16 Jun 2021
Flagship site will facilitate the development of new and emerging treatments, and boast its own stereotactic linear accelerator – the only one of its kind for pets in England.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
Bristol Vet Specialists is set to open its doors in summer 2022.
The CVS Group is planning a new veterinary referral hospital in Bristol that it hopes will act as a centre of excellence for small animal care in the south-west.
As a flagship regional hub for the group, the new unit will facilitate the development of new and emerging treatments for pet owners across the south-west, midlands and Wales.
Bristol Vet Specialists (BVS) – to be based at Central Park in Avonmouth – will be custom-built with uniquely designed facilities, including diagnostic tools such as MRI and CT scanners, alongside a stereotactic linear accelerator for radiotherapy in cancer treatment – the only one of its kind for pets in England.
The new site will employ more than 100 highly skilled professionals and will be led by a large team of specialist vets, supported by residents, interns and registered veterinary nurses.
BVS will provide an upgraded specialist referral facility for CVS in Bristol, building on its site in Wells Road, which has now reached capacity and, therefore, has limited scope for expanding specialist services.
The hospital will open in summer 2022 and will offer treatments in all disciplines:
This is as well as dedicated anaesthesia, analgesia, diagnostic imaging and intensive care departments.
The fully digital Infinity linear accelerator from Elekta with the Agility multileaf collimator 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 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.
CVS hopes the new 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, chief executive of CVS Group, said: “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.”
