RSPCA hospital to shut in new welfare ‘hub’ plan

A major charity veterinary hospital in north London is set to close next year amid moves to create what officials claim will be a new “hub of animal welfare excellence”.

RSPCA leaders plan to sell off its Finsbury Park site and use the proceeds to develop specialist veterinary provision at its Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

The charity has stressed the hospital will remain open until the new facility is ready, with staff being expected to transfer in the late spring or early summer of 2027.

‘Direct access’

But interim CVO Charlotte Beckett argued the move would benefit both the charity’s patients and its people.

She said: “Finsbury Park Animal Hospital needs £1 million of investment.

“By selling the current building and reinvesting the money into our Southridge centre, we will create a hub of animal welfare excellence, giving the highly vulnerable animals in our centre direct access to specialist veterinary care, reducing travelling and giving them the best chance of recovery.”

The charity estimated around half of the animals currently treated at Finsbury Park are brought in by teams based north of London.

Strategic decision

Discussions are also said to be underway with private vets who provide urgent care in the London area.

The project is part of the RSPCA’s 2030 strategy which it said is intended to increase its impact on the lives of animals experiencing cruelty and neglect.

Mrs Beckett said the charity had also made improvements to its Greater Manchester hospital and was also exploring plans for a separate new site in northern England.

She added: “Modernising our facilities is better for our animals, our people and is also a better use of our supporters’ donations as we’ll have lower running costs, saving millions of pounds in the next few years alone.”