A VETERINARY hospital based in Swindon has expanded its emergency care team.

Eastcott Vets has recruited Michael Maguire as the new RCVS advanced practitioner in emergency and critical care.

Mr Maguire previously led a 24/7 emergency service at another referral centre in South Wales.

Being a dual certificate holder in emergency and critical care and imaging, Michael is able to offer Eastcott patients advanced imaging, including x-rays and ultrasounds, through its ECC service.

His expertise will enhance the out-of-hours support available to patients through the hospital’s other disciplines such as cardiology, dentistry, ophthalmology, and oncology.

Michael said: “I’m pleased to have joined such a highly-regarded team and to have the opportunity to enhance patient access to emergency care across disciplines.

“My main interests include emergency diagnostic imaging and utilising this for rapid diagnosis and treatment, as well as managing poly-trauma cases and the critical care of endocrine emergency patients.

“The advanced facilities at Eastcott enable us to provide accurate emergency diagnostics and recommend treatment at speed, which makes all the difference for our patients.”

Originally from Belfast, Michael graduated from the University of Bristol in 2010 and was accepted onto a junior clinical training scholarship at the university, before taking up a role in a first opinion practice.

During this time, he gained his post-graduate certificate and became an advanced practitioner in emergency and critical care. His previous experience also includes mixed referral and out-of-hours services.

Michael has a lot of teaching experience having lectured at the University of Surrey Vet School, where he was involved in setting up and delivering practical workshops in emergency veterinary scenarios.

Eastcott Veterinary Referrals' hospital director Niki Burton said: “We are delighted to welcome Michael to the team and his extensive experience in emergency care will be of huge value to our patients.

“Michael also has a keen interest in training vets of the future and his previous experience in lecturing is a real bonus for intern training and the on-going development of our growing team.”

Eastcott offers specialist expert care in cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oncology, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, laparoscopy, neurology, diagnostic imaging, CT and MRI, anaesthesia and analgesia and emergency and critical care.

For more information about Eastcott Referrals visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or search for Eastcott Veterinary Referrals on social media.