A backlog of worry

At the start of lockdown, in many ways life felt simpler than it had ever done before. Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.

There was no need to worry about school, exams, work deadlines or hitting targets. We only needed to worry about keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe – priorities that maybe should have always been so high.

As veterinary professionals, we were told not to worry about vaccinations, preventive health care or routine appointments. The message from the BVA president was clear: human health must come first.

It was the first time I had reason to assess where I placed animal life in relation to human. But certainly in those first few weeks I felt clear on my role in providing urgent and emergency care. We clung to the simplicity of the message and were united in our approach.

The worrier returns

Now it is almost five months since lockdown begun, life does not feel so straightforward. We have a backlog of worry that is starting to rise again.

We can no longer put off worrying about our children’s education; the financial viability of our businesses; the long-term impact of social isolation. We can no longer put off worrying about vaccinations, routine health care and non-urgent procedures.

Different stages

As a profession, we are all in different places, bearing different burdens.

Some of us have caught up on vaccinations and neutering, and are able to offer a near-normal service. Others are still only just keeping their heads above water providing urgent care, as the backlog only increases each day.

Some of us have full teams, effective new ways of working and good morale. Others are still running on skeleton teams who are exhausted, with no end in sight.

I am lucky enough to be working in a practice that has almost caught up on its routine work and is able to offer nearly all its normal vet appointments. But it is easy to forget how much we still cannot provide, and how much more we used to do.

Shift in concerns

If we think a backlog exists in veterinary, that is nothing compared to the backlog of non-emergency procedures in the NHS.

I started the pandemic worrying about the ethics of sacrificing animal health for human; now I see how lucky our pets are to have such widespread access to private medical care.

From a second wave to the burden of winter flu and the end of Government financial schemes, it feels a lot exists to worry about again.

In many ways, I miss the crisis mentality of the beginning. Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives. The message was clear, and there was so much we were told we did not need to worry about.

It is the closest I hope I will ever get to a wartime Britain. Sometimes I close my eyes and remember how easy it was to only worry about one thing.