‘We’re here to stay’, say mixed practice vets

Mixed practice vets have made a rallying cry ahead of potential legislative reform that could eliminate the need for omnicompetence.

Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act could lead to the introduction of conditional licensure, meaning vets would no longer need to meet day-one competencies in all species.

While the RCVS has argued this could increase access to the professions for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and boost resilience in a biosecurity emergency, panellists in, “Is mixed practice dead? The risks of losing omnicompetence” at BVA Live championed the benefits of omnicompetency.

‘Special creature’

Kenny Lang, founder of mixed practice Ben Nevis Vets, said a mixed practice vet “is quite a special creature” who “can do anything”.

Mr Lang suggested mixed practices were in a strong position where the equine and farm branches can compensate for any detriment to the small animal side of the business caused by the Competition and Markets Authority’s remedies for the sector.

The vet admitted he could “absolutely see the argument of time-wasting” in relation to students learning all aspects of practice if they only plan to specialise in one.

But he added: “The profession is getting more and more divided, and what we really want is actually trying to come back together. We’re a small profession; we should all have each other’s backs.

“Is mixed practice dead or dying? Absolutely not. Should it be euthanised? Absolutely not.

“It’s mature, it’s healthy, it just needs nurturing, a bit of respect. We’re here to stay.”

Be broad and varied

Mixed vet Hannah Hunt, director and practice owner at Ystwyth Vets, questioned if the profession was asking students “to be as broad and as varied and as adaptable if we’re not asking them to do the wider range of things”.

She suggested mixed practice was unfairly looked down upon in some quarters and said: “Sometimes, I think mixed practice gets this slur of being the poor cousin of [specialised practice], that it’s the place where people start to figure out what it is they want to do, and then they go and be the real vet they want to be.”

She added: “It’s almost like mixed practice comes as being a second-rate level of medicine, that we do everything to about 80%, but then when we need to do the big stuff or the important stuff, we have to then leave that to the other guys, and I will say that’s not true.

“Relating to other vets or relating to other parts of the industry becomes harder if you don’t understand what they’re going through.”

‘Changed tune’

PhD student Emily Craven – currently on farm practice hiatus – admitted she has “changed [her] tune dramatically” on omnicompetence.

Miss Craven said mixed vets “are incredible” and in a “great position to offer an incredible service”.

She argued mixed practice offers a “huge advantage” in terms of skillset and grounding across multiple disciplines which “definitely adds to your veterinary repertoire”.

Everything

She concluded: “It’s not just the technical knowledge, it’s the art, it’s the science, it’s the everything, it’s the communication, and these things really, really do develop in that mixed role.”

Contributing from the floor, Aberystwyth University lecturer in veterinary science Jon King argued: “This idea of a jack of all trades, master of none is wrong.

“Jack of all trades is a mastery in itself.”