Update – Closure Confirmed (2 April 2026)

It has now been confirmed that Great Western Exotics will close on 2 April 2026.

VetsNow/ IVC state that “no viable alternative could be found” following a review, including a potential sale of the business.

They also state that “consumer need for specialist exotic and avian veterinary services is rare” and that this has impacted the ability to sustain a dedicated centre.

This raises serious questions.

Great Western Exotics is a national referral centre, relied upon by veterinary practices across the UK for complex and emergency cases. Feedback from veterinary professionals indicates that demand for specialist support already exceeds available capacity in many areas.

Vets Now have signposted alternative practices within approximately a 60-minute drive. However, there is no evidence that these services have been assessed for capacity, capability, or their ability to provide equivalent specialist, 24/7 care. We are also aware that at least one previously identified provider is not currently accepting exotic referrals.

Their statement further notes that first opinion veterinary practices will remain responsible for the ongoing care of exotic species. This represents a significant shift away from specialist-led referral care, without clarity on how complex or high-risk cases will be supported.

Despite repeated requests, no response has been provided to questions regarding:

• Continuity of care for existing patients
• Referral capacity within alternative services
• Assessment of animal welfare impact
• How these decisions have been made

Clients have also not been directly informed of key developments, including the change to the proposed closure date, which many have only learned through media reporting.

The central concerns raised throughout this petition — around continuity of care, referral capacity, and animal welfare — remain unresolved.

This situation also raises broader questions about how decisions affecting specialist veterinary services are made within corporate ownership structures, and how clinical, welfare and infrastructure considerations are assessed and communicated.

If you are concerned about the loss of specialist veterinary provision, training capacity, and the wider implications for animal welfare, we would encourage you to raise this with your local MP.

Corporate ownership of veterinary practices is not unique to the UK, but the scale and pace of consolidation here raises important questions about how decisions affecting clinical services and infrastructure are made, and the extent to which those decisions are driven by clinical versus corporate priorities.

With the closure now confirmed, this petition has reached its conclusion. Thank you to everyone who has supported this petition.

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Update – 25 March 2026

Since our last update, there have been several significant developments.

IVC Evidensia has now delayed the proposed closure of Great Western Exotics until 2 April 2026, stating that it is “exploring future options”. However, this delay has not been accompanied by any clear information for clients or referring practices about how continuity of care will be maintained.

In practice, the service is already significantly reduced. Great Western Exotics is no longer accepting new clients or routine referrals and has largely been limiting its work to emergency cases. This is leaving many veterinary practices and owners uncertain about where complex or urgent cases can now be referred.

At the same time, the alternative practices signposted by IVC / Vets Now do not offer directly comparable specialist provision. One of these practices (Highcroft, Bristol) is no longer accepting exotic referrals following the departure of its exotics vet.

These developments raise serious concerns about referral capacity and access to appropriate specialist care.

The issue has now received national media attention, including coverage in The Guardian, alongside ongoing reporting in veterinary publications. The Competition and Markets Authority has also published its findings into the veterinary sector this week, focusing largely on pricing and transparency — but not addressing specialist provision or referral infrastructure.

Despite the delay, the core concerns remain unchanged — and for many patients, the situation is already deteriorating.

We continue to call for:

• Full transparency regarding the rationale for closure
• A published animal welfare impact assessment
• Clear plans for continuity of care and referral capacity
• Meaningful engagement with the veterinary community

 

Update – 2 March 2026
On 2 March 2026, clients of Great Western Exotics were formally notified by Vets Now (owned by IVC Evidensia) that the hospital is proposed to close on 27 March 2026. The stated reason is that demand has not been sufficient to sustain the site long-term.

While communication has now occurred, the proposed timeframe leaves fewer than four weeks for tens of thousands of owners — including those managing chronic disease, complex surgical recovery, and specialist treatment plans — to secure appropriate alternative provision. For patients requiring 24/7 specialist-led exotic care, continuity is clinically significant. The speed of this proposed closure raises serious concerns about whether safe transition planning and referral capacity have been adequately assessed.

This petition remains focused on ensuring that any decision affecting a national specialist referral hospital is supported by transparent evidence, proper welfare impact assessment, and meaningful engagement with the veterinary community.

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Over 60,000 animals rely on Great Western Exotics — a 24/7 specialist hospital that may close within weeks. The corporate owner - IVC Evidensia - has provided no communication to the clients whose animals depend on it.

Without transparency, continuity of care is at risk. Animals cannot speak for themselves — we must demand answers now.

We call on IVC Evidensia to:

• Immediately and formally communicate their intentions regarding Great Western Exotics (GWE) to clients, staff and referring veterinary practices.
• Publicly publish a full animal welfare impact assessment before any closure decision is finalised.
• Engage openly with clients, referring vets and the wider veterinary community to explore all viable alternatives to closure.

 

Why This Matters
Great Western Exotics (GWE) is not a routine veterinary practice. It is a Tier 3 RCVS-accredited, 24/7, specialist-led hospital dedicated exclusively to avian and exotic animal medicine. It is widely recognised as one of the leading exotics referral centres in the UK and is relied upon by veterinary practices across the country for complex, high-risk and emergency cases.

Over 60,000 registered pets depend on this hospital.

Veterinary practices refer critically ill rabbits, birds, reptiles and other exotic species to GWE because it provides expertise, equipment and intensive care that are not widely available elsewhere. For many patients, it represents the gold standard — and sometimes the only realistic option.

Rumours suggest that the hospital may close at the end of March. Yet clients have not received any communication from IVC and are left entirely in the dark. If accurate, this would leave barely a month for the tens of thousands of owners — many managing complex, ongoing conditions — to identify alternative specialist care.

For a 24/7 referral hospital of this national significance, such short notice is not simply inconvenient. It is destabilising and dangerous.

Continuity of care is a cornerstone of good clinical practice. Animals with chronic disease, post-operative follow-up needs or urgent medical conditions cannot safely be left in uncertainty.

 

The Welfare Impact
Closing Great Western Exotics would have predictable consequences:

• Longer travel times for critically ill prey species
• Increased physiological stress during transport
• Delays in referral for complex or high-risk cases
• Greater pressure on the already limited number of exotic referral centres
• More animals managed without specialist input
• Rabbits can deteriorate within hours if they stop eating. Birds mask illness until they are critically unwell. Reptiles require precise environmental control during illness. Every delay increases risk.

Exotic animals feel pain and distress no less than dogs or cats. They deserve equal access to specialist care.

 

A Question of Corporate Responsibility
IVC Evidensia promotes itself as a leader in clinical standards and animal welfare. Leadership must be demonstrated through stewardship.

If financial considerations are driving this decision, then the animal welfare implications must be properly, transparently and publicly assessed.

We are not asking for rhetoric.
We are asking for accountability.

Before any closure proceeds, there must be:

• Full transparency regarding the rationale
• A published welfare impact assessment
• Meaningful consultation with staff, clients and referring vets
• Genuine exploration of alternative models to preserve specialist provision

Centres of excellence are built over decades. Once dismantled, expertise disperses and referral networks fracture. The consequences will be felt nationwide.

Our Message
This is not simply a business decision.
It is a moral one.

Animals cannot advocate for themselves.
We must do so on their behalf.

We urge IVC Evidensia to act responsibly, communicate openly, and place animal welfare at the centre of its decision-making.

Sign this petition to protect specialist exotic veterinary care and demand transparency now.