Friday November 23rd 2018
Written by Local Democracy reporter, Marie Sharp
Midlothian’s world-renowned vet school is expanding its small animal hospital to help cope with increasing demand for its services by pet owners.
The University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is planning to add two new consultation blocks to its Easter Bush hospital, in Roslin.
The new blocks, which will be produced by Portakabin will provide the centre with five new consulting rooms.
It will also add on an inpatient ward which will be able to accommodate between eight to ten animals recuperating from procedures at any one time.
Professor Richard Mellanby, Head of Companion Animal Sciences at the Dick Vet as the school is known, said a growing population around its Midlothian centre and the reputation of the facility had both played a role in the extension plans.
He said: “Our Hospital for Small Animals at Easter Bush provides leading edge veterinary medicine through a first opinion practice and referral services.
“The population of the surrounding area is expanding and approximately 40 per cent of local households own a pet.
“This is having a direct impact on the number of patients we see as people take advantage of having a world-class veterinary facility on their doorstep.”
A planning application for the extension on the hospital’s site has been lodged with Midlothian Council.
The Dick Vet School is one of the oldest veterinary schools in the world established in 1823 by William Dick.
The hospital for small animals opened on the school’s Easter Bush base in 1999 and has continued to grow facilities adding a teaching building on campus seven years ago.
The new consulting rooms and ward will be the latest addition to the campus which has seen over £100million invested in it over the last five years
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