From humans to hounds. Preston vets planning new home on site of former doctors' surgery

The Oakhill Veterinary group is to take over the building formerly occupied by the Lytham Road Surgery which has moved to a newly built centre at the former Little Sisters of the Poor site.

As a result Oakhill will be closing two of its existing sites, at Conway Drive and Watling Street Road, and moving staff and treatment to Lytham Road near the Withy Trees.

The new state-of-the-art veterinary centre is set to open this summer and has been supported by a £850,000 finance package from Lloyds Bank.

The firm said the site, close to the A6, Garstang Road, will be the business’ central facility for small animal care and has the capacity to welcome thousands of pets from the local area each year.

It will be kitted out with the highest standard veterinary medical equipment and machinery for x-rays, digital imaging, and ultrasound tests, while veterinary medical staff will have the capacity to perform on-site surgery and procedures including orthopaedic and dental surgery.

It will have separate appointment rooms and waiting areas for cats and dogs.

The surgery will be led by vets Judith Lee and Lisa Steinhage who collectively have more than four decades of experience in the industry.

They will be supported by a team of eight veterinary nurses headed by Nicola Porter and the business expects to create jobs for two more vets and two nurses.

Tony Barry, CEO of Oakhill Veterinary Centre said: “More than three million households in the UK have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, meaning the UK now has an incredible 17 million pet-owning homes.

"This is creating even more demand for small animal veterinary services and we need to expand into a larger and more sophisticated site to support this.

“The Lloyds Bank team has been by our side throughout the process and their support and guidance has been invaluable. We look forward to continuing to work with them as we move forward.”

Kate Salt, relationship director, Lloyds Bank, said: “The UK is well known for being a nation of animal lovers and most pet owners want their four-legged companions to receive the same high level of care and service as any other member of their family.

“Oakhill’s new veterinary centre will help to tap into continually rising demand for veterinary care with the opening of their new centre in Preston, and we are pleased to have facilitated this expansion."