EU vet registrants fall by 68 per cent
"The nosedive in EU registrants since Brexit coupled with soaring demand for veterinary certification is creating a storm of shortages in the profession" - James Russell, BVA.
The fall in new EU vets coming to work in the UK coupled with the increasing demand for veterinary certification has created a ‘storm of shortages in the profession’, according to the BVA.
Highlighting data released by the RCVS - which reveals that the annual number of EU registrants has fallen by 68 per cent since 2019 - the Association warns that the fall could result in ‘wide-ranging’ impacts across the sector - especially in the areas of animal welfare, public health and international trade.
It also warns that the figures sit uneasily against separate statistics, which reveal the rocketing demand for veterinary certification of animal products for export to the EU in the face of new post-Brexit requirements.
Figures released by the APHA suggest that applications for food-related export health certificates soared by 1,255 per cent from 2020 to the end of 2021. The BVA, however, says this is likely to be an underestimate, as the data excludes orders of equine and pet certificates, germplasm and movements to Northern Ireland.
BVA senior vice president James Russell commented: “The nosedive in EU registrants since Brexit coupled with soaring demand for veterinary certification is creating a storm of shortages in the profession. It’s absolutely critical that vets get as much support as possible to keep on top of workloads and navigate continued challenges ahead.
“We know that the Government is alive to the situation, and measures such as more vet school places and better digitisation of the certification process will help to relieve some pressures in the long term. Vets are working incredibly hard, but it’s an uphill struggle to comfortably cover all the work currently required.”
He added: “Moving some vets around to plug the gaps is just robbing Peter to pay Paul, as it can lead to issues with backfilling roles in other areas which desperately need to keep staffing levels up, such as large animal work. The potential consequences are worrying. If we can’t find long-term solutions to veterinary workforce shortages we will see impacts on animal welfare, public health, and international trade.”
The UK’s veterinary workforce is highly reliant on EU registrants. Data published by the RCVS in 2021 suggests that 29 per cent of the total workforce graduated in the EU. Around 48 per cent graduated in the EU in 2019, compared to 42 per cent graduating in the UK.
Measures already to mitigate against the shortages include modifying language testing requirements, introducing a new certification support officer role to work under the direction of Official Veterinarians, and opening new vet schools and course places to boost homegrown supply.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
