Defra: no plans for OV language waiver extension

Defra has said it has no plans to extend the waiver mitigating language requirements for OVs following questions by an MP in parliament.

In a written question, Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke asked the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs what discussions the department was having with the RCVS on extending the waiver on level 7 English language requirements for OVs, introduced in June 2021, and relaxing the technical supervisory conditions imposed as a condition of that waiver.

Responding to the question, Defra minister of state Victoria Prentis stated no plans were in place to discuss extending the waiver on level 7 English language requirements.

The temporary waiver was approved by RCVS council in March this year following widespread calls from the profession for help with the recruitment crisis in the OV sector. It is set to be in place for 12 months, with possibility for further renewal in March 2022.

One of the largest employers of OVs in the UK, Eville and Jones, has said the temporary waiver of the Level 7 English language test for OVs through temporary registration was an enormously welcome concession from the RCVS.

‘Huge shortfall’

Charles Hartwell, chief executive of Eville and Jones, said: “It demonstrated that it understood the problems the industry was facing and was prepared to act. Equally, the upcoming summit to discuss recruitment, retention and the return to work is a very positive move.

“However, the industry still faces a huge shortfall in recruitment, especially within veterinary public health.

“The only effective way this shortfall can be addressed is through extending temporary registration for OVs while a strategy is developed and implemented that reduces veterinary supply chain pressure for the long term.

“We need a suite of overlapping initiatives to ensure our industry can continue to support and safeguard animal welfare and food safety.

“The fact the recruitment of vets into the UK market is being taken seriously by all parties – be it Parliament, the industry, the royal college and Government – is only to be welcomed.”

Mr Hartwell urged all parties to agree to carefully study the cause and effect of staffing shortages in the UK when considering extending the programme.

He continued: “At the same time as considering the temporary waiver, we would also urge all parties to continue to work on a range of initiatives, such as the establishment of new schools in the UK and expansion of the number of accredited overseas schools, and the structure of the statutory membership exam, to tackle our staffing shortages.”

Contingency measure

BVA president Justine Shotton said the use of temporary registration for OVs working in official controls was only ever intended to be a contingency measure to address a critical workforce shortage in these essential public health roles.

She said: “When the decision was announced last March, the RCVS said it would be reviewed after six months, and we agree it is sensible to keep the decision under review.

“For those OVs working under temporary registration, there is an expectation that they are supported by their employers to take steps to raise their language level to the required [International English Language Testing System] level 7, at which point they would be eligible to apply for full registration. This may reduce the need for the temporary measures to be further extended in the future.

“We are concerned by the suggestion in the [Parliamentary question] that the supervisory conditions be relaxed. It is important official controls are overseen by [RCVS members] to maintain the integrity of the UK food supply chain.”

No approach

An RCVS spokesman said Defra had not come to the college with any plans to extend the current dispensation that allows overseas vets to join the RCVS temporary register to carry out specific OV tasks and with a lower English language ability requirement than is usually required to join the RCVS register.

The spokesman added: “Should the department come to us with any such plans in the future they would be considered and, if necessary, voted on by RCVS council.

“In the meantime, in view of the workforce shortage issues that the veterinary sector currently faces – including in the OV sector – the RCVS is hosting a workforce summit [30 November], at which we will be working with a number of stakeholders, including Defra, to consider short, medium and long-term solutions to these problems.”