Southfields Veterinary Specialists, a multi-disciplinary referral hospital in Basildon, Essex, was affected by a fire in the building next to its site on Thursday 18 April. All people and pets at Southfields were safely evacuated, with patients transferred to other veterinary centres nearby.

While Linnaeus-owned Southfields itself did not catch fire, the hospital was damaged by the incident. Several site assessments have been completed to check the hospital is safe, and the site is now expected to remain closed until mid-June while renovations continue. Patients at Southfields are being cared for at nearby veterinary practices until the hospital is open again.

Southfields’ Hospital Director, Daniel Hogan, said:

“While the Southfields building did not catch fire, and all patients and staff were safely evacuated, the site was damaged by the incident and we need to ensure it is completely safe before it reopens.

“A thorough assessment of all parts of the hospital has taken place, and renovations by expert teams are now underway. We expect the building to remain closed until mid-June, but we are working towards a phased return for our teams.

“We are continuing to work closely with our colleagues at other veterinary centres to ensure we can continue to offer excellent care for our patients. The Southfields team have rearranged many appointments and are holding consultations at other locations nearby. I would like to thank our clients, everyone at Southfields and our colleagues at other veterinary centres for their understanding and flexibility. We are looking forward to returning to the hospital as soon as we can.”

Colleagues from other Linnaeus sites – Cherrydown Vets in Essex, Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire and DWR Veterinary Specialists in Cambridgeshire – stepped in at short notice to help care for transferred patients during the incident. The teams at Cherrydown, Davies and DWR, and Linnaeus-owned North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey, remain available to support as needed.

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