South Tyneside veterinary practice reveals plans for a brand new £600,000 branch

A South Tyneside veterinary practice has unveiled plans to open a new £600,000 branch as it aims to relocate from its current practice.

Willows Veterinary Centre, which is currently based on East View, in Boldon Colliery, is moving to a much larger site at an empty unit on nearby Boldon Court.

The relocation will allow the practice to offer more appointments and a wider range of services to clients and their pets.

The new Willows Veterinary Centre, which also has a practice on South Shields’ Stanhope Road, will have four consultation rooms compared with just one at its current Boldon site.

There will also be two operating theatres that will be equipped with the latest technology, including an ultrasound machine.

The additional operating theatre will enable the veterinary practice to perform more laparoscopies - a key-hole surgery that is less painful and usually has a quicker recovery time.

Willows Veterinary Centre’s new site will also have a dedicated x-ray room with a digital x-ray machine, designated waiting areas for cats and dogs, separate cat and dog wards to reduce feline anxiety, a dental suite with a digital dental x-ray machine and a laboratory.

Bosses have confirmed that the dog wards will include walk-in kennels for larger dogs to ensure that their visit is more comfortable.

There will also be isolation facilities, two prep areas and client parking on site.

Carole Stobbs, practice manager at Willows Vet Centre, has stated that the move will see the practice recruit for new vets, veterinary nurses and reception staff to work at both its new Boldon branch and the existing South Shields branch.

She said: “We are relocating and expanding because we have a lot of clients and potential new clients who want to come to us, but we don’t currently have the space for more vets and nurses. 

“The new branch will mean we’ll be able to see more clients and their pets, offer more consultations, a wider range of services, and provide better facilities for operations.

Click here to get the Gazette’s headlines delivered to your inbox with our free email newsletters

“The investment means we will also have a new x-ray machine, a dental x-ray and a brand-new ultrasound machine which is fabulous.

“The team is really looking forward to it. 

“We will be able to do more laparoscopies, and the nurses will have a dedicated consult room to do their own clinics, such as weight management clinics, senior health checks, and many more.”

Kamal Javed, the clinical director, opened Willows Vet Centre in Boldon 20 years ago in 2004, with the South Shields branch opening two years later in 2006.

He, along with the veterinary team, will continue to provide care at its current location in East View until the new branch opens, which is expected to be later this year.

The £600,000 investment is being funded by VetPartners, which owns more than 160 veterinary practices, including Willows Vet Centre, across the UK.