£175k expansion to double vet practice

A director at a practice that runs a vets in Sunderland has said that its upcoming expansion will enable the surgery to provide more for the local community.

Work is set to start to double the size of Park Veterinary Clinic at the William D oxford Centre, Doxford Park, after it took over the lease on a neighbouring unit.

The surgery – which is a branch of Gilmoor Vets – currently has two consult rooms, a reception, dispensary and storage space, but ambitious plans will see it transformed into a large, modern practice with an additional consult room, surgicalsuite and separate cat and dog wards.

The expansion will provide space for new high-tech equipment including an operating theatre, dental suite, digital x-ray machine, ultrasound and laboratory for inhouse blood testing.

Work is expected to be completed in March, but the clinic will remain open and hopes to keep disruption to a minimum. New jobs will be created.

The surgery currently serves 2,000 pet owners across Sunderland. Gilmoor Vets is part of veterinary group VetPartners, which is funding the £175,000 cost of the work.

Deborah Stafford, Gilmoor Vets clinical director and veterinary surgeon, said: “The expansion will enable the Sunderland surgery to provide more for the local community because there will be less need for pet owners to travel to our Durham centre for minor surgical procedures,routineneuteringand diagnostic procedures.

“Our Sunderland branch has been growing for years, but it has been limited by the space of the premises.”