Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Dame ): My Honourable Friend, the
Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals, of Ullock, has made the
following Written Statement
We are a country that cares deeply for animals, whether they are
our pets and companions, our farmed animals, or our wildlife.
Veterinary professionals play a vital role in safeguarding our
high animal health and welfare standards, supporting animal
disease control and maintaining food security and public health,
as well as supporting trade agreements.
Today, we are launching a consultation which proposes reforms to
modernise the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA). In the
intervening 60 years since the VSA was implemented, the
profession and wider views around animals and their welfare has
changed beyond recognition. It is imperative that legislation is
transformed to continue to maintain high standards of animal
health and welfare, protect the public and consumers and uphold
public trust in the veterinary professions.
Throughout the years, the VSA has been adapted through many
Statutory Instruments (SIs) and supported by changes using the
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon's (RCVS's) Royal Charter.
However, there is a limit to what can be changed through
secondary legislation. Wholesale reform of the VSA could ensure
the law, and related frameworks, are fit for purpose, flexible
and forward-facing, allowing for the continuing changes of modern
society and the veterinary profession.
For many years, there have been calls from the RCVS, the
profession and the public to reform the VSA. These calls for
legislative reform have been echoed by the on-going Competition
and Markets Authority (CMA) Market Investigation into the
provision of veterinary services for household pets.
The key aims of the proposals for VSA reform are:
-
Uphold animal health and welfare: Vets are
pivotal to safeguarding and ensuring animal welfare and this
relies on adequate vet capacity. Currently, only veterinary
surgeons are subject to full regulation, with regulation in
place for registered veterinary nurses to work under the
direction of veterinary surgeons. By allowing vet nurses to
work more independently from veterinary surgeons, vets could
focus more on tasks that require their specific skills and
knowledge. This would improve retention, with the aim to reduce
vet shortages. Regulation of veterinary businesses is also
required to ensure that standards of animal health and welfare,
as well as consumer protections, are upheld across the
veterinary sector.
-
Break down barriers to opportunity: Currently,
there is no legal protection for the titles of veterinary
nurses or the allied veterinary professionals; the consultation
proposes reform to introduce this. Proposed reforms would also
bring all members of the veterinary team under the same
regulatory umbrella. This would support career development
alongside animal welfare by ensuring allied veterinary
professionals are qualified, further strengthening the
profession and providing clarity to the public. The proposed
legislative reforms could also remove barriers to the
profession that currently exist for disabled people.
-
Strengthen the workforce: Proposed reforms to
the VSA also aim to address some of the challenges of
recruitment and retention, through measures such as providing
increased support to new and returning veterinary surgeons and
nurses. Additionally, reforms aim to improve the work
satisfaction of veterinary nurses by allowing them to work with
greater independence.
-
Economic growth and consumer protection:
Reforming regulation so it more effectively supports consumers
and promotes competition would help pet owners make informed
choices about the services they choose. Proposed reforms would
require vet businesses to be transparent on prices and the
range of options available, better meeting consumer needs and
allowing them to look around for the best value before seeing a
vet. Where competition leads to lower prices, higher quality
and better choices for consumers, this helps ensure that
animals are better cared for. With vet nurses being able to
work more independently and adding regulation of Allied
Veterinary Professionals, owners will more easily be able to
find qualified people to treat their pet, giving more options
for treatment at different price points.
-
Food security and enhancing biosecurity: The
manifesto states that “food security is national security”.
Veterinary professionals are crucial to ensure food security
and high standards of public and animal health are maintained.
Equally, vets play a crucial role in biosecurity by providing
official controls in the agri-food chain, particularly within
abattoirs and for trade purposes. Proposed reforms to the
legislation could further safeguard these important areas.
This consultation seeks views on the following aspects of
veterinary regulation that would contribute to achieving the aims
of reform set out above:
- a licence to practise model, including the wider veterinary
team
- ensuring professionals are fit to practise
- regulation of veterinary and animal healthcare businesses,
and
- the governance of the veterinary regulator
The proposed UK wide changes laid out in the consultation are
crucial in ensuring the regulation of the veterinary team, and
the wider sector in which they operate, is fit for purpose and
fit for the future.