Longbridge spotlight: Julie Davis, Hospital Director, Blaise

After years of planning and construction, Longbridge is about to see the opening of a world-class, state-of-the-art veterinary referral hospital…

Blaise Veterinary Referrals Hospital will deliver best-in-class care and treatment and will become a centre of veterinary excellence for the West Midlands. At almost 30,000 sq ft the two-storey hospital will employ around 100 staff and will accept referrals from daytime vet practices throughout the Midlands and indeed the UK.

Ahead of the opening of Blaise in November, we caught up with Julie Davis, Hospital Director

Have you had to relocate for your new job?

No, I haven’t! I’m very lucky, my commute will only be around 20 minutes as I live in a village near Bromsgrove, so I won’t have to travel too far. I moved from a home on the old East Works site last year, where I had lived for seven years so I’m already familiar with the Longbridge area.

I was born in Australia, but my family relocated when I was a toddler and I’ve always lived around South Birmingham. My wider family are all still local too.

What are your thoughts on the regeneration of the Longbridge area?

I’ve seen so many changes, not only in the seven years that I lived there, but also from living very close by in West Heath since the late 90s. Pretty much everyone who was brought up in South Birmingham knew someone that worked at ‘Old Rover’ as you always hear it being referred to, and the closure impacted on so many people, families and businesses.

I think Longbridge has a special place in a lot of people’s hearts and it’s nice to be part of the regeneration after all this time and bring something special to the area.

The Town Centre has rejuvenated Longbridge, and a lot of this has been driven by the buzz around Herbert’s Yard! I for one have spent one too many weekends there!

Your new building looks spectacular, tell us a bit about it

It really is amazing. I was there this week for a site visit, and it is very close to being ready to open to the public and we hope to be welcoming pets and their owners from early November.

It is a Referrals Hospital, which means that it is a place that your pet may be sent to by your local vet if it needs more advanced or intensive treatment. A bit like your GP referring you to a consultant at a hospital.  We will be accepting patients referred from primary care vet practices across the UK and will offer a wide range of specialist treatments including orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeries, cancer treatment, specialist cardiology procedures, and will offer a specialist-led anaesthesia service. We will also have an emergency and critical care service offering ICU and out of hours care, a CT scanner and an MRI.

Located at the new West Longbridge regeneration site, our 28,632 sq. ft hospital is named after the patron saint of veterinarians. Known for his kindness and empathy towards animals and his ability to heal them, St Blaise was said to be able to tame the fiercest of animals and help timid creatures become braver.

As well as caring for pets and their owners, we also care about our planet and some of the sustainability initiatives at Blaise include solar panels which span 40% of the building’s roof, air source heat pumps to decrease the use of fossil fuels and EV charging points in the onsite car park. Staff will also be encouraged to car share or use public transport to get to work.

Do you have a favourite part of the building yet?

As amazing as the building is, and how hi-tech the equipment is, my favourite part of the Hospital (don’t tell the builders!) is the people we have recruited to be in it!

I personally love the sign in Longbridge that says: ‘It wasn’t about cars; it was about people’ and that is what we are trying to achieve here in Blaise. When we open, we will have around 100 staff in the team, and our people will always be at the very centre of how we deliver excellent care for pets and their owners, and they will help us be the best we can.

We have recruited the absolute best people to do this, people that share the same values as we do, and people that want to make the journey for every pet and owner that comes through the door as brilliant as possible. We strive to bring people together to make pet care better.

We have proactively recruited local people into key roles, me included, and we are using local businesses and suppliers wherever we can. We want to be part of the regeneration of Longbridge for years to come and bring new jobs and generate income for the area.

Tell us about your new role? Is it different from what you’ve done in the past?

Before I started at Blaise, I spent 20 years working in the NHS. Although it may seem like a big change, there are so many similarities between animal and human medicine, and I will bring a slightly different perspective into a new healthcare setting.

I am really looking forward to November when we open the doors and see how all the hard work for all those involved over the last few years, taking this from a concept to an actual functioning hospital, has paid off and we can welcome people from the Midlands and beyond to provide the very best care for pets.

What are you most looking forward to in your new position?

Oh, there is so much that I’m looking forward to!

I can’t wait to open the doors on that first day and see the team that we have brought together treating their first patient and caring for their owners.

I am also looking forward to doing some work in the community as well; we are planning an open day early in 2024 so people can see what we offer and meet the Blaise team.

We also hope to reach out to local schools to talk about possible careers in veterinary, and inspire the next generation of nurses, vets and support staff.

What makes Longbridge a good place for a Vet referral centre?

Pet owners travel long distances to take their beloved animals to Referral Hospitals, and we are very lucky to have this type of centre in our region. The accessibility for those who do travel is perfect, with easy access to motorways and public transport.

For those who may have to bring their pets for advanced care, for example if they are receiving treatment for cancer, there is plenty to do in the area while they are waiting – whether that involves strolling down to Longbridge Town Centre for some shopping or blowing the cobwebs away with hikes around the Lickey Hills, Waseley Hills or Cofton Park. A lot of the places around here are dog friendly too which helps!

We can’t wait for Blaise to open its doors to animals and their owners in November. We look forward to welcoming everyone into the Longbridge family.