New Oncology and Radiotherapy Suite now fully open

May 10, 2023

A leading Essex animal hospital has opened the doors to its dedicated Oncology and Radiotherapy suite, offering some of the most advanced treatments in the UK.


The opening of the industry-leading suite at Linnaeus-owned Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Basildon adds further to the purpose-built £16 million hospital, which started welcoming patients last summer.

The new suite incorporates chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment facilities under one roof, including a cutting-edge linear accelerator (LINAC).

The new Varian TrueBeam® radiotherapy system at Southfields enables us to treat some tumours previously considered untreatable

To add to its state-of-the-art facilities, Southfields is one of the only UK referral centres with two full-time client-facing specialists in radiation oncology and the only European practice with two on-site, full-time double-boarded medical and radiation oncologists, along with dedicated radiotherapy technicians and therapeutic radiographers.

Sarah Mason is an RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Oncology, European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Oncology and Radiation Oncology and RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine and is Southfields’ lead in general oncology.

Sarah said: “Southfields is already renowned as being the leader in cancer treatment for small animals in the UK and the opening of our dedicated oncology and radiotherapy suite takes patient care to an even higher level.”

James Elliott is a European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Oncology and Radiation Oncology
American Specialist in Veterinary Radiation Oncology and is lead in radiation oncology at Southfields.

He said: “The new dedicated Oncology and Radiotherapy Suite is a strong statement of intent, a clear signal we are committed to delivering the very highest level of excellence in cancer treatment and care.”

Sarah Mason and James Elliott in the new Oncology and Radiotherapy Suite at Southfields Veterinary Specialists

Southfields’ new suite includes a separate reception and waiting area for oncology outpatients, two chemotherapy rooms, a patient prep room and an oncology ward for outpatients receiving courses of radiotherapy who are cared for by Southfields dedicated oncology nurses.

Our team includes nurses dedicated to caring for our Oncology and Radiotherapy patients for the duration of their treatment

The sector-leading LINAC is a new Varian TrueBeam® radiotherapy system which enables treatment, with pinpoint accuracy, of tumours previously considered untreatable.

Daniel Hogan, Hospital Director at Southfields, said: “Everyone at Southfields is so excited and proud to be opening the doors of our new Oncology and Radiotherapy suite.

“From having one of the largest teams of oncology diplomates in Europe, to offering industry-leading oncology and radiotherapy treatments, our new suite firmly places Southfields as a leading referral centre in Europe providing the very best in dedicated cancer care.”

Southfields also offers specialist services such as anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, exotics, internal medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, and soft tissue surgery.

To find out more about the facilities in our new Oncology and Radiotherapy Suite, click here.