19 Dec 2022
Academics at the University of Liverpool have received £75,000 of funding from the CVS Group for work they hope will help to make the industry safer.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image © Dusko / Adobe Stock
Thousands of professionals are being invited to take part in what researchers have claimed is the largest ever study of veterinary workplace injuries.
Academics from the University of Liverpool believe the project, which is being funded by the CVS Group, will help to make the industry safer and improve care for animals.
More than 5,000 CVS staff across the UK have been invited to take part in a survey examining how they define injuries, their causes and the reasons behind decisions about whether to report injuries or seek medical treatment.
The project will then undertake an independent audit of the company’s accident reporting systems.
It is hoped those activities will enable the development of “open access” educational tools to promote injury awareness and prevention, as well as promoting behavioural change.
John Tulloch, research fellow and European specialist in veterinary public health at the University of Liverpool, said: “Injuries that occur within veterinary practice can tragically at times be life changing and are often avoidable.
“Currently, we do not know some critical details that would help to improve safety within the veterinary workplace.
“We anticipate that this project will result in safer workplaces within the wider veterinary community and, indirectly, in improved animal treatment through a fitter, healthier and safer profession.”
Almost two-thirds of mixed practice (66%) and equine vets (65%), plus 61% of production animal vets, reported suffering an injury at work in the preceding 12 months in data released by the BVA three years ago.
Latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics also suggested the veterinary sector had the highest level of non-fatal injuries of all job sectors in 2021, up from the fifth highest in 2020.
The CVS Group said it has invested nearly £75,000 in the injury project, which is one of 16 it has funded since the launch of its Clinical Research Awards programme in January 2022.
Last month, the company revealed it was providing almost £100,000 to support scientists at the University of Bristol in a study examining whether common flea and tick treatments used on cats and dogs may be harming the environment.
CVS veterinary statistician and epidemiologist Imogen Schofield said funding for research into the subject had been lacking until now.
She added: “We’re very pleased to be facilitating this important project, as our awards mission is to fund both research that generates beneficial animal care knowledge and research that supports the profession.
“Safety in practice is of paramount importance, so the outcomes of this research will enable us to continue to commit to ensuring the highest levels of safety of our colleagues, and those working in the profession.”
Applications for the scheme’s latest round of funding, which is available to both internal and external applicants, remain open until June. Visit the CVS Group website for more details.
