New analysis has revealed a rapid growth in veterinary professionals’ concern about the cost of care – including fears the sector may be left unsustainable by rising charges.

The picture has emerged following publication of the latest Surveys of the Professions, compiled by the Institute for Employment Studies on behalf of the RCVS.

Among vets, the proportion highlighting cost as one of the three biggest issues facing the professions jumped from 30% in the last such survey in 2019 to 46% now.

The proportion of veterinary nurses citing the issue also rose sharply from 27% five years ago to 38% this time.

The trend is likely to reflect both the challenging economic picture of recent years and, latterly, the ongoing investigation of companion animal services by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

In response to the figures, a college spokesperson said the organisation would work with the CMA to identify areas where it could help to address the issue “within the scope of our current legal remit”.

Potential impact

However, the documents also highlighted deeper fears about the potential impact of increased care charges on the sector and the people working in it.

One contributor to the VN survey, whose comments were discussed in its report, urged the college to do more to raise public understanding of care and the nursing role.

The participant said: “It is exhausting being the public’s punching bag when they can’t afford veterinary treatment.”

The paper also acknowledged calls from some participants for the college to “consider monitoring vet fees” because of the backlash associated with high fees, plus a perceived link between high fees and corporate practice ownership.

One participant warned the profession “won’t be sustainable” because “normal people on normal wages (including vet nurses) are not going to be able to afford to own an animal”.

Meanwhile, a contributor to the vets’ survey warned of the potential for stress and moral injury among clinicians based on the ownership of practices by “unregulated individuals/companies”, and a lack of control over case management associated with that.

Contextualised care

They added: “As regards small animal practice, we are very much in danger of making even contextualised veterinary care unaffordable for a large number of people.”

Despite the growth in cost concerns, the issue did not feature directly among the commonly cited reasons for clinicians leaving the professions.

The surveys, which together attracted more than 10,000 responses earlier this year, also indicated that the proportion of professionals intending to quit practice for reasons other than retirement within the next five years remained unchanged at 10% of vets and 25% of veterinary nurses.

But the proportions intending to stay in practice for at least that length of time dropped to 70% of VNs, from 72% in 2019, and 75% of vets from 79% five years ago.

Strategic

The findings are intended to help shape the content of the college’s next strategic plan, which is expected to be published early in the new year.

However, chief executive Lizzie Lockett said the organisation would be reviewing how it interacts with and gathers information from the professions, following a disproportionately low response to the survey among younger vets.

Only 14% of vet survey responses were from clinicians aged 30 or under, compared to 23% of the current RCVS register.