20 May 2022
“The role of the RVN is changing and evolving so quickly; their role in clinic is now much broader than it traditionally was as regulations have changed. It’s hard to look back and comment; however, I can say that I believe RVNs deserve this salary for the work they do in our clinics now” – Ciara McCormack, Medivet.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © Dilok / Adobe Stock
One of the largest UK vet groups has announced a pay hike for all its RVNs to a minimum of £30,000 a year in a symbolic boost for the profession’s status.
The base salary figure has been introduced by Medivet this month across its entire network of 350 branches.
The news has been welcomed by the BVNA as a “step forward and a positive sign”, but elsewhere practice bosses thinking of following suit have been cautioned to ensure any wage rises were sustainable to their businesses.
After internal consultations with veterinary nursing teams, Medivet said it “became clear quite quickly” that a base salary of £30,000 was an aspiration held by many of them.
Explaining the reason for its decision, Ciara McCormack, director of clinical operations at Medivet, said: “We wanted to do something to show our RVNs that we truly value them. We worked with our ‘valuing vet nurses committee’ to understand what was really important to them. It became clear quite quickly that a base salary of £30,000 was an aspiration for this skilled and talented group of professionals.
“The role of the RVN is changing and evolving so quickly; their role in clinic is now much broader than it traditionally was as regulations have changed. It’s hard to look back and comment; however, I can say that I believe RVNs deserve this salary for the work they do in our clinics now.”
Additional to the new base salary, introduced for all existing and future RVN employees from 1 May, Medivet said it was improving its paid CPD allowance to SVNs and RVNs to £750 a year per person.
Dr McCormack said Medivet’s intention was not to set a precedent or send a message to the wider veterinary sector, but solely to reward valuable members of its own team.
She said: “We really do value our colleagues, and recognise the work and commitment that they offer our clients and patients every day. We hope that RVNs see this and feel confident knowing that they can benefit from a fair salary that recognises their qualification and value.
“Medivet’s priority is its commitment to investing into our staff, and ensuring that their efforts are fairly rewarded and their continued development remains a key focus. [Our] priority is ensuring our nurses feel valued and are fairly rewarded.
“They are passionate professionals working tirelessly to provide the very highest standards of care to our patients. Our new rewards package is part of a strategy to boost our investment in our ability to attract and retain the best talent in the sector.”
In the latest SPVS Salary Survey, released in March, the UK median pay package across the sector for vet nurses was £24,227, rising to £31,031 for head nurses. Nationally, full-time salaries rose 7.8% in 2021.
Pay has previously been cited as the chief reason many RVNs choose to leave the profession. In the RCVS’ 2019 Survey of the Veterinary Nurse Profession, when 24.8% of VNs said they were planning to leave within five years, pay was the chief contributing factor – mentioned by 77.3%. Not feeling rewarded or valued was chosen by 59.8%.
The figures were mentioned again in 2021’s VN Futures interim report, which outlined measures to address challenges in the profession.
The BVNA, which is working on a “pay toolkit” for its members covering salary benchmarking and pay reviews, welcomed Medivet’s announcement. BVNA president Alex Taylor said: “At the BVNA, we recognise the importance of RVN salaries reflecting their knowledge, skills, and expertise as veterinary professionals. Offering a minimum salary of £30,000 to RVNs is a step forward and a positive sign for the veterinary nursing profession.”
Rich Casey, president of the VMG, also welcomed the news, but said practice businesses thinking of similar salary increases needed to display caution. He said: “It is good to see Medivet – and indeed other corporates, independents and charities – increasing VN salaries, particularly with the cost of living increasing rapidly.
“The reality is that salary increases have to be sustainable for the business. For independent practices, in particular, an increase of this size could significantly increase their salary bill, especially when the additional costs, such as National Insurance and pension contributions, are added in.
“We urge practice owners, managers, or decision-makers to review their situation and assess the impact of an increase of this sort. What commensurate revenue increase would be required? Could it be achieved by the introduction of new revenue streams?
“For instance, how much of the value-adding work already done by VNs is invoiced for? Nurse clinics are one example. If it is not feasible to make the leap in one go, perhaps they could look at a staged transition?”
Mr Casey also added that other issues beyond pay required action for veterinary nurses in practices. He said: “We should not lose sight of the fact that, while very important, poor pay was not the only reason cited for the dissatisfaction of many VNs. Feeling under-valued, limited opportunities for career progression and a poor work-life balance were also raised by many.
“To retain our VNs, it’s important that, in addition to their salary, their role in practice is considered in the round so that all of their concerns can be addressed in a way that also supports the growth and profitability of their practice.”
