1st Report - A sustainable veterinary workforce

The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, should review the Skilled Worker Visa salary thresholds for veterinary roles by early 2027 to ensure they: • reflect realistic earlycareer salary progression in the sector; • do not create barriers to recruiting … Read more The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, should review the Skilled Worker Visa salary thresholds for veterinary roles by early 2027 to ensure they: • reflect realistic earlycareer salary progression in the sector; • do not create barriers to recruiting overseas vets into shortage roles; and • are aligned with wider workforce needs in public health and food safety. This review should include consultation with the RCVS, BVA, and major veterinary employers, and publish its findings. (Recommendation, Paragraph 16) Veterinary training and access to the profession Show less

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The government should, within the next Spending Review, undertake a full review of funding for veterinary education and take the recommended steps to ensure that funding levels reflect the true cost of training. This review, jointly undertaken by Defra and … Read more The government should, within the next Spending Review, undertake a full review of funding for veterinary education and take the recommended steps to ensure that funding levels reflect the true cost of training. This review, jointly undertaken by Defra and the Department for Education should: • assess the gap between costs and funding for domestic students; • set out options to close this gap, including increased teaching grants for high-cost courses; and • ensure the long-term financial sustainability of veterinary schools, recognising their strategic importance to the UK. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26) Show less

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In bringing forward reforms to the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act, the government should ensure that it sets out how accreditation requirements can be made more flexible and adaptable, allowing greater freedom in curriculum design. (Recommendation, Paragraph 30) 25 CMA reforms … Read more In bringing forward reforms to the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act, the government should ensure that it sets out how accreditation requirements can be made more flexible and adaptable, allowing greater freedom in curriculum design. (Recommendation, Paragraph 30) 25 CMA reforms to veterinary services for household pets Show less

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The government should ensure the CMA’s remedies are fully rural proofed. The government should instruct the CMA, in partnership with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, to establish a monitoring framework by September 2027 to coincide with the deadline for … Read more The government should ensure the CMA’s remedies are fully rural proofed. The government should instruct the CMA, in partnership with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, to establish a monitoring framework by September 2027 to coincide with the deadline for small practices to implement most of the remedies. This framework should monitor prices, competition, business sustainability and access to services in rural and isolated areas. The CMA should publish a formal review of the impact of its remedies by March 2029, giving small business 18 months to adapt to the new requirements. The review should assess impacts on mixed practices, rural provision, and market outcomes. Where adverse effects are identified, the CMA should implement corrective measures within a further six months to protect service provision and animal welfare. (Recommendation, Paragraph 38) Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act Show less

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Defra should set out a clear delivery plan for VSA reform in response to this report, including estimated staff requirements, programme costs, key milestones, and an indicative legislative timetable through to implementation. This plan should also identify how engagement with … Read more Defra should set out a clear delivery plan for VSA reform in response to this report, including estimated staff requirements, programme costs, key milestones, and an indicative legislative timetable through to implementation. This plan should also identify how engagement with the sector will be resourced and sustained throughout the reform process. (Recommendation, Paragraph 45) Show less

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As part of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, the government should separate the RCVS’s professional leadership role from any regulatory functions within the veterinary profession, creating a new independent body that can oversee the expanded role of a reformed … Read more As part of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, the government should separate the RCVS’s professional leadership role from any regulatory functions within the veterinary profession, creating a new independent body that can oversee the expanded role of a reformed Act. It should draw on models used in other regulated professions to achieve this, taking account of the specific requirements of the veterinary profession. (Recommendation, Paragraph 50) 27 Show less

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Workforce pressures in the veterinary profession are no longer driven primarily by an overall shortage of qualified individuals, but by challenges in retention, distribution and alignment with specific roles. At our evidence session at Harper Adams University, all four senior veterinary representatives on the panel emphasised that veterinary training produces …

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While recruitment has stabilised and the arrival of new entrants through the pipeline has increased, significant and persistent gaps remain in public sector roles, geographically isolated practices and other “deficit areas”. High attrition rates and a “constant churn” in some areas are leading to a loss of expertise and impose …

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Defra should, within six months, commission a sector-wide review, working in partnership with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, veterinary schools, and other major employers and representative bodies, including the British Veterinary Association, to build a robust evidence base on the drivers of retention challenges across the profession. This review …

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The veterinary profession remains reliant on international recruitment to fill critical roles, particularly in public health and official veterinary services. While international vets have made a vital contribution, this “learned dependency” has masked underlying weaknesses in domestic workforce planning and training pipelines. Recent changes to visa thresholds and the phasing …

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Veterinary education in the UK is of critical national importance, underpinning animal health and welfare, public health, food safety and biosecurity. UK veterinary schools are internationally revered and play a vital role in delivering a highly skilled workforce. Despite this, the current funding model is not sustainable; the high cost …

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While high academic standards in veterinary school admissions are justified, we are concerned that current entry routes may unintentionally exclude applicants who would excel in the profession. It takes more than academic excellence at 18 to be a good vet, and the profession is strengthened by a diversity of skills, …

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Defra and the RCVS should, within 18 months, begin work with veterinary schools to develop and implement sector wide guidance on contextual and flexible admissions. This should: • support consistent use of contextual offers and alternative access routes; • encourage recruitment from rural and underserved areas; and • include annual …

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Accreditation for veterinary schools must be adaptable to match the realities of a modern veterinary profession, allowing greater flexibility in training while maintaining high standards, so that graduates are better prepared for the evolving demands of practice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)

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Rising prices for veterinary services cannot be explained solely by increased operating costs or higher expectations for standards of care. We agree with the CMA that market consolidation has been a major contributing factor to price increases and welcome its investigation and the overall direction of its proposed remedies. We …

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Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) presents an important opportunity to modernise regulation, support a more flexible workforce, and strengthen public confidence. Reform is clearly needed, but it must be carefully designed, with clear definitions of roles and responsibilities and sufficient flexibility to remain fit for purpose as …

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The development of Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) remedies and Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) reform should be coordinated to ensure alignment, avoid duplication, and minimise unintended consequences. In response to this report, Defra should provide a clear explanation of how the CMA’s interim remedies will interact with longer-term legislative …

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In professions such as medicine and law, regulatory functions have been separated from professional bodies, with oversight vested in independent regulators. Self-regulation is increasingly unsuitable for a profession where vet practices and services are coming under the ownership of corporate entities and the management of non-vets. Reform of the Veterinary …

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