Harper and Keele Veterinary School announces plans for new veterinary services on Keele campus

Keele University is to partner with CVS Group to develop facilities to house new veterinary services, as well as key components for the delivery of the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery degree programme delivered by the new joint Veterinary School between Harper Adams University and Keele University.

The development will comprise a veterinary hospital, a clinical skills centre and the Keele campus-based Veterinary School hub facilities. Developed by CVS on the Keele University Science and Innovation Park, the facilities will be ready for the first student intake in autumn 2020.

The clinical skills centre will be used by veterinary staff and students and also by CVS Group for postgraduate training. The adjacent Veterinary School hub will be a veterinary ‘home’ for Harper and Keele Veterinary School staff and students on the campus.

Keele University Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for Natural Sciences, Professor Jonathan Wastling said, “We are delighted by this project with CVS which we expect to be the first of a number of key industry partnerships which we will develop as we progress toward opening the joint Veterinary School in 2020. The new facilities will enhance the exciting environment provided by Keele’s expertise in Life Sciences and our highly regarded Medical School, as well as Harper Adams’ long-established record in delivering programmes in the veterinary field, agriculture and animal sciences and their world-class animal facilities. State of the art facilities on the campus, co-located with industry, will enable us to offer the perfect built and teaching environment for our veterinary students.”

The new veterinary hospital will contain capacity for first opinion work, specialist referrals and out-of-hours emergency services. It will also be one of the placement providers for veterinary students, who undertake clinical placements as part of their training. Working closely with industry, the new Veterinary School will draw on a wide range of placement providers as part of the Harper and Keele Veterinary School’s commitment to provide a curriculum that equips graduates with skills and knowledge for the modern veterinary workplace. Primary care skills will be a particular focus and will dovetail well with Keele’s strengths in this area in the nearby Medical School.

Simon Innes, CEO at CVS Group commented, “This is a major innovative partnership between CVS Group and Keele University which will enable the parties to work together to deliver a quality building of architectural and clinical merit of which we can all be proud, and which will serve Harper and Keele Veterinary School students and also veterinary surgeons and enable them to co-exist as well as enabling us to help to grow new vets for the future.”