A NEW £1.8 million veterinary hospital in Farnham is ready to welcome the first patients through its doors on Monday, April 12.

The three-storey, 10,000sq ft Farnham Veterinary Hospital in East Street boasts the latest high-tech equipment, including a CT scanner, water treadmill, dental X-ray machine and ultrasonography to produce images of the heart and other internal organs.

There are three large operating theatres so the practice can offer a wide variety of procedures and surgeries, as well as consulting rooms, a laboratory for in-house testing and a physiotherapy room.

Separate cat and dog waiting rooms and kennels will help reduce the stress of feline patients.

Farnham Veterinary Hospital is the largest first-opinion veterinary hospital in Surrey, and will welcome clients from Farnham, Aldershot, Hook, Basingstoke, Guildford and the surrounding areas.

The hospital has created 20 new jobs, with vets, veterinary nurses, receptionists, administrators and kennel assistants joining the team.

The £1.8million project to transform the former Oakfurnitureland store into the hospital has been funded by VetPartners. It is part of a £5.5 million investment VetPartners is making in veterinary sites this year.

Farnham Veterinary Hospital clinical director Kevin Clayton said: “We are delighted to be opening our doors to new clients on April 12. The hospital is a modern, purpose-designed facility that will enable us to deliver an outstanding service to clients and care to our patients.

“One of the most exciting things about the hospital is the continuity of care we are able to provide because we offer a variety of treatments, surgeries and rehabilitation services from the same location. It’s great news for our clients because it’ll mean a lot less travelling around if their pet needs further or ongoing treatment.

“Having three large operating theatres and multiple consulting rooms will allow us to see more patients and carry out more procedures every day, so we’ll have better availability for owners who are worried about their pets.

“We can also cater for patients with more complex issues who require a longer stay in hospital, and our 24-hour emergency and out-of-hours care will be provided by our own team, unlike many other vet practices who use outside companies to deliver these services.”

Kevin added that the hospital has invested in the latest technology to help poorly pets get better.

“We have installed a £150,000 CT scanner that enables us to produce images of our patients in much greater detail compared to X-rays.

“Patients recovering from illness or injury will also be able to benefit from our rehabilitation services. We have a water treadmill that can offer hydrotherapy to both dogs and cats, and we have an on-site physio, too.”

The new facility will also offer an enhanced working environment for team members, with dedicated overnight facilities for those working in the hospital out of hours.

As well as being a first-opinion practice, the hospital will be able to take cases referred by other vets, and the team will also be on hand to provide advice to help keep pets healthy.