17 Jul 2026
BVA chiefs have renewed their plea for unity but union officials say measures similar to those already in place in human healthcare must also be adopted under reforms of veterinary legislation.
Allister Webb
Job Title
BVU branch chair Suzy Hudson-Cooke.
Proposed reforms to veterinary sector legislation must go further to protect practice staff as well as their patients, union leaders have warned.
Unite officials have called for moves towards mandatory practice regulation, which they welcome, to be strengthened with measures similar to those already in place in human health and social care.
But the BVA’s president has renewed his plea for professional unity on the issue, while another senior figure argued further reforms were more likely to be driven by leadership than legislation.
Statutory licensing of veterinary and animal healthcare businesses was among the measures proposed in the Government’s recent White Paper on legislative reform, which has been widely welcomed within the sector.
But while it sees the measures as a step forward, Unite – whose branches include the British Veterinary Union (BVU) – said there was “much more still to be done” to ensure veterinary staff are treated fairly.
It believes new regulations should also address issues such as minimum staffing levels, staff to case ratios and operational health and safety matters which were not covered in the document.
BVU branch chair Suzy Hudson-Cooke said: “Health and social care regulation recognises the specific challenges and responsibilities faced by workers in these sectors.
“Veterinary workers work under very similar circumstances and should be afforded similar protections under the proposed mandatory regulation scheme.”
VMG president Rebecca Robinson said the White Paper represented “a major shift in how veterinary practices will be expected to operate” and raised key questions about both the kinds of leaders that would be needed to meet its requirements.
She said the organisation was already working to support members to develop the knowledge and skills that will be needed under a new regulatory framework.
Responding specifically to the union’s comments, she added: “What we’re really talking about here is ensuring the non-clinical operational elements of veterinary practice are run as professionally as the clinical elements already are.
“This means practices run by highly qualified leaders, who know how to inspire and manage their teams through their leadership – and who will also implement the relevant processes and procedures, some of which could be similar to those used in human healthcare, to support them effectively.”
But BVA president Rob Williams warned the reform cause required both professional and political consensus as he addressed its annual Welsh branch dinner at Cardiff Castle this week.
He said: “For this change to succeed, we need the whole profession to be united, and we need political support from everybody present in this room.
“Modernising legislation is not just about bureaucracy; it’s about protecting animal health, the public interest and ensuring Wales’ veterinary profession is fit for the future.”
Meanwhile, the Government has insisted the issue will remain a priority even after Andy Burnham replaces Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister next week.
The pledge was made after vet and Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers sought assurances the issue would not be “kicked into the long grass”.
During the latest departmental questions on the day of the White Paper’s publication, he said: “It is much needed right now.”
Defra secretary Emma Reynolds insisted the Government was “absolutely committed” to reform in the interests of both the sector and pet owners alike.