Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act requires reform to enable broader professional roles.
Recommendation
The Department set out the work it is looking to do, with support from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, to update the Veterinary Surgeons Act which has not been updated for a long time. Reforming the Act could allow other professionals, such as trained veterinary nurses, to do the same range of work as a vet under the supervision of a vet.16 Surveillance activities
Government Response Summary
The department is establishing a government veterinary services working group to create a workforce strategy and will consult on reform of the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act, which will include regulation for Allied Veterinary Professionals and legal protection for the title of Veterinary Nurses.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: March 2027 2.2 Current vet capacity challenges are being managed through initiatives such as pay allowances for vets. These allowances are used by certain departments to support recruitment and retention within the Civil Service, including APHA. The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary inspectors loaned from Other Government Department veterinary teams to temporarily fill vacancies –a model that will be looked at in the Defra/AHPA led workforce strategy. 2.3 The department is establishing a government veterinary services working group to create a workforce strategy in line with this recommendation. The strategy will support the vet profession particularly in government and ultimately the delivery against animal health and welfare objectives. It aims to build cross-departmental collaboration around veterinary recruitment and retention. 16 2.4 In addition, and as announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget, the department will consult on reform of the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act. Proposed reforms will bolster veterinary workforce capacity by widening the professional team, through the introduction of regulation for Allied Veterinary Professionals and legal protection for the title of Veterinary Nurses which will also allow vets to focus on more specialist tasks and provide better understanding for both the profession and the public of the veterinary profession.