The RSPCA has announced plans to create a new animal welfare hub by adding a purpose-built veterinary facility to one of its existing animal centres.
The charity said it plans to move its specialist veterinary service from Finsbury Park Animal Hospital in London to the site of Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
The move is part of the RSPCA’s wider plan to improve support for animals affected by cruelty, neglect and abandonment.
Charlotte Beckett, the charity’s interim chief veterinary officer, said the new hub would give vulnerable animals already staying at the centre easier access to specialist veterinary treatment. This would reduce the need for long journeys and help animals receive care more quickly.
The planned facility at Southridge would be modern and purpose-built, replacing the older setup currently used at Finsbury Park. Beckett said the change would benefit not only the animals, but also the staff and volunteers who have been working hard in an outdated building.
According to the RSPCA, Finsbury Park Animal Hospital currently needs about £1 million of investment. Instead of renovating the London site, the charity plans to sell the building and use the money to help fund the new hub in Hertfordshire.
The RSPCA said the Finsbury Park hospital will remain open until the new veterinary service is ready. The charity hopes staff will be able to transfer to the new facility in 2027.
The move could also make care more accessible for many animals already coming through the hospital. Around half of the animals treated at Finsbury Park are brought in by teams based in areas such as Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
By relocating the service closer to those areas, the RSPCA hopes to reduce travel times and help animals receive treatment faster.
Beckett said modernising the charity’s facilities would be better for the animals, better for staff and volunteers, and a more efficient use of supporters’ donations. Lower running costs could save the charity millions of pounds in the coming years.
The RSPCA said it is working closely with staff at both Finsbury Park Animal Hospital and Southridge Animal Centre, as well as with the union, to make the transition as smooth as possible.