It is the latest project for the hospital, with a cat-only wing opened in 2016, and the lease of a convenience store also taken over to create a cat waiting room and room for a CT scanner.
Practice manager Mark Turnbull said: “We provide 24-hour care, 7 days a week, and the investment will enable us to provide better facilities and improved inpatient care.”
Mr Turnbull added: “We are incredibly proud of our cat unit and how much it improved cat welfare, and we want to achieve the same standard of facilities for dogs. The extra space will improve their care and comfort because it will be quieter and less stressful for them when they’re away from home.
“We provide a high level of emergency and inpatient care, and handle all kinds of cases, from road traffic casualties to poisonings, household injuries and emergency surgery.”
The expansion follows a £230,000 investment by VetPartners, which has 140 sites in the UK. Westway Vets has 18 branches.
Becky Richardson, one of four clinical directors at Westway, said: “Our practice team takes enormous pride in what we do. This expansion is another important step in enabling us to improve individual patient care and developing the practice so we provide an excellent service for our clients and their pets.”
