Defra: ‘bigger picture’ comes first for new Veterinary Surgeons Act

Veterinary professionals have been urged not to worry about the finer details of a new Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA) at this stage.

Delegates at London Vet Show were told many of the specifics that will shape a new VSA will come after initial reform of the legislation gets over the line.

Representing Defra in a panel about a new VSA, UK deputy CVO Ele Brown said: “We have to keep remembering this is bigger picture stuff.”

She added that, as a primary act, it “will be quite broad” and “flexible and agile enough”, adding: “[As] the profession and the system that we work in changes, then that act can also support that.”

‘Rabbit holes’

BVA senior vice-president Elizabeth Mullineaux echoed a similar message. She said: “It’s been very easy with this whole process to go down rabbit holes worrying about stuff, but actually, I think the things we’ll all worry about (…) that’s going to be in secondary legislation or in changes to the RCVS code way down the line.”

Asked about potential risks a new VSA could bring, Dr Mullineaux said secondary legislation and code changes are “risky for us as individual professionals”, but said: “I don’t think there’s anything in that primary legislation that is a risk”.

She added: “The biggest risk now, having set the ball rolling, is we don’t get this.”

Few years

Asked when clinicians might be able to expect a new act, Miss Brown said: “Even with a fair wind, if we had plans on the table today to talk about, we’re still looking at a few years.

“What really helps that path is just the profession getting behind the need for this. We won’t all agree on the detail.”

RCVS president Tim Parkin also suggested there is still a wait ahead, as he said: “We are closer than we’ve ever been, but we’re still quite a long way away.

“None of us are going to get everything we necessarily want – there will be things we have to compromise on, and people are always concerned about change, but change is coming.”

The prospect of a new VSA was boosted in the subsequent release of the Budget, with the Government committing to publishing a consultation this year on potential reforms, which Prof Parkin described as “very encouraging news”.

The panel urged the sector to provide feedback when the time comes.

‘Huge opportunity’

Samantha Butler-Davies, veterinary services director at Vets for Pets, said: “We’ve got this huge opportunity in front of us and there will be a consultation, and it’s really important that everyone takes part in that.

“That’s your moment to have your input and share your thoughts.

“If you don’t put your voice forward, that’s your opportunity gone.”

Prof Parkin urged clinicians to “identify the portions that you feel particularly passionate about” when responding.

He said: “It’s really important that we do think long term and actually think very hard what might be coming along, and retain a flexible structure that enables future veterinary professionals to embrace that and make change when needed.”