L-R: Surinder Summan, Director at Natwest, Jonathan Withers, Richard Stephenson, Gil Riley, Patrick Macandrew, Sam Luis Hole (all partners at Pool House Equine Clinic) and Mark Stuart, Senior Relationship Manager at NatWest
Pool House Veterinary Group has opened a first of its kind equine hospital in Lichfield with the support of a £1.9m funding package from NatWest.
The new hospital at Crown Inn Farm, Fradley, which will specialise in treating equine injuries and illnesses, will replace the Group’s existing Equine Clinic at the same site. The funding has also enabled the installation of specialist facilities and equipment which will support a 24/7 emergency service.
Pool House Equine Clinic incorporates four operating theatres, intensive care stabling, a climate controlled pharmacy and an on-site laboratory, as well as facilities for student training and accommodation. Lombard Asset Finance provided a further £60,000 of funding towards additional specialist medical equipment.
The new building is designed so that the clinical area can easily be extended when required and the existing clinic on the same estate has the potential to be developed for alternate use. The Group hopes to expand its existing services, which already include MRI, laparoscopic surgery and advanced dental care, to include nuclear medicine and CT scans.
Established in 1850, the Group also has a small animal hospital in Fosseway, Lichfield and three further small animal branches in Burntwood, Armitage and Mere Green. Pool House Veterinary Group employs more than 100 staff across the business and has a turnover of £6.1m annually.
Richard Stephenson, senior partner at Pool House Veterinary Group, said: “After undergoing exponential growth since opening our Crown Inn Farm site in 2004, our new purpose-built equine hospital will allow us to continue to meet demand for quality equine veterinary care and establish ourselves as a regional centre of excellence.”
Mark Stuart, senior relationship manager at NatWest, said: “We first helped Pool House Veterinary Group fund the development of its small animal hospital in 2009 and we are proud to have assisted the Group’s latest expansion. We look forward to continuing to work together as the company grows.”
