Professor Dick White is set to play a leading role in the new division, having been appointed its clinical director.

Pet shop chain creates a 'specialist division'

Dick White Referrals has formed a 'strategic partnership' with the Pets at Home Vet Group.

The pet shop chain is implementing a new 'specialist division' comprised of Dick White Referrals, Northwest Surgeons, Anderson Moores and Eye Vet Referrals. This will exist alongside the existing first opinion division, which is made up of Companion Care and Vets4Pets.

Professor Dick White is set to play a leading role in the new division, having been appointed its clinical director. Dick White Referrals will continue to operate as a standalone brand within the Pets at Home Vet Group and Prof White and three of the specialist clinicians will retain 24 per cent of the practice.

The referral centre was founded by Prof White in 2003, with the aim of gathering a team of specialists with expertise across a wide range of disciplines. Today it has 66 vets, of whom 31 are specialists in a variety of areas - anaesthesia, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology/neurosurgery, oncology, opthalmology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.

Clinicians are supported by a veterinary nursing team who provide 24 hour care to upwards of 5,000 patients a year.

The strategic partnership will provide the referral centre with "great opportunities" to develop as a world class centre with a team of leading specialists, according to Prof White.

Sally Hopson, CEO of the Pets at Home Vet Group, added: "We are delighted to have attracted a colleague of Dick White’s pedigree to join us, not only to help drive the future growth of Dick White Referrals, but also to play a key role in developing our Specialist Division.

"Professor White is a key figure in the development of the Specialist Veterinary segment; he has trained many of the leading Specialist veterinary practitioners.

"This is a tremendous step forward for the Vet Group. I’m also very pleased that Professor White and his colleagues have chosen to remain as equity partners in Dick White Referrals."