19 May 2025
A new chapter has also led to a name change for a CVS practice in north-east England which has just moved to a new £1.1 million home.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Inside the new surgery.
A County Durham practice has relocated to a new “state-of-the-art” £1.1 million home.
White Oak Vets – formerly White Lion Vets – has moved five miles south-east from South Hetton to Passfield Way Retail Park in Peterlee.
The CVS Group practice, which was previously housed in a former White Lion pub, has taken the opportunity to rebrand in honour of its new home in Peterlee’s Oakerside area.
Head vet Lizzie Doherty said: “We had outgrown our existing practice in South Hetton.
“It was becoming difficult for us to offer the highest level of service and quality of animal care that we are accustomed to, so this is an exciting move for us.
“Passfield Way is a fantastic new site with a superb range of facilities. It’ll mean that we’ll be able to look after many patients right here and it’ll enable us to grow the number of patients we see.
“This move was also a fantastic time to change our practice name to highlight the progression and growth that this move brings, while still acknowledging the practice history that has been a part of our journey.”
The new site is said to be capable of delivering “significantly” more clinical services to an increased number of clients, for which the practice is recruiting two new vets.
Among the facilities are four consultation rooms, two operating theatres, an in-house laboratory, digital x-ray facilities, a dental suite and an isolation ward.
Separate waiting areas and hospital wards for dogs and cats are said to minimise patient stress, and dogs will also benefit from a dedicated exercise area and walk-in kennels that can accommodate larger breeds.
An open day is also being planned to give pet owners the chance to see the new facilities.
