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Equine practice 'must adapt to family life'
equine vet
"Choosing to be an equine vet shouldn't go hand in hand with giving up the rest of your life."
Majority of voters want better work-life balance

Equine practice needs to become more compatible with family life, according to BEVA members who took part in a 'moral maze' debate.

During the recent BEVA Congress, 92 per cent of members said the profession should adapt to offer better work-life balance.

BEVA believes this shift in attitudes could be due in part to the changing demographics of the profession - female vets now account for 76 per cent of new graduate intakes.

New president Mark Bowen said: "I'm not surprised that 92 per cent of voters supported the motion, given the fact that the recent VetFutures survey has shown a high rate of job dissatisfaction in equine practice.

"It reiterates the importance of moving with the times to evaluate the needs of working parents and make the equine veterinary workplace more adaptable to family life."

Delegates contended that by working smarter rather than harder, it is possible to have good work-life balance and be an effective vet in a successful equine practice.

Carolyne Crowe, a veterinary coach and mentor, said: "Choosing to be an equine vet shouldn't go hand in hand with giving up the rest of your life. Allowing flexibility within job roles should result in more engagement, productivity and thus economic benefit for the practice."

Job share was cited as a possible solution. In order to meet the level of consistency demanded by clients, it was suggested two vets of equal calibre could be introduced to the client from the outset.

Members of the audience offered examples of successful job sharing, concluding that the turnover generated by part time, job share employees is often higher than their full time equivalents.

BEVA says it is working on various projects to help address the needs of members seeking a better work-life balance. Further information on other initiatives will be announced towards the end of the year.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.