Highcroft Hospital Expansion Complete

8th November 2010

A mixture of excitement and apprehension filled the air at the Whitchurch hospital last week as we made the final move into the new hospital building. Apprehension at the thought of moving everything over (which is now complete) and excitement at the difference the new space and facilities will make to all of our working lives, not least the advanced treatment and care options we can offer to our patients.

Probably the most significant addition is the new 16-slice (very fast) CT scanner which gives 3-D images. Instead of sending out a single X-ray through the patient's body, several beams are sent simultaneously from different angles. These scans enable us to diagnose conditions that don't show up on conventional x-rays or ultrasound scans, such as some tumours and orthopaedic conditions.

Highcroft is the only vet practice in the south west to have a CT scanner for small animals and already we have cases queuing up to be seen.

CT scans allow us to inspect the inside of the body without having to operate or perform unpleasant examinations.

The next most exciting addition could be the digital fluoroscopy equipment, a type of x-ray that allows us to view moving images so that we can see both the structure and the function of what we are looking at, for example the heart or the stomach. It also enables us to place pacemakers for heart conditions.

The new prep room shown here is the heart of the hospital and first area you walk into as you enter the new hospital facilities. Amongst other things, this is where blood tests are taken and where patients are given anaesthesia and prepared for their operations.

Off the prep room are exceptionally spacious kennels, cattery (with special intensive care units), isolation ward for infectious diseases, three state of the art operating theatres, scrub room, diagnostics room (endoscopy and ultrasound), CT scanner and separate observatory, x-ray room (we have one of the best x-ray facilities in the country with x-rays produced in as little as 10 seconds).

Around the corner from the prep room is the new reception area for our VETERINARY REFERRAL SERVICE. This is a separate second opinion service where veterinary surgeons from all over the south west refer their unusual and specialist cases to us.

As a client of Highcroft, the benefit to you is the assurance that your pet is in good hands. Should your pet require it, we have some of the country's leading veterinary specialists and diagnostic equipment to ensure your pet receives the most modern treatments available.

Pictured here is receptionist Holly Robinson who is one of the first points of contact for both pet owners and referring vets.

We will be holding an official Opening for the hospital in the Spring, which will be announced on the website in the new year. We hope to see you there. Meanwhile, if you would like more information about any of the services or facilites we have at Highcroft, please do not hesitate to call us on 01275 832410.