16 May 2019
Few other practices better reflect the near exponential growth of the UK referral sector than North Downs Specialist Referrals. The Surrey hospital has trebled in size in its 15 years – a tale of sustained success and one that echoes a wider story…
James Westgate
Job Title
When Terry Emmerson set up North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), he was working out of a small animal practice, juggling his referral cases with first opinion work.
As a European and RCVS-certified surgery specialist, demand was high for his services and, before long, he was joined by diploma holders in a variety of different disciplines.
Up until this point, pets needing referral went to the vet schools, with pioneers such as Jerry Davies and Dick White just beginning to tap into what was still a nebulous market. This changed fast, however, with the growth of pet insurance driving advanced specialist work, and it was this period that saw the birth of several new businesses, including Willows in the midlands, Croft in the north-east and NDSR in the south…
