14 Aug 2026
With Parliamentarians on their summer recess, a Merseyside practice has secured the support of one of its MPs for change and is urging others to join the campaign.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Practice owner and SPVS junior vice-president Kate Higgins with MP Bill Esterson and dog Bobby outside Village Vets in Formby.
Clinicians are being encouraged to invite their local MPs into practice as part of the campaign to secure long-sought legislative reform for the veterinary sector.
The call follows a pledge of support by Labour’s Bill Esterson after he visited the Village Vets practice in Formby, Merseyside.
The commitment has been welcomed by practice owner and SPVS junior vice-president Kate Higgins as she argued similar impacts could be felt in clinics up and down the country.
She said: “It is difficult to appreciate the full scope of veterinary work from outside the profession.
“Bringing policymakers into practices allows them to see the clinical skill, teamwork, infrastructure and decision-making involved in delivering care, while also hearing directly from the people who will be affected by future regulatory change.
“National reform requires political momentum, but that momentum is often built through local conversations.
“Practice visits give MPs a much clearer understanding of the profession, the challenges we face and why modernisation matters.
“I would encourage other veterinary teams to consider inviting their local representatives into practice and contributing to that wider conversation.”
Mr Esterson, who has represented the Sefton Central constituency since 2010, said the visit had been an “eye-opening” experience.
He added: “I was shocked to learn that, while individual vets are regulated, veterinary practices are not, and that anyone can legally refer to themselves as a veterinary nurse regardless of whether they have the appropriate education, training or experience.
“That is why I am backing vets’ calls to reform the existing legislation so that we can improve transparency, strengthen trust and give pet owners across Merseyside confidence in the care their animals receive.”
Meanwhile, the BVA is also encouraging other clinicians to register interest in hosting their MPs by emailing [email protected] or completing a form on its website.