Isabelle Vets has received approval from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to establish the island’s first veterinary hospital, as work continues to convert a large industrial unit at Garenne Park, St Sampson’s, into the new facility.
To be called Isabelle Vets Garenne Hospital, it is expected to open in late January or early February 2027 and will run a 24-hour service.
‘We are delighted with the progress being made and particularly proud to have received RCVS approval to establish Guernsey’s first veterinary hospital,’ said clinical director Mairi Le Cocq. ‘This is a really exciting milestone for our team and for our clients.’
She said the new site would give the practice access to equipment that would allow ‘an even higher level of care’ while retaining the local expertise and a personal approach.
‘There is still work to complete, but we are on track to open in late January or early February,’ she added.
Once open, the hospital will offer a significantly expanded range of services.
It will include six consulting rooms, three operating theatres, separate waiting and isolation areas for cats and dogs, 13 kennels and a 16-space cattery, a CT scanner, dental and X-ray facilities, and an on-site pharmacy. Space has also been allocated for an MRI scanner, which has the potential to become the island’s first MRI facility for veterinary use.
Among the biggest developments is a dedicated equine facility, including its own operating theatre and four stables for horses needing to be hospitalised. The practice said it would transform the care available for horses, with owners no longer having to transport them by ferry to the UK for most equine services, and visiting specialists able to operate on the island.
The investment has been made possible with support from VetPartners, the vet-led group of which Isabelle Vets is part, and the construction is being carried out by Medicare Construction, which specialises in the medical sector. The facility will also provide offices, meeting rooms and staff areas, with a three-bedroom flat on the first floor.
Isabelle Vets, Guernsey’s oldest veterinary practice, has cared for the island’s animals since 1919.
It said the new hospital would build on that history. Its existing clinics at Route Isabelle and L’Islet will be retained as branch surgeries.
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