5 Apr 2024
Vet group refuses to confirm job cut numbers, despite speculation dozens of roles could be axed.
James Westgate
Job TitleLinnaeus has refused to confirm the number of redundancies it plans to make following the announcement it would be cutting jobs due to a fall in demand for some services.
The Mars-owned company notified staff on 27 March of its intention to make a “small number” of redundancies at certain practices where staffing levels do not meet demand.
However, there is growing speculation that as many as 60 jobs could go following steady fee increases across the referral sector, which have made some services unaffordable for clients grappling with the cost of living crisis.
Vet Times has also heard that 20 senior specialists could be among those facing redundancy – along with a number of other clinical personnel – but the company has so far refused to comment on the exact number of jobs to be axed.
Linnaeus has said that there are no plans to make further redundancies and insisted job cuts across the group will be minimal.
A spokesman added: “We are consulting on a small number of clinical and non-clinical roles at some of our primary care practices and referral services. We are working to identify open roles in other Linnaeus practices that are actively recruiting.”
Linnaeus operates 59 primary care practices and 17 referral hospitals across the UK and Ireland, and has just invested almost £40 million in three of its multi-disciplinary hospital sites.
Around £16 million was spent when Southfields in Essex was moved to a new hospital building; a further £15 million was invested to double the size of Dick White Referrals in Cambridgeshire, while London Vet Specialists is due to be relocated to a new £8 million home later this year. These investments mirror those made by some of the other corporate groups, with IVC and CVS investing heavily in their referral divisions.
Linnaeus has not confirmed which of its referral practices will be affected, but the British Veterinary Union (BVU) has confirmed it is working with some of those impacted by the job cuts.
Chairperson Suzanna Hudson-Cooke said: “The British Veterinary Union in Unite is supporting a number of members who are currently undergoing a redundancy process across multiple sites of Linnaeus, part of the Mars Group.
“The redundancies primarily affect clinical staff, though some administrative roles are also at risk.
“We are saddened to see these redundancies taking place and will continue to support and advise our members through the process. If you are a member and you are affected or might be affected by redundancy, at Linnaeus, or anywhere else, please contact the BVU as soon as possible.”
To contact the BVU, visit bvu.org.uk
