PET owners across the region can now benefit from a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital which is open following a £10m investment.

The major development to Southern Counties Veterinary Specialist (SCVS) in Forest Corner Farm, Ringwood, aims to help ease the demand for specialist treatment since the ‘pandemic pet boom’.

Pets and their owners are referred to the hospital by their local daytime vet practice when they need more specialised treatment, such as oncology for pets with cancer or cardiology for heart issues.

The extensive improvements, part of a wider investment programme by clinic owners IVC Evidensia, has seen Ringwood’s SCVS clinic double in size to 30,000 square foot and expand its offering with the launch of a specialist ophthalmology service to help look after pets’ eyes.

Bournemouth Echo: Dog named Alfie gets eye check at Ringwood’s SCVS.Dog named Alfie gets eye check at Ringwood’s SCVS. (Image: SCVS)

With around 200 staff, SCVS is one of the main employers in Ringwood and the expansion will create 20 new jobs for the area.

The new service bolsters the hospital’s already comprehensive offering, which includes the UK’s biggest cardiology team as well as anaesthesia, neurology and oncology.

Patients visiting SCVS will be welcomed into a spacious new reception and waiting room, with private rooms for sensitive cases and dedicated cat and dog facilities to help minimise pets’ stress when visiting the hospital.

There are also 12 new treatment rooms, enabling the veterinary team to treat more animals, and a dedicated rehabilitation area for pets who have had surgery.

Bournemouth Echo: Nurse Caprice McWilliams welcomes patient Bonnie to Ringwood's SCVS.Nurse Caprice McWilliams welcomes patient Bonnie to Ringwood's SCVS. (Image: SCVS)

Stephen Collins, hospital director and national cardiology lead at SCVS, said: “We’re delighted to open the doors to our brand-new facilities to help support pets and their owners from Hampshire and further afield.

“The care and comfort of our patients is at the heart of everything we do at SCVS and we are very proud of both our expanded offering and the exceptional service we deliver for our clients and their much-loved pets.”

Additionally, on-going development will see the addition of new staff areas, while extended kennel space for staff dogs will support SCVS’s ‘bring your dog to work’ policy.

The hospital is fully operational and open 24/7 for referrals from surrounding daytime vet practices. Visit scvetspecialists.co.uk for more information.