Increased VN protection ‘would benefit whole sector’ – RCVS VN council chair

Clinicians have been urged to “be part of this movement” to both protect and empower the veterinary nursing profession.

The plea was made by RCVS VN Council chairperson Belinda Andrews-Jones amid the continuing push for legislative reform, which has already led to several months of discussions between Defra and leading sector organisations.

Officials hope the campaign may be boosted by the current Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation of companion animal services.

Reform

Addressing the recent Royal College Day event in London, Mrs Andrews-Jones said reform offered the potential for formal legal protection of the vet nurse title and greater clarity around what nurses can do in practice.

But she also argued that change would benefit the whole sector and needed the whole sector to help bring it about.

She said: “We need every vet and veterinary nurse, in every part of the UK, to be part of this movement. Don’t just think about how things are now – imagine what could be.

“My motto is: ‘If a human nurse can do it, why can’t we?’ – with the right training, qualifications, and experience, why not?”

Ongoing debate

The question of what nurses can and cannot do under Schedule 3 has been an ongoing topic of debate within the profession, with the idea of a so-called “white list” of permitted procedures provoking fierce debate at the BSAVA’s final congress earlier this year.

Mrs Andrews-Jones suggested changes could allow for nurses to play a more expansive role with “reforms that will make the scope of the VN role a matter for the RCVS as regulator, no longer restricted by Schedule 3”.

She added: “It means a future where our profession is less limited, more empowered, and better recognised for the essential and complex roles we already play.

“These reforms raise the bar for the entire veterinary profession – offering stability, recognition, and a clearer structure for everyone.”

Plea

She also issued a “plea” to “engage positively with the proposed changes, adding: “Let’s stay united, be brave, and move forward together.”

She urged all professionals to “bang the drum for legislative reform”, including raising the issue with their local MP and responding to Defra and RCVS consultations, as well as being more vocal about the work that nurses do.

She said: “Too often, the incredible things VNs do every day are hidden from view – out the back, unseen by clients.

“Yet we are phlebotomists, anaesthetists, radiographers, minor ops surgeons, ward nurses, pharmacists, animal tamers, advisors – and sometimes even counsellors. The public only sees the tip of the iceberg.

“Let’s change that narrative. Share the reality of your work. Let the public see your superhero skills. Their support matters in this journey.”