£3.3m pet hospital opens for business

A new hi-tech, multi-million pound, specialist referral hospital for pets has launched in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. It is the first dedicated pet hospital of its kind in the local area and will create over thirty new jobs by the end of 2018. Hamilton Specialist Referrals (HSR) is the joint brainchild of husband and wife vet team Michael and Clare Hamilton. The hospital has been four years in the planning and has been operational since early July. The HSR mission is to deliver surgical excellence, with positive patient outcomes, delivered in a warm and friendly environment, by a team that absolutely loves what they do. Michael Hamilton is the clinical director, specialist consultant surgeon and co-founder. He featured on BBC One’s The Bionic Vet - a forerunner to The Supervet on Channel 4. Michael has also appeared on The Discovery Channel’s Wildlife SOS and is a regular on Channel 4’s Vet On The Hill. The HSR building has recently undergone an intensive six month full refurbishment programme - which includes an internal remodel, total infrastructure refit, and the installation of various technology and innovations to ensure that all spaces are flooded with natural light and fresh air from a purification system. The Tier 3, RCVS-accredited hospital has three consulting rooms, three operating theatres and an imaging suite which has a 1.5T high field MRI scanner, CT scanner and the latest in digital radiography. The hospital is equipped to carry out the most advanced surgical procedures including joint replacement, spinal decompression and 3D planning for the treatment of complex limb deformities. It also has a arthroscopy system which allows for minimally invasive ‘key-hole’ surgery to performed. There will also be a dedicated hydrotherapy and physiotherapy suite on site. Michael said: “We will stand out from the competition because of our significantly different approach to people and their welfare. We want our whole team to feel fully involved in the business, recognised and rewarded. This is why we have ring-fenced an amount of shares for the team and have invested heavily in dedicated training, staff development, support and the physical make-up of the hospital. "We have created an optimum working environment for everyone - from staff, to patients and their owners.” Clare Hamilton, co-founder and managing director, added: “HSR will be open for incoming referrals and staffed 24/7/365. We are an independent, streamlined referral option for first opinion veterinary practices within a 50 mile radius of the facility. Our services include state-of-the-art surgical procedures including; orthopaedics, neurological and soft tissue, alongside post-operative rehabilitation and physio. "We have invested heavily in equipment and the latest technological developments in our field - for example our arthroscopy and joint replacement treatments and facilities are second-to-none. Another thing we will do to help our referring vets is a complimentary X-ray reporting service.”