Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue Centre will change the way cancer is treated in animals and raise the standard of cancer treatment and care. The state-of-the-art centre is modelled on the Mayo Clinic, the world’s leading human hospital.

After trauma, cancer is the biggest killer of companion animals, half of dogs and a third of cats over 10 years old will die of cancer yet remarkably this hospital will represent a first for Europe.

The new hospital, which is located at the Surrey Research Park in Guildford, Surrey, is unique for many reasons:

1. It is  the ONLY cancer hospital of its kind, custom built to meet all of the needs of the cancer patients and their owners i.e. not just the state of the art facilities and equipment usually found in human hospitals but also the high degree of pastoral and clinical care which will create new milestones in the industry.

2. The expertise on site is unparalleled.  It is  the first animal hospital in Europe to bring together world class medical and surgical oncologists with extensive experience in advanced radiation procedures and the best nursing teams, in order to gain a better understanding of animal cancer and to use that knowledge to deliver the very best treatment to animals. 

(As examples: Professor  Nick Bacon is one of only two people in Europe to have completed a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology and Doctor Kelvin Kow is the only oncologist in Europe who has completed a Fellowship in Medical Oncology)

3. It will have a constant focus on evidence based teaching and training which for a private animal hospital is unique.

4.  The hospital will be undertaking clinical research at the coal face of clinical practice in collaboration with multiple human clinical partnerships sharing expertise and learning for the good of both humans and animals – also completely unique.

Noel Fitzpatrick, Founder, Owner and Chairman of Fitzpatrick Referrals, MD of Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue says: “Whilst this building will impress and contain the latest equipment, it is the team of people inside that makes it truly outstanding. We aim to deliver all of the options to all of the animals all of the time. We will also work with our human colleagues to better inform the treatment of human cancer; after all a cancer cell doesn’t care if you are an animal or human; most human and animal cancers are very similar and we share many of the same diseases.

“In this way we will bring new ideas to define the treatments of the future.  With Fitzpatrick Referrals Orthopaedics and Neurology, we will also be the only centre in Europe offering custom-designed 3D-printed limb and joint salvage prostheses.”

The launch also heralds the 10th Anniversary of the independently owned practice behind the new animal hospital, Fitzpatrick Referrals.  Fitzpatrick Referrals is the renowned leading Orthopaedic and Neurological referral, animal hospital with an unbeatable track record in innovation and compassion.  This new cancer hospital is the realisation of a long held dream for Professor Noel Fitzpatrick who has brought together some truly dedicated individuals delivering world class medicine with a proud and unwavering care ethos.

Professor Nick Bacon continues: “This is also not just about the animal but recognising the impact on the pet owners, involving the local vet and building a cohesive care team together with a group of different specialists that work synergistically. A tumour conference will take place each week with all specialists in attendance to review each and every animal patient, so that we can truly deliver the very best consensus view on the route forward. This is what most people would also want if they have cancer themselves. Professionally, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I haven’t heard of anything of this magnitude, even in the US.”

Noel adds: “Whilst we want to inspire and deliver the most innovative and advanced ‘traditional’ model of care, don’t be surprised if some things never change, for example, our deep love for our animal patients whom we treat as our own – written on the glass kennel doors, which we introduced for the first time in the UK ten years ago, you’re still just as likely to still see ‘likes ear scratches and cuddles’ alongside the clinicians chemo care brief!”

Fitzpatrick Referrals has long been a thought-leader and game-changer in the provision of specialised small animal veterinary services, challenging the accepted norms in all aspects of small animal care. The launch of this special hospital is no exception. 

Professor Stuart Carmichael explains: “We are going to work hard to bring other veterinary practitioners and students on the journey with us, to change the delivery of veterinary cancer care forever and by working on improving early diagnosis and detection and by offering training and education we’ll bring veterinary oncology into the 21st century for all animals and their families.

“We are learning that many pets can live with cancer, sometimes the simplest treatments can be the most effective, so we want to offer the owners all of the options to help provide quality of life and keep their pets happy.  We want to limit the number of people who hear that that their pet has cancer and there is nothing that can be done. In short, we are about understanding cancers, treating them in the most effective ways possible and using our knowledge to inform the future for all animals everywhere.”

Doctor Laurent Findji  adds: “This hospital is perfectly positioned for success in so many ways: it is surrounded by research and technology businesses, it is close to the Veterinary School, also the human medical oncologists at the Royal Surrey Country Hospital and all resources are united behind the same vision.

“Most importantly, this cancer hospital will be independent and family-owned which gives flexibility and agility and it will be built on the successful cornerstones of the Fitzpatrick Referrals values of innovation, integrity, care, education and community.”

For more information: http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk.