BVA anticipates tough times ahead for UK vets
The UK veterinary profession is facing a tough future with Covid, Brexit, and exotic disease all taking their toll, according to a new report from the British Veterinary Association (BVA).
The report assesses the readiness of the UK and raises serious questions around veterinary capacity and infrastructure just weeks from the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December.
BVA has been raising concerns about veterinary capacity since the EU referendum, as around half of new vets registering in the UK each year are from the EEA. Covid-19 has placed additional pressure on veterinary capacity as fewer vets have come to work in the UK during 2020 and capacity within veterinary teams is being stretched with Covid-safe working practices.
“We’re calling on the government to urgently send a strong signal to industry that it needs to recruit Official Veterinarians now to secure the necessary workforce,” BVA president James Russel commented.
“At a time when we need to be gearing up our capacity, our workforce is at full tilt under the shadow of Covid-19 restrictions and depleted by a reduction in registrations from overseas. This needs to be factored into plans.”
by Iain Hoey
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