South Tyneside veterinary centre creates new jobs following £1m NatWest funding

A ‘state-of-the-art’ veterinary referral centre is celebrating a successful first year in business after a £1m funding package from NatWest helped fund the development of the specialist site.

Bridge Referrals, in Boldon, South Tyneside, provides pet owners and veterinary practices with a range of advanced treatments, beyond what would be offered at a veterinary practice, all under one roof.

The centre treats pets that need advanced care, such as soft tissue surgery, spinal surgery, oncology, orthopaedics and ophthalmology. In its first year, the team have helped more than 2,500 pets, with referrals coming in from across the North East and as far afield as Cumbria and Yorkshire.

The new centre, which has created 55 jobs, is the brainchild of Darren Long, Emma Mace, Jack Sillito, Sarah Harrison and Alison Kennair, who have a long history of working together in advanced roles caring for pets.

Jack Sillito, director and orthopaedic surgeon at Bridge Referrals, commented: “Since we opened our doors in October 2022, we’ve seen a huge demand for advanced care and treatment for the pets of the North East, with the business growing faster than we could’ve imagined.

“We’re all local people and we spotted a gap for a referral centre in the region, as pet owners with poorly animals were having to travel as far afield as Teesside or Yorkshire to find the help they and their pets needed.

“The site in Boldon, which we secured with the support of NatWest, is ideal in that people from across the region can easily visit us and we have the space and technology we need to run a highly bespoke service.

“We offer a really personalised and caring service for the pets, pet owners and veterinary practices of the region and we’re delighted that the team at NatWest have been so supportive in getting us to this stage.”

With a strong first year under their belts the team are now looking to expand further, utilising additional space on their existing site, again with the help of NatWest.

Darrell Franciosy, healthcare relationship director at NatWest, added: “It’s so rewarding to see how the fantastic centre and skills of the team make a huge difference to the pets and pet owners of the region and I look forward to continuing to work with the team as they look to expand in the year ahead.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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