Dr David Mackenzie, RVCS Advanced Practitioner in ECC and Cardiology, and RVN Harriet Deering, clinical lead
Eastcott Referrals Launches 24/7 Emergency Care Unit
4 years ago 
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A leading veterinary referral centre in Wiltshire has invested half a million pounds in an Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) unit to provide dedicated, around the clock treatment for serious cases.
Eastcott Referrals, in Swindon, launched the new service in February and its newly-assembled team of vets and nurses have already treated a number of emergency cases.
The ECC unit is the brainchild of Dr David Mackenzie, an advanced practitioner in ECC, who has been planning the unit since he joined Eastcott in 2018.
He is working alongside RVN Harriet Deering, who is the service’s clinical lead.
All staff working in the ECC unit have received specific intensive care training and will be supported by discipline-specific specialists at all times.
The service will be run by three ECC/medicine vets during the day and three ECC vets at night, supported by four day nurses and two night nurses.
Dr Mackenzie said: “The opening of this emergency and critical care service is the fulfilment of a long-standing dream for me.
“My passion has always been for ECC and I started discussing the development of such a service at Eastcott soon after starting here.
“We’ve created a purpose-built intensive care unit with all the latest ICU equipment, including our own laboratory; critical care cribs; temperature, humidity and oxygen-controlled intensive care kennels and an ICU ventilator.
“This means we have the facilities to care for the most severely injured and critical cases.
“We also have a high-quality team of enthusiastic, dedicated ECC vets and nurses to lead the service. Everyone has a background of ECC work and a true passion for it.”
Eastcott’s creation of an ECC service was driven by a determination to deliver an improved and enhanced service for clients and referring vets in Swindon, Wiltshire and surrounding counties.
The ECC staff will integrate with its existing multi-disciplinary team.
Harriet said: “By having all the specialist disciplines available at the practice, we can offer a more holistic service to emergency patients. For example, if a dog is involved in a road traffic accident, the ICU can stabilise it and give emergency care and pain relief.
“Dentistry can then repair jaw and mouth injuries; orthopaedics can repair any other broken bones and soft tissue can assess and repair any damaged organs. This is all supported by our dedicated anaesthesia service and advanced imaging capabilities.
“The ICU also provides a calm environment for critically ill and injured patients to recover following surgery or other planned treatments from other disciplines.”
For more information about Eastcott Referrals, which is part of Linnaeus, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk.
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