7 Oct 2022
Linda Joyce-Jones launches Rosa’s Mobile Vets as she called on leading Welsh politicians to launch an inquiry into the state of the industry, which a senior official has already said is being watched closely.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Linda Joyce-Jones (centre) has welcomed discussions held on the petition she presented to Carolyn Thomas, regional member for North Wales and Senedd petitions committee member Joel James.
An animal campaigner who is fighting what she sees as the “corporate takeover” of the veterinary sector has announced plans to set up a new independent practice on Anglesey.
Linda Joyce-Jones launched Rosa’s Mobile Vets as she called on leading Welsh politicians to launch an inquiry into the state of the industry, which a senior official has already indicated is being watched closely.
The practice, which is expected to begin work within weeks, will initially offer a part-time service on the island, but hopes to expand if there is sufficient demand.
Out-of-hours care is set to be provided by an independent practice in Llandudno Junction.
Miss Joyce-Jones said there had already been strong support within the community as she pledged the company, which will be led by a five-member board, would “always consult” with islanders.
She added: “If COVID taught us one thing, it’s amazing what we can do together. There’s a great community spirit on the island and that is something we want to tap into.”
Rosa’s Mobile Vets, which will operate as a community interest company that invests all profits back into services, carries the name of Miss Joyce-Jones’ late pet cat Rosa that died in 2018.
Although she believes Rosa’s case was mishandled at the time, Miss Joyce-Jones said she refused to pursue legal action, which would have named the vets involved, as she felt the system rather than any individual was to blame.
She also insisted the new venture is not meant to be an exercise in “bashing” the vets who work for major companies.
She said: “A good relationship with a vet is crucial when you share an animal in your life and they’re suffering just like us.”
Although the project has been in the pipeline for some time, Miss Joyce-Jones announced the plan in a social media post on the same day, 5 October, that she presented a petition to the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd, urging it to investigate the corporate influence on the sector in Wales.
She previously led a successful campaign to ban the use of wild animals at circuses in the country.
The call, which was backed by more than 300 signatures in an online petition that closed in mid-August, is expected to be considered by the Senedd’s petitions committee later this month.
Unlike petitions to the UK Parliament, which require 10,000 signatures before they receive a response, campaigns presented to the Senedd only need a minimum of 250 signatures before they are considered by the committee.
The Senedd has several options for action, including inviting the petitioner to address it, requesting action from the Welsh Government, seeking a chamber debate or ordering a detailed inquiry.
The petition argues that a law change in the late 1990s, which allowed veterinary practices to be owned by people other than qualified veterinary surgeons, had “changed the profession so that it is barely recognisable”.
It also claimed the extent of corporate influence means it is now “virtually impossible to find an independently run veterinary practice” in many areas of Wales, urging the Senedd to take a lead following a lack of action by the UK Government.
The petition added: “For those of us with companion animals, this monopoly has had devastating consequences. From lack of choice in finding an independent practice, seeing the same veterinary surgeon for continuity of care through to cost.
“But most of all clinical decisions being made with the policies of the corporates taking centre stage.”
But in an open letter to veterinary professionals across the UK, Miss Joyce-Jones said she wants to see change across all four nations and the petition is being presented on behalf of all of them.
She wrote: “You have worked though one of the most challenging and difficult times we have ever known. However, the challenges you faced during the months and years before should be recognised, too.
“You know much better than I the impact the corporate takeover has had on your industry. This benefits one sector only – those who hold shares in such private equity shareholder companies.”
Speaking during a committee session in the spring, Wales’ CVO Christianne Glossop told MSs there was already an issue of practices offering night services which might require owners to take their pets to a different practice for care, instead of 24-hour cover.
She said: “In terms of the provision for the services that we need vets to provide, that’s still happening across Wales, but it is something that we are watching very carefully.”
