7 Jul 2023
Melissa Donald told a committee of MPs the issue was one of many that emphasised the need for new legislation governing the professions.
Allister Webb
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Image © peampath / Adobe Stock.
The outgoing RCVS president has hinted major reform of veterinary education may be needed to help tackle the workforce crisis facing the sector.
During one of her last public engagements in the role, Melissa Donald told a committee of MPs the issue was one of many that emphasised the need for new legislation governing the professions.
Her comments followed the release of a new long-term workforce plan for the NHS, which the BVA has pledged to explore elements of at a major industry event later this year.
The plan, which has been developed by the NHS and the Government, appears to support the idea of shortening medical degrees to help train thousands of new medical professionals.
It pledges to support universities in reducing the length of their programmes from five years – the same as for vets – to four, subject to regulatory approval from the General Medical Council.
Addressing an EFRA select committee hearing on 4 July, three days before the end of her presidential term, Dr Donald said the scale of the veterinary profession’s workforce challenge – particularly for new graduates – could necessitate radical changes to both education and current legislation in the sector.
She said: “We maybe need different ways of people training through university because five years is a long time. We maybe need to do things like not having ‘omnipotential’ – in other words, can treat every animal. We maybe need to look at different options of how to get people through university.
“Again, we keep coming back to a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.”
In response, a Defra spokesperson said the department was “aware of the many potential benefits associated with updating the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966”, but questions about the future structure of veterinary degrees would be a matter for the Department of Education.
They added: “We are working with the veterinary profession to understand the most effective and proportionate approach for full or partial reform of the act.”
Following the publication of the paper on 30 June, an RCVS spokesperson told Vet Times it would monitor the plan’s progress, and recognised the similarities between the veterinary sector’s challenges and those faced by other professions.
The spokesperson said: “Certain aspects of the medical context have proven helpful when considering new approaches to education, such as having a national medical licensing exam in place to help demonstrate consistency across students upon graduation, and the establishment of close links with the NHS as the primary employer.
“We are all looking to address similar challenges and will, therefore, continue to watch the medical situation with interest.”
The future shape of veterinary education has been a source of increasing recent interest amid forthcoming reforms of the EMS system and broader concern about the funding of vet schools.
Dr Donald also called for a rise in funding for vet schools to provide extra money per student, rather than enabling an increase in places. The funding plea was echoed by BVA senior vice-president Justine Shotton, who also gave evidence in the committee session, and follows recent warnings from other senior BVA officials about the state of veterinary education finances.
Meanwhile, another area of the NHS plan that has attracted particular interest from the veterinary sector is the proposed piloting of an apprenticeship programme that would enable participants to work as trainee medical practitioners, with appropriate supervision for their level of training, while studying for their degrees.
BVA president Malcolm Morley said that element of the programme was “very interesting” and will be on the agenda of its congress stream at November’s London Vet Show.
He added: “As the veterinary profession continues to evolve, it’s vital that education keeps pace. Sustained investment in our vet schools is critical to ensure top-tier courses, cutting-edge facilities and robust research programmes.
“However, innovation around how education is delivered has the potential to attract more people who might have otherwise overlooked the profession.”
The Veterinary Schools Council, which represents vet schools in the UK and Ireland, had not responded to a request for comment on the plan at the time of going to press.
