2 Dec 2022
The latest initiative aims to help professionals deal with abusive or unfair reviews, which it says are the most common form of negative feedback online.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Main image © Syda Productions / Adobe Stock
The BVA has today (2 December) unveiled a new programme that it hopes can offer greater protection for veterinary staff from abusive or unfair reviews online.
The move comes after the body’s latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession data indicated that half of vets working in clinical practice had recently experienced online abuse.
The most commonly reported issue is unfair reviews, which 90% of respondents said they had experienced within the past 12 months.
But nearly half (46%) also experienced abusive language, while a third were trolled and 31% said they had endured online harassment.
The new resource, called “How to manage unfair and abusive reviews online”, is part of the BVA’s wider Respect Your Vet Team kit and has been developed in conjunction with VetsDigital.
It offers practical tips for protecting staff, blog postings, and downloadable posters and graphics that aim to encourage respectful behaviour from clients.
BVA president Malcolm Morley said: “The vast majority of clients are hugely appreciative of the care they receive from their vet teams, resulting in thousands of positive reviews every year.
“While we recognise not every client will have a positive experience and may wish to provide critical feedback, a small number are posting deliberately abusive or unfair reviews.
“This is unacceptable and can have a hugely negative impact on individual veterinary professionals and the wider team.
“Protecting the well-being of veterinary teams remains a top priority for BVA and this new resource will help vet teams to take practical steps to limit the impact of this type of abuse.”
Any professionals who need support can contact the Vetlife Helpline 24 hours a day on 0303 040 2551 or visit the Vetlife Helpline website.
