Veterinary bodies write to universities minister over student cap concerns

The RCVS and BVA have written a joint letter to the Government over their concerns about the recently announced plans to cap student numbers at UK universities.

Addressed to Michelle Donelan MP, the minister of state for universities at the Department of Education, the letter was written in response to the announcement (on 4 May) that the Government would be introducing a temporary cap on student numbers as part of measures to support the higher education sector during the coronavirus pandemic.

Heavily reliant

The letter requests that the UK’s veterinary schools be exempted from those measures because of the need to greatly increase the number of UK graduates.

Estimates put the shortage of veterinary surgeons in the UK at between 11% and 13%. The veterinary sector is also heavily reliant on veterinary surgeons educated in the EU and around 60% of those joining the RCVS register in a given year are from the EU.

The coronavirus pandemic and its associated restrictions, both in the UK and EU countries, means a reduction in the number of EU vets applying to join the register is likely, meaning the shortfall is expected to be exacerbated.

Reassurance

The letter – signed by RCVS president Niall Connell, BVA president Daniella Dos Santos and Susan Dawson, who chairs the Veterinary Schools Council – read: “It is… critical that we greatly increase the number of graduates from UK veterinary schools in the coming years, supported by appropriate funding, to reduce our reliance on overseas graduates, and ensure a sufficient workforce to support animal health and welfare, and public health.

“To achieve this, student numbers need to be increased (alongside ongoing measures to increase retention rates). A cap on student numbers (even one that allowed a small amount of growth) would, therefore, be counterproductive.

“We would be grateful for reassurance that no such cap will be put in place for these (oversubscribed) veterinary degree programmes.”