12 Apr 2024
Pressure is growing within the veterinary sector against tougher migration rules, which it is feared will drive up both costs and recruitment challenges.
Allister Webb
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New salary thresholds governing the recruitment of overseas vets are “unsustainable” for the profession and should be reduced, the RCVS has warned.
A senior minister has indicated he is willing to reconsider the issue amid pressure from MPs and growing unease within the sector about the impact of the measures.
One prominent official has even estimated the rules could add millions of pounds in costs to the work of her organisation unless changes are made.
Under the new rules, which came into force earlier this month, the minimum salary for prospective overseas employees to be allowed into the UK was raised from £26,200 per year to £38,700.
But the required rate for vets was set even higher at £48,100 a year and has now prompted a combined intervention from the college and the BVA.
The two organisations said they have jointly written to the Government to call for a review of the rules relating to the sector and setting out what they fear may happen without change.
Although the document itself has not been released, a BVA spokesperson said: “We highlighted the decline in overseas graduates contributing to the recognised workforce shortage, which we believe will be exacerbated by the new salary requirements.
“We urged [the] Government to reconsider the rules in relation to veterinary surgeons and will continue to lobby them to ensure a more manageable threshold is set.”
Meanwhile, in its own statement, the college said the new regime posed a “significant challenge” to the profession in its present form.
Its spokesperson added: “It will impede the recruitment of veterinary surgeons who have graduated overseas, and the recruitment into the UK workforce of overseas nationals graduating in the UK, who play a key role in supporting UK veterinary capacity.
“We are calling upon the Government to lower the applicant salary threshold for veterinary surgeons.
“We strongly support appropriate remuneration of veterinary surgeons, but believe the proposed changes are unsustainable.”
The intervention comes after the Defra secretary, Steve Barclay, was questioned on the subject during an EFRA select committee hearing on 26 March, before the rules came into force.
Vet and committee member Neil Hudson described the threshold as “problematic” and asked whether it could be reconsidered on a case-by-case basis.
In response, Mr Barclay indicated he was willing to do so and highlighted a recent high-profile issue of concern to the profession as an example of where work across departments can yield results.
He said: “Obviously, there is a Home Office equity around that, but I hope that you can see from the conversations we have had on the XL bully dog extension that, where we can make a strong case collectively, we are very willing to do so with Government colleagues.”
Areas of particularly acute concern relating to the new rules include meat hygiene, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has repeatedly voiced its unease at the changes.
In its latest statement to Vet Times, the agency’s operations director, Junior Johnson, said: “Given that most of the team of vets and meat hygiene inspectors who work in meat plants are recruited from abroad, we are working to fully understand the potential additional cost of increased salaries so we can continue to deliver full official controls in meat.
“These roles are vital to the economy and international trade and provide value to the meat industry by helping to protect animal health, welfare and ensure food safety.”
But, speaking at an earlier EFRA committee hearing last month, prior to the rules coming into force, FSA chief executive Emily Miles argued that exempting meat hygiene inspectors from the new salary requirements would be the “simplest” solution.
She also warned that, without further action, “the financial consequences are in the millions” in terms of increased salaries.
Following that hearing, the agency also issued a joint statement with its Scottish counterpart Food Standards Scotland, warning that the OV-led inspection framework is already under “sustained pressure” and a lack of resource could “cripple export capability” as well as damaging public confidence.
