11 Apr 2023
Three senior appointments have already been announced for the 36,000 sq ft facility, which bosses say will be able to provide care for up to 10,000 pets a year.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Work is scheduled to finish ahead of an autumn opening at IVC Evidensia's new Blaise Referral Hospital.
A new £10 million veterinary hospital in Birmingham is set to open this autumn following the completion of construction work.
IVC Evidensia claims Blaise Referral Hospital, which is now being fitted out, will create around 100 new jobs and provide capacity to care for up to 10,000 pets per year.
Several senior appointments have already been announced, including that of Andrew Kent, a European specialist in veterinary internal medicine, as clinical director.
Fellow European specialists Lara Dempsey and Mike Farrell have also joined the team as heads of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery respectively.
Mr Kent said: “Being able to bring such stellar talent to Blaise early on in our journey puts us well on our way to being one of the leading hospitals in the UK and having a specialist team well placed to look after pets across the midlands.”
Named after the patron saint of veterinarians, the hospital will accept referrals from primary care practices across the UK, and plans to offer services in areas including orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, cancer treatment, cardiology and anaesthesia, plus emergency, critical and out-of-hours care.
The project is also part of a wider regeneration programme in the West Longbridge area, which officials claim will deliver up to 5,000 jobs and hundreds of new homes, plus 27 acres of open space and landscaping.
The hospital site offers a river walk to help pets and owners to relax, while the use of heat pumps and solar panels that cover 40% of the building’s roof will provide more sustainable heating. A travel plan has also been developed for staff.
Lucie Goodwin, IVC Evidensia’s UK national medicine lead, said: “The facilities at Blaise will allow delivery of an excellent specialist service to clients, and the location in Longbridge next to the ‘rewilded’ riverbank is peaceful and perfect for both pet owners and staff to spend some time.
“We are committed to creating a positive workplace culture, making Blaise a great place to work, benefitting employees, patients and clients alike.”
